ABC7 Chicago features town hall 'Our Chicago: Voices of the Community' celebrating Pride Month

CHICAGO (WLS) -- ABC7, Chicago's No. 1 station for news, always celebrates pride in a big way and this year is no exception.

In addition to the two-hour live Pride Parade broadcast on Sunday, June 25, at noon, ABC 7 I-Team Consumer reporter Jason Knowles moderated a town hall featuring several members of Chicago's diverse LGBTQIA+ community. "Our Chicago: Voices of the Community" was on abc7chicago.com, Friday, June 16, at 1 p.m.

Knowles led an important conversation with LGBTQIA+ leaders and influencers who represent various segments of the community to get their perspective on what many in the community see as anti-gay, anti-trans legislation. They discussed the impact of this legislation on Illinois and other states.

During "Our Chicago: Voices of the Community," leaders gave updates on what's going on within their organizations and what initiatives they are currently spearheading.

The following guests participated in the town hall:

• Julio Rodríguez, ALMA Chicago

• Channyn Lynne Parker, Brave Space Alliance

• Brian C. Johnson, Equality Illinois

• Anna DeShawn, E3 Radio

Knowles conducted a round-robin with guests highlighting the latest plans for this year's Pride Fest and Pride Parade.

ABC7 Chicago will broadcast the Pride Parade live on Sunday, June 25, from noon to 2 p.m. with ABC7's hosts Hosea Sanders, Tanja Babich and Jason Knowles. Cody LaGrow and Kim Hunt will serve as contributors during the broadcast. The parade will also be streamed live on abc7chicago.com.

About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago

ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.6 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, ABC 7 Eyewitness News produces "Chicago Proud," a series of features that spotlights everyday heroes in and around Chicago. The station also produces the highest-rated New Year's Eve special in Chicago, holiday kickoff special "The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival," syndicated to a national audience, as well as the award-winning program series "Our Chicago," which showcases the city's diversity and highlights contributions in the Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+ communities, among others. Every Friday, Windy City Weekend, entertains while giving Chicagoans everything they need to know about what's happening in the city. ABC 7 is the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago's rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago's electorate informed. ABC7's outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives, one of the biggest one-day drives in the country and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.

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Media Contact:

Jayme Nicholas

(312) 750-7254

jayme.a.nicholas@abc.com