Celebrating with our LGBTQ+ community in Champaign-Urbana during June
June is designated as Pride Month and we have resources for those who are interested in learning more
June is a glorious month for celebrations of all kinds — from graduations to weddings to the summer solstice. June is also celebrated worldwide by the LGBTQ+ community as Pride Month, when people embrace the ability to be authentically themselves.
New York activist Brenda Howard organized the first Pride parade in 1970 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. (In June of 1969, the Stonewall Inn was the site of extensive rioting in response to a violent police raid targeting gay men.) This clash is considered the start of the modern struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, borrowing from both the women’s rights movement and the civil rights movement. Stonewall, and the Pride parade the following year, is why June eventually became the month for Pride events nationwide and around the world.
Here are several local organizations who work to support the LGBTQ+ community in C-U as well as Central Illinois:
- Uniting Pride: Uniting Pride advocates for the equality, wellness, advocacy, and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community in Champaign County and the surrounding areas. It serves their clients through support groups, community events, educational programming, and referrals and resources.
- The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center at the University of Illinois: A resource for the U of I community that works to foster an environment that is open, safe, and inclusive for people of all sexualities and gender identities.
- Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD): Offers LGBTQ+ friendly sexual health services, free and anonymous HIV testing, STD prevention.
- Planned Parenthood of Champaign: Provides low-cost sexual health care to all genders and sexualities, offers gender-affirming hormone therapy.
Why is C-U’s Pride Fest not during Pride Month?
For more than a decade, C-U has hosted the second largest Pride Parade in Illinois (and in its early days, the only Pride Parade in Illinois outside of Chicago!) in early fall rather than in June. The reason is simple enough — local activists wanted a community Pride celebration that could include the university community when school was in session.
CU Pride Fest will take place over the course of a week from Oct. 12-17, featuring the Pride Fest Parade and Fair on Saturday. Stay tuned to Uniting Pride for all the details to come about CU Pride Fest in 2026.
Champaign-Urbana Area Pride Month events – June 2026
Do you have a Pride (or Pride-related) event to add? If it’s for families and it’s free or low-cost, please submit it to our calendar.
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Drag Story Hour with Merah at The Urbana Free Library
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
210 W Green St, Urbana
Join local drag queen Merah Lex and a special guest for stories, games, and fun! Children can listen to stories read aloud by local drag queen Merah Lex and a special guest. Enjoy active music-and-movement games and fun for the whole family! The Library is committed to making programs accessible… …read more…
Sunday, November 8, 2026
Champaign-Urbana Queer Soup Night at Phillips Recreation Center
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
505 W. Stoughton Street, Urbana
This is a free mutual aid event serving vegan soup to people of all ages. Bring a bowl, a spoon, and a friend! They're creating a space for people to eat together and build community. It’s a LGBTQ+ space, but all are welcome— they don’t check at the door! For… …read more…
Friday, November 13, 2026
Queer Scream Night at Near Gibson City
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Given following RSVP, Gibson City
Do you feel like everything in the world has just been a bit too much lately? So do they! And they have the perfect way to release that negative energy. They're inviting you to Queer Scream Night, a family-friendly community gathering where adults and children can come together to let… …read more…
Saturday, November 14, 2026
OUTside in Champaign Forests at Sangamon River Forest Preserve
Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am
2797 County Road 600 E, Fisher
Free, no registration required. All ages. Head OUTside in Champaign Forests, every second Saturday of the month where nature and community come together. These monthly hikes welcome queer-identifying individuals and allies who share a love for the great outdoors. For more info: (217) 586-2612 or cprahl@ccfpd.org. …read more…
Sunday, December 13, 2026
Champaign-Urbana Queer Soup Night at Phillips Recreation Center
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
505 W. Stoughton Street, Urbana
This is a free mutual aid event serving vegan soup to people of all ages. Bring a bowl, a spoon, and a friend! They're creating a space for people to eat together and build community. It’s a LGBTQ+ space, but all are welcome— they don’t check at the door! For… …read more…
Sunday, January 10, 2027
Champaign-Urbana Queer Soup Night at Phillips Recreation Center
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
505 W. Stoughton Street, Urbana
This is a free mutual aid event serving vegan soup to people of all ages. Bring a bowl, a spoon, and a friend! They're creating a space for people to eat together and build community. It’s a LGBTQ+ space, but all are welcome— they don’t check at the door! For… …read more…
Sunday, February 14, 2027
Champaign-Urbana Queer Soup Night at Phillips Recreation Center
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
505 W. Stoughton Street, Urbana
This is a free mutual aid event serving vegan soup to people of all ages. Bring a bowl, a spoon, and a friend! They're creating a space for people to eat together and build community. It’s a LGBTQ+ space, but all are welcome— they don’t check at the door! For… …read more…
Sunday, March 14, 2027
Champaign-Urbana Queer Soup Night at Phillips Recreation Center
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
505 W. Stoughton Street, Urbana
This is a free mutual aid event serving vegan soup to people of all ages. Bring a bowl, a spoon, and a friend! They're creating a space for people to eat together and build community. It’s a LGBTQ+ space, but all are welcome— they don’t check at the door! For… …read more…
We will continue to add to this list, so please check back during the month of June.