CHICAGO — Just ahead of Chicago Black Pride, Mayor Brandon Johnson bestowed Rev. Don Abram and Pride in the Pews with the 2023 Chicago Proud Award during the annual Pride Reception. Held at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall, the award is granted to LGBTQ+ leaders who are working to advance the health, well-being, and vitality of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community. 

Based in Chicago, Pride in the Pews is a grassroots nonprofit building bridges and creating solutions that empower the Black LGBTQ+ community around the nation. The organization is creating the first comprehensive database of Queer Affirming Black Churches in the country, all while running the Black Church Equality Fellowship, a distinguished nationwide leadership development program for Black faith leaders committed to advancing congregation-based programmatic initiatives that promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. 

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award for my work with Pride in the Pews,” said Don Abram, founder and executive director of Pride in the Pews. “We do this work to ensure that Black queer folks can find safety, inclusivity, and justice in their church homes and communities. By using education, training, community-building support, and advocacy to achieve that goal, we are working toward a day when our dreams of real reconciliation and renewal are realized. We are grateful to Mayor Johnson for valuing our work and vision for our community.” 

Among other honorees of the award were Mona Noriega and Evette Cardona of The Affirm Program at Rush Hospital and Jacqueline Boyd of The Care Plan.  

###

For more information about Rev. Don Abram and Pride in the Pews, visit prideinthepews.org or email [email protected].

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.