Chicago Police increase security for Pride festivities downtown
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago's 52nd annual Pride Parade will kick off in the city's Uptown neighborhood Sunday and wrap up in Lincoln Park. Festivities both big and small have taken over Chicago for the weekend.
Celina Capazzoli was getting a head start on the fun with her best friend at Pride in the Park, a two-day music festival at Grant Park.
"It's just supporting each other as well as having people support us," she said. "It's a community that is under attack right now."
"This here represents who we are," said concertgoer Jessice Bodner. "You know it's our month. Yes, it's our month!"
The long-standing tradition of pride weekend in the city meant to celebrate community, brings in crowds but also concerns. Anti-LGBT sentiment across the country has grown over the years where a surge of legislative actions have targeted the community, which led to violence in some cases.
It's a concern that both event organizers and Chicago Police are taking very seriously.
"We're an easy target, and I want people to be here to have a good time, celebrate, be who they are, and not worry about that," said Dusty Carpenter with Pride in the Park.
"We're going to have our most experienced officers working throughout the night after the parade," said Interim Police Supt. Fred Waller.
With a security plan in place, which will have an additional 200 officers on patrol, businesses along the parade route are hoping for the best.
Beatnix, a costume accessory shop along Halsted, is seeing a boom in business as parade goers pick up last minute items ahead of the big event.
The shop is choosing to cancel out the noise from naysayers.
"At the same time it also sparks a conversation," said manager Richie Torres. "We are here, and when you walk into this store, you feel like already a sense of welcome and a sense of love at the same time."
Nearly 1 million people are expected to take part in the Pride Parade.