Elmhurst, Ill. — DuPage County Board members presented the Elmhurst Pride Collective with a proclamation declaring June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The DuPage County Board announced the recognition on June 10.
County Board Chair Deborah Conroy and County Board Members Dawn DeSart, Paula Deacon Garcia, and Yeena Yoo were present to hand the proclamation. Elmhurst Pride Collective members Jen Cox-Shah and Kelli Mitchell and Youth Outlook Member Carolyn Wahlskog were in attendance to receive it.
The recognition from the board follows an official proclamation by Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin on Thursday, June 1. Elmhurst Patch reported that Mayor Levin proclaimed June as LGBTQ Pride Month in the city and announced the proclamation at a City Council meeting the following Monday, June 5. His announcement was the first proclamation of its kind to the council. In June of last year, Levin made the proclamation to the Elmhurst Pride Collective.
In the proclamation, Levin said, “Elmhurst’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer residents are welcome and valuable members of our community and Elmhurst is dedicated to fostering acceptance of all its citizens and preventing discrimination and bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Levin also said that Elmhurst is dedicated to all residents, including all ages, beliefs, disabilities, ethnicities, identities, races, religions, gender identities, sexes or sexual orientations. The proclamation also cited the Centers for Disease Control in noting that LGBTQ teens pose a higher risk as victims of violence and have higher suicide rates.
