The grand marshals for the 2024 Chicago Pride Parade were announced by organizers Thursday.
Celebrity comedian Fortune Feimster, known for her stand up as well as roles in several notable television shows and movies, including “The Mindy Project,” “The L Word: Generation Q,” “Office Christmas Party” and more, was named the parade’s grand marshal along with her wife Jax Smith. The duo will be joined by community grand marshals Art Johnston, Jose “Pepe” Pena and Myles and Precious Brady-Davis.
Feimster and Smith will lead the 2024 procession, set to step off on June 30.
“We are honored to be named the Grand Marshals for Chicago Pride,” Feimster said in a statement. “Chicago holds a special place in our hearts—it’s home to a great comedy scene and home to the best audiences. It’s also where Jax and I first met nine years ago, during Pride. As we celebrate our community and our anniversary, it feels like a beautiful full-circle moment.”
Feimster and Smith’s love story began in 2015 at the Chicago Pride Parade, “just days after the Supreme Court’s historic ruling for nationwide marriage equality,” organizers said in their release.
“Since then, they have shared a journey of love and commitment, culminating in their marriage in October 2020,” the release said.
The 2024 Pride Parade, set to once again travel through Chicago’s landmark Lakeview neighborhood, will be the city’s 53rd, serving as “the crowning event of Pride Month in Chicago,” with more than one million people expected to line the route.
The theme of this year’s parade is “Pride is Power,” which organizers said is meant to highlight the “fundamental role the Chicago Pride Parade has played in creating visibility and advocating for effective change for the city and region’s LGBTQ+ community for five decades.”
This year’s event does come with some changes after organizers said they were informed of “safety and logistical concerns.”
“In mid-March, the Chicago Pride Parade committee learned from the City of Chicago that due to safety and logistical concerns, including the city’s capacity to manage a range of large events throughout the summer, that it is capping parades at 125 entries and shifting the start of our parade to 11 a.m.” organizers said in a statement Wednesday.
Comedian Fortune Feimster joins “Chicago Today” to discuss the new Netflix Special “Fortune Feimster: Good Fortune,” why it was filmed in Chicago, and her Instagram persona ‘Brenda.’
The change means the parade will see a 35% decrease in the number of participants, and organizers said priority will be given to LGBTQ+ organizations, groups, businesses and those with LGBTQ Employee Resource Groups.
“For over 50 years the Chicago Pride Parade has served as a vibrant celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, bringing together our community and allies in a rich display of unity and solidarity. It’s truly a parade like no other and we’re incredibly grateful for the support of our dedicated partners, allies, and friends who have helped make the parade a cherished neighborhood tradition for decades,” the committee said in a statement. “We understand there will be some disappointed groups that will not march with us this year; we extend a heartfelt thank you for their support and understanding.”
More information about the 2024 Chicago Pride Parade can be found here.