By Jorge Cestou
This past Sunday, June 29, 2014, over one million celebrated Chicago’s 45th Pride Parade. The theme of the parade was Marriage Equality since the Illinois Same Sex Marriage Law took effect June 1, 2014.
PRCC-Vida/SIDA made its presence with a beautiful float and contingent among the parade’s 206 entries as the only Latino led community-based organization in the City of Chicago. Staff, residents and volunteers joyfully marched and danced to the beats of salsa, merengue, and reggaeton entertaining and invigorating the crowd with their energy, colorful ethnic outfits and proudly sporting the gay flag among the many Latin American flags as they passed through the four mile parade route.
Maritxa Vidal, the 2014 Honorary Cacica Queen proudly anchored the float representing her country of Cuba and Milani Ninja, 2009 Cacica Queen, represented her country of Mexico. Other women represented the countries of Puerto Rico, Colombia, Brazil, and Dominican Republic.