Chicago Department of Public Health Weekly Media Brief, 06/06/2024

Wear Orange Weekend to Prevent Gun Violence

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month and Wear Orange Day is the first Friday of the month, June 7. Tomorrow, CDPH wears Orange to bring awareness to and stand up against gun violence.

In 2013, Chicago teenager Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed on a local playground. To honor her, her friends wore orange, the color that hunters wear in the woods to prevent themselves from being shot. Pendleton’s tragic death became an emblem for the necessity of gun violence awareness and for the increasing desire of our communities to fight for change.

Visit chicago.gov/AllSafe for resources and more information.

CDPH Celebrates Pride Month

This month, as we celebrate LGBT+ Pride Month, CDPH recognizes the profound significance of the phrase “Pride is Power.” It’s Chicago’s theme for Pride, and one we are spotlighting this month.

Pride Month is not just a celebration; it is a powerful affirmation of existence and an unwavering fight for equality. It’s crucial to acknowledge the LGBT+ community continues to confront significant health issues, exacerbated by systemic inequities and discrimination. Barriers to healthcare access and quality disproportionately affect Black and Latinx LGBT individuals, leading to poorer health outcomes. For the trans community, the struggle is even more severe.

This Pride Month, CDPH reaffirms its commitment to addressing these disparities and advocating for equitable healthcare for all. CDPH is sponsoring or supporting several events with community partners this month, including:

• Chicago Therapy Collective – Trans is TRANSCENDENT at Andersonville Midsommar Fest, 7pm on Friday, June 7th
• Lighthouse Foundation’s Pride Skate Party, “Chicago’s Black LGBTQ+ Pride event of the summer,” Saturday, June 8, 10:30pm – 1am at MLK Skate Rink. Register at bit.ly/LFSkate
• Chicago Hoedown (with a mechanical bull-riding contest) 6pm – 11pm, at 2747 W. 79th St.
• The Puerto Rican Cultural Center’s “Call to Action for Trans Rights and Service,” on Friday, June 7, 2pm – 5:30pm. Panel discussions with local and state officials and guests will address issues such as health, safety, jobs, and education. Urban Theatre Company, 2620 W. Division St.
• Chicago Urban Pride, Sunday, June 30.
• Lighthouse Foundation, Black LGBTQ+ Beach Day, featuring a Healthcare Village, at the 63rd Street Beach. Noon – 7pm on June 22.
• Esteem Awards, July 6.

Work is also complete on the penultimate installment of CDPH’s groundbreaking documentary series, HIV and the Journey Toward Zero, while the first two installments of this series are now available to stream online. Part 3, titled The Conversation, features a discussion between longtime survivors of HIV from On the Frontlines (Part 1) and younger activists from The Legacy (Part 2). The six stars from this series come together for an intergenerational chat not only about the ongoing challenges in achieving “Getting to Zero” new HIV cases, but additional challenges that impact the continued fight against HIV, such as housing and employment security. You can stream Parts 1 and 2 at journeytowardzero.com/join-the-journey/.

New Healthy Chicago…