About GoPride
One useful page. A lasting connection.
Our story began with a simple question: how could finding information help more people take part in LGBTQIA+ Chicago?
1999: A practical beginning
Ron Matthew Inawat created a one-page website with tips for attending the Chicago Pride Parade. The idea grew from a personal desire to give back to nonprofit organizations that had supported him as he came out and served Chicago’s LGBTQIA+ youth and broader communities.
A clear guide could make a first visit easier. A visible announcement could help a community organization reach someone who needed it. Small connections mattered.
2002: A shared purpose
Inawat partnered with Steve Long of QChicago.com. The two websites came together around community service and a belief in the possibilities of online connection.
The platform expanded to include news, events, businesses, interviews and social photography. Organizations could share their work, businesses could introduce themselves, and readers could find more ways to participate.
A growing community record
A gallery can bring back a night with friends. An interview can preserve an artist’s perspective. A calendar entry can mark the beginning of an annual tradition. Together, these records tell a story of a city and the people who keep shaping it.
Our 10-year anniversary is one chapter in that history: a chance to reflect on the readers, contributors and community connections behind the website.
The work continues
GoPride’s mission remains to connect, challenge and inspire. That means making space for celebration, asking useful questions and helping readers find opportunities to take part in community life.
Explore our community commitments · Share a memory or get in touch
Your city. Your community. Your next connection.
Explore what’s happening and the people making it happen.