Photo by Luis Castaneda
On Sunday morning in Evanston, Anne Barela, 63, sat under a sunhat speckled with pins — “The Future is Female”, a butterfly with wings matching those of the transgender flag — dressed in a flowing pink dress with a white sweater. The outfit, more Florida than Midwest, was a reminder of where she and her wife Amy had fled from — and why.
Just months ago, the couple left Florida in fear. The state has passed sweeping laws restricting how public schools can talk about gender and sexuality and, more recently, where transgender people can legally use the bathroom. After the 2024 presidential election, Barela said they’d had enough.
“We made up our minds in two days that we were going to move to Chicago,” Barela explained, saying they were frightened. “We did that in about six weeks.”
Months later, on the first day of Pride Month, the couple lounged on the lawn of Northwestern University’s Foster-Walker Complex, laughing with friends who work at the university. Far from DeSantis’s Florida, families and students celebrated being Queer at the annual Pride Picnic.
“As an older trans person and Amy too, we’re very sad about the state of things right now, and we’re rather protective of both our peers and the younger Queer folk,” Barela said.
Rainbow Alliance, the student organization co-sponsoring the event, helped with organizing a bouncy house, rock painting, ice cream, Jimmy John’s sandwiches, a cheap thrift market, and a custom nail vendor for community members to enjoy.
Photo by Luis Castaneda
In the lawn corner, guests took turns hurling balls at a dunk tank, with Sahil Desai, Rainbow Alliance External President, inside, raising money for the senior send-off.
“We’re just trying to create a space where people can be happy, have some joy,” Desai said. “It is a reminder that we do need to keep fighting for our dignity.”
Desai, who uses they/them pronouns, said that because Rainbow Alliance is a descendant of the Gay Liberation Front, part of their job is advocating for a better lifestyle for LGBTQ+ students on campus.
Pride Picnic used to be held on Deering Meadow, and students between 2019 and 2023 would watch the sun go down and rainbow lights go up on Deering Library. In 2024, following protests that engaged in lighting the library for different causes, the university stopped lighting the library any colors other than purple.
“It showed that Northwestern as an institution recognized the contributions of Queer people and recognized that we’re still facing ongoing persecution,” they said. “Now Northwestern thinks supporting us is explicitly political, so they’re less open to advocating for us.”
CRUSH reached out to Northwestern spokesperson Jon Yates who referenced the University’s Display and Solicitation policy which includes that “requests to alter or project lighting will not be considered.”
It’s not just lights. In an official capacity, Northwestern hasn’t made any mention of Pride Month at all. Accounts like Northwestern Admissions and NorthwesternU. which previously posted about Pride Month, haven’t. Desai pointed out how the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign has made posts on Instagram celebrating Pride Month, but described NU as “radio silent.”
“I think it just is reflective that Northwestern doesn’t really want to stand on business and support Queer and trans students,” Desai said. “They want to play progressive, but then not even acknowledge that it’s Pride Month.”
Chicago House was also at the Pride Picnic providing HIV screening, condoms and other health services. Eric Dresner, who works as the organization’s outreach manager, said they’ve been working with NU’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center since spring 2024.
Photo by Luis Castaneda
Dresner said the organization provides services to everyone. “HIV does not discriminate, and STIs do not discriminate.”
But even that work is under threat. Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced plans to cut $1.6 billion in funding for HIV prevention and surveillance through the CDC. For Dresner, the cuts are close to home.
According to Dresner, their HIV testing and outreach program will shut down entirely after June 30. He’s now scrambling to find a new job before becoming unemployed.
Still, he’s not giving up. He’s looking into other positions or potentially providing testing through mutual aid networks.
He also notes that broader institutional shifts have made the work harder. In January, the U.S. The Department of Education labeled Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs as “divisive, prompting universities like Northwestern to restructure their initiatives.”
Now he thinks institutions are trying to figure out how to toe the line between working with these institutions and feeling pressure from the federal government.
Despite it all, after seeing all the Queer joy in front of him at the Pride Picnic and the people he works with day in and day out, he’s hopeful.
“The field of HIV prevention is staffed and overseen by incredible, dedicated Queer individuals that take their work very, very seriously,” he said. “We’re not going away.”
