A couple weeks ago, we learned that the Chicago Pride Parade was moving to October, but not all of the city's celebratory traditions are slipping to the fall. Beginning today, you'll be able to spot the rainbow-wrapped CTA's Pride Train on the Red Line, where it will run through the fall.
This year's Pride Train is sponsored by Miller Lite and features the "Philly Flag"—a variation of the rainbow-striped Pride flag that debuted in Philadelphia in 2017, featuring black and brown stripes that are meant to highlight the Black and brown members of the LGBTQIA community. The CTA's wrapped train cars also feature the light blue, pink and white stripes of the Transgender Flag, acknowledging the continued importance of transgender rights and issues.
"We are a progressive and open-minded organization that has long supported equality and inclusion, and we want all our riders and employees to know that no matter who they love or how they identify – they are welcomed at the CTA," CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said in a release about the Pride Train.
Chicago became the first major U.S. transit agency to designate a Pride Train in 2017, helping to inspire other cities to decorate train cars with rainbows in a public display of inclusivity and support during Pride Month. Chicago's annual Pride Train typically runs through the last few weeks of June in anticipation of the Pride Parade, but this year's version will run all summer long (and into the fall), providing more opportunities for Red Line riders to spot the colorful cars ahead of the Pride Parade's new date on October 3.
If you're commuting via the Red Line in the coming months, keep your eyes peeled for the Philly Flag and the Transgender Flag on the side of approaching trains.
