The Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches is a collaboration of more than 80 churches and other ministries in the Chicago metropolitan area which welcome and affirm people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. We have two goals:
- To spread the message of our members' LGBTQ-inclusion across the Chicago metropolitan area, mindful that a positive message about sexual and family diversity is a gift to all people.
- To connect the leaders, members, and guests of our partner churches for fellowship and education, enabling support and resource-sharing for the practices of faithful welcome.
Purpose of the Coalition
The Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches is a collaboration of more than 80 churches and other ministries in the Chicago metropolitan area which welcome and affirm people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. We have two goals:
- To spread the message of our members' LGBTQ-inclusion across the Chicago metropolitan area, mindful that a positive message about sexual and family diversity is a gift to all people.
- To connect the leaders, members, and guests of our partner churches for fellowship and education, enabling support and resource-sharing for the practices of faithful welcome.
Coalition News and Events
Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 20th, will mark the annual observation of The Transgender Day of Remembrance. The TDOR, was created to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman of color whose murder on November 28th, 1998 inspired a candlelight vigil and the Remembering Our Dead web project in early 1999. Due to the interest in both the web project and the original vigil, it was decided that an annual memorial to honor those killed due to anti-transgender violence was necessary.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people and those perceived to be trans. It publicly mourns and honors the lives of our siblings who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, the community expresses love and respect for transgender people in the face of national indifference and hatred. TDOR also gives non-trans allies the chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those who have died by anti-transgender violence.
All member congregations of the CCWC are supported in their observations of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
The Coalition's Statement Regarding the Events of October 27, 2018
The Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches (CCWC) denounces in the strongest possible terms the violence and loss of life perpetrated Saturday morning October 27, 2018 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. All forms of antisemitism are an affront to humanity and must be rejected. As a collaboration of more than 80 churches and other ministries which welcome and affirm people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, we proclaim all houses of worships must be free from violence and be places of peaceful gathering open to all. We morn with all the Children of Abraham, with all faith traditions, and with those with no religious affiliation the lives lost. We also stand particularly with Jewish members of the LGBTQ community as they grieve.
All member congregations of the CCWC are supported in their own statements regarding this tragedy.
The Parade Is Over. What Now?
The Pride Parade is over. The streets have been cleaned. Halsted and Broadway are back to normal. (or at least back to what we've come to accept as normal there.) What do we do now?
Stay tuned to this website. We have some suggestions on how to extend Pride beyond June.
49th Annual Chicago Pride Parade
Hundreds of Coalition members joined together to march in Chicago's Pride Parade on June 24th. We made a loud, happy, BIG public witness of our congregations' welcome to all people.
See many of the photos our members and the secular press took at the parade on the Coalition's Facebook site.
Pre-Pride Parade Worship
The Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches was excited to gather for our Annual Pre-Parade Worship. It's the way we get ready to march in Chicago's Pride Parade! The worship was sponsored by the Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches with the Lighthouse Church of Chicago and Gilead Church.
We met in Lighthouse Church's worship space, Uptown Underground, 4713, North Broadway, Chicago.
Pre-Pride Parade Brunch
Our brunch was an AWESOME and inspiring success. Special thanks the the welcoming people of Irving Park United Methodist Church for hosting us.
You can see more photos from our brunch on the Coalition's Facebook site.