TaskForce Prevention and Community Services has been named the Out Front Leader of the 2025 Chicago Pride Parade, marking the first time a local community organization will lead Chicago’s Pride Parade on June 29.
The West Side nonprofit is recognized as it celebrates 35 years of service to LGBTQ+ youth of color.
Located in the Austin neighborhood, TaskForce Prevention and Community Services is committed to addressing the HIV/STI-related needs of adolescents and young adults living in systematically disenfranchised communities with limited resources, by providing HIV/STI prevention education, testing, treatment and care services.
Dr. Christopher V. Balthazar serves as executive director of this organization.
“We are really excited about being the Out Front community partner this year at the Pride Parade for a number of different reasons. One, thinking about the sign of the times where so many of our young people, their rights are literally under attack. For the pride planners to want to center our community, it tells a very different story,” Balthazar said. “I think that it says that you matter, even though you are not being supported by the federal government right now, which I think that’s a very powerful message.”
Throughout June, TaskForce Prevention and Community Services will take part in Pride Month by hosting events and joining with partner organizations to celebrate, organize, and build community. As part of the month’s festivities, the organization will also be present at Chicago Pride Fest on June 21–22. The organization’s full Pride calendar is available on its social media pages.
Balthazar emphasized that while many Pride events often feel centered on North Side communities, this year’s intentional outreach sends a powerful message that LGBTQ+ people across the entire city matter and deserve to be seen and celebrated.
When asked how his organization is planning to celebrate this honor during Pride Month and what can people expect from TaskForce’s presence at the front of the parade, Balthazar said they are planning to celebrate out loud.
“We want to be proud and out loud about this. We are sharing the news with everyone. But also we plan to center our young people at the parade. Many of our young people love the art of voguing, which is a form of dance. They use it as a way of self-expression and as a form of empowerment,” Balthazar said.
Continuing to support the holistic health and wellness of the LGBTQ+ community — especially youth — remains central to the group’s mission, through leadership development, affirming care and community-building.
“Our young people are so vibrant — they love to dance and are excited for the opportunity to be part of the parade this year. I think they’re really looking forward to walking in the parade, maybe even voguing a little as they go. For many of them, this will be their first time ever participating in the parade, so there’s a lot of excitement around that too,” Balthazar said.
TaskForce Prevention and Community Services is embracing the joy of the moment alongside their youth, who will proudly walk in the parade. Balthazar notes that they’ve also extended an open invitation to supporters — donors, parents of LGBTQ+ youth and the broader community to join in, emphasizing that Pride is a celebration for everyone.
“We realize that many of the services we offer help people become better leaders in the future. Our medical care, safe space, gender-based violence support and connections to mental wellness services. But what we’re truly invested in is building future leaders, because we believe the people we serve can become anything they want to be,” Balthazar said.