While more than 1 million people celebrated gay pride through the largest LGBT-related parade in the city's history, a much smaller and intimate tradition launched just off the lakefront on the city's North Side June 29.
Additional photos at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/photospreadthumbs.php .
The Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois ( TJLP ) hosted a picnic and "chill out" space for transgender individuals and their allies as a starting point for camaraderie, awareness and dialogue toward a new and honest beginning. The picnic was designed as the start of a new tradition in creating a safe space for individuals who are not only transforming into there chosen genders ( verses what gender they were born into ), but also to address the ongoing plight of transgendered individuals who are incarcerated in penitentiaries while facing long and complicated legal battles against laws that ignore and side step transformative rights.
Hosted by TLJP's founder, attorney Owen Daniel McCarter, with assistance from TJLP member Monica Ladywolf and others, the gathering was focused on awareness, rights and a new beginning for what some contend is one of the LGBT community's most overlooked populations.
Apart from meeting and creating dialogue, the event also highlighted the release of the latest edition of Hidden Expressions, a zine from variant gendered incarcerated individuals that includes artwork as well as poetry and personal experiences. The issues of breaking the cycle of gender-variant LGBT youth and others being incarcerated due to crimes as a result of unemployment, a lack of counseling and life-affirming options and direction as well as homelessness, HIV/STD awareness and the lack of legal aid have become the foci of the TJLP.
Volunteers and allies are always welcome; contact TJLP at 773-727-1822.