Wintrust bank held its first Pride month reception and panel discussion. June 12 at the Wintrust Grand Banking Hall in downtown Chicago.
Wintrust Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Melissa Donaldson welcomed the more than 200 people in attendance and said it was an honor to celebrate the LGBTQ community. She noted that this event was a celebration of diversity, connections, intersections and equality.
Wintrust President, CEO and Founder Edward J. Wehmer spoke about the origins of the bank, which he started in 1991 with the goal of bringing community banking back to Chicago. He said now Wintrust is the second biggest bank headquartered in Chicago.
Wehmer explained that these events have given him an opportunity to learn more about the diverse communities the bank serves. He said they want to do this Pride month event every year and get more involved with the LGBTQ community in other ways.
Flower Show Productions, Inc. CEO and President, Get Growing Foundation President, Chicago Gateway Green Executive Director and Chicago Flower and Garden Show Director Tony Abruscato moderated the panel discussion.
Panelists included Skolnik Industries President W. Dean Ricker, Heels & Hardhats ( Byron, Illinois ) Co-Founder ( alongside her wife Cyndi Richter ) and President Jackie Richter, AbbVie Intellectual Property Section Head Nabeela Rasheed and Center on Halsted Anti-Violence Project Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator Joanna Thompson.
Abruscato noted that he was closeted in the early parts of his career but now he can talk about his partner freely due to increased acceptance of LGBTQ people.
Richter, who is transgender, expressed how grateful she was for this opportunity. She recognized her wife Cyndi and said they work in the energy field.
Rasheed, a lesbian, is a patent attorney and activist. She said if one has a voice and platform they have an obligation to speak out.
Ricker has two manufacturing plants on the Southwest Side of Chicago. His company participates in the Illinois Manufacturing and Internship Program and because of this they have been able to mentor LGBTQ youth, many of whom come from underserved parts of Chicago.
Thompson said she is a proud queer woman. She said due to the nature of her work activism is a part of her everyday life. She said coming to Chicago as an adult and meeting different people from across the city expanded her worldview since she was raised in a wealthy suburb in Maryland.
Richter said she and her wife have volunteered at Howard Brown Health's Brown Elephant resale shop as a way to give back due to the excellent healthcare she and Cyndi received there when they did not have insurance. She said it is important to take care of others in the LGBTQ community and pass that advocacy along to the youth.
As for the challenges the LGBTQ community faces now versus 20-30 years ago, Abruscato said in the past people were concerned about not being discriminated against in housing and employment and now the challenge is to keep the protections that have been enacted, given the push-back against civil rights under the current presidential administration.
Rasheed said the Masterpiece Cakeshop Supreme Court ( SCOTUS ) decision is dangerous because of the way certain people will interpret it. She noted the increasing hatred toward the LGBTQ community could drag the movement back decades.
Ricker said he is worried his marriage to Dan Novak could be taken away if certain Supreme Court justices die or retire.
Thompson said the biggest difference is now younger people, especially Gen Z'ers, are increasingly visible and more diverse, especially in how they identify themselves within the LGBTQ community.
Richter said the Masterpiece decision could lead to the eroding of LGBTQ rights in every corner of the country. She said certain people "are searching for solutions to problems we did not have before" and education is the only way to combat hatred toward all minority communities.
Both Thompson and Rasheed spoke about how they have embraced their intersectional identities over time. Thompson said it is easier for her to tell people she is a Black and Latinx queer woman now that she is living in Chicago.
Rasheed's family is from Pakistan. She said her girlfriend, writer and actor Fawzia Mirza, helped her emerge from her cloistered life. She said that as an out Pakistani-Muslim lesbian couple they have found acceptance of their relationship in Chicago.
"Events like tonight's Pride celebration and our previous events focused on the African-American and Asian communities and women's history month are all in lock-step with us being able to say come visit with us and hear from members of your community," said Donaldson. "We are an inclusive banking institution that wants to do the right things for the right reasons and this Pride celebration was one of the ways we demonstrated that inclusivity."
"As an ally to the LGBTQ community, this event was one we were honored to host," said Wehmer. "Being Chicago's Bank means supporting the many diverse groups and unique areas that make this city what it is."