Uniting Pride was founded in 2009 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to advocate for the equality, wellness, and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community in Champaign County. UP exists to create a community where all who identify as sexual and/or gender minorities can live full, healthy, and vibrant lives.
We have a few main areas of year-round work:
Support and Social Groups: We have support and social groups that serve everyone from our littlest littles up through our elders. In 2023 we held over 150 meetings throughout the year.
Training and Education: We offer free LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency training for anyone willing to have us. From schools to healthcare to private businesses to faith groups to community groups and more.
Advocacy: An area of growth for us is around Advocacy. Any organization like ours always works to put
ourselves out of business. Our goal is that someday there’s no more need because the world is affirming and safe for everyone. Sadly, things are going the opposite direction. We’ve broken records for the most anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the history of the United States every year since 2018, with 2023 seeing 3 times as much proposed as 2022. (https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/06/politics/anti-lgbtq-plus-state-bill-rights-dg/index.html)
Programming: And lastly, what we’re known best for: our events and programs. We produce the annual Pride Fest in the fall with our signature parade and fair and lots of other community programming. But
we’ve also added so much more, from social to educational to adult to youth & family. From our annual Teen Queer Prom, to our semi-regular drag shows, to our June Pride month with programs all throughout the area, to film screenings and educational sessions, to concerts at Krannert Center’s Uncorked, to Drag Story Time for families with little ones, to our annual Love Fest Fundraiser Cabaret, we’re striving to create opportunities for safe and affirming socialization and community for all.
We need your help!
Of course, all of this takes resources to do. Uniting Pride is on an aggressive growth plan – sadly, due to increased need. We’ve reached our max capacity based on the staff, funding, and resources we currently have, and yet there is so much more we could do if we had what we needed to do it. So if you’re lucky enough to be in a position to give, we thank you for helping us.
Check out our website for information on all the work we do and how you can get involved:
unitingpride.org.