Sunday, June 30 marked the 50th Pride Parade in Chicago, during which celebrations took place throughout the city. Mayor Lori Lightfoot served as honorary grand marshal for the annual parade, walking the route with her wife Amy Eshleman. Eshleman stated walking showed the people of Chicago are “open and welcoming and diverse and loving and nonjudgmental.”

That sense of “open and welcoming” speaks to several core values of the community at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. In a conversation with the Admission team earlier this year, Adam Flores, MPP’19 and speaker at the Harris School of Public Policy’s commencement ceremony in May, discussed how his mentorship with Brian Richardson, currently the Midwest Director of Lambda Legal, helped him feel part of a larger community.

“I was interested in finding a mentor who identified as queer… it was important to see myself in other policy professionals who have gone down the path before me and can provide very clear advice on what their experience has been in the professional world.” Flores cited his mentorship as an example of “the sense of community that has been one of the core things about my Harris experience.”

If you’re interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ life at UChicago, we encourage you to visit The Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Student Life to learn more about activities and events at the University of Chicago.

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