Organizers say DeKalb Pride Palooza showcases strengths of diversity: ‘We’re stronger with numbers’

DeKALB – Union resident Zoe Whetham said celebrating Pride remains just as important in 2025 as it was in 1969 at the onset of the Stonewall Riots.

The riots gave birth to what ultimately became the Gay Rights Movement.

“We’re stronger with numbers,” Whetham said. “If we start [dialing] back and we stop celebrating, we’re in a worse position than we were before because we’re not uniting. We’re not standing our ground and making our voices heard.”

Whetham was among a crowd that gathered for the inaugural Pride Palooza, put on Friday in DeKalb by Youth Outlook and Family Service Agency of DeKalb County.

The event featured food trucks, games, music, face painting and more.

“We’ve been celebrating Pride since 1969 for a reason. People tried coming for the little guy. It didn’t work out. We celebrate that.”

—  Noelle Kagan

Shatoya Jackson, director of school-based and youth programming at Family Service Agency, said that by hosting Pride Palooza, the agency wanted its message to the LGBTQ+ community to ring clear.

“Just for the community to understand that they’re wanted, they’re needed,” Jackson said. “We see them. We get it and to provide another space in the area.”

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Violeta Shaw, (right) from DeKalb, gets their hair fixed by Dean Allard, also from DeKalb, during the Pride Palooza Friday, May 30, 2025, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in DeKalb. The event was hosted by Family Service Agency of DeKalb County and Youth Outlook. (Mark Busch)

Organizers said they were hoping anywhere from 60 to 80 people would show up to the inaugural event.

Jackson gave kudos to her colleague, Violeta Shaw, for helping to make the event possible.

Shaw helps facilitate the agency’s LGBTQ+ support group for teens and allies dubbed, Queer Movement.

“I think Violeta does a good job at facilitating her group and just by knowing her face in that group, they would feel safe here,” Jackson said.

Shaw, who identifies as queer, said she believes it’s important for students to see diversity in the community.

“The queer community, I feel like the base of it is a lot of white queers, a lot fem white queers,” Shaw said. “I think it’s very important to show the diversity of it, too.”

Whetham’s friend, Noelle Kagan, said she believes celebrating Pride remains paramount for the LGBTQ+ community.

“We’ve been celebrating Pride since 1969 for a reason,” Kagan said. “People tried coming for the little guy. It didn’t work out. We celebrate that.”

As a Northern Illinois University student, Kagan said she’s proud to call DeKalb her home away from home.

“It’s very welcoming,” the Marengo resident said.

Whetham said seeing how many people showed up to Pride Palooza was her favorite part.

“This is really cool to see all the different ages and different backgrounds,” she said.

Shaw said the agency’s end goal in hosting Pride Palooza was simple.

“We thought it was very important to have a family event because we need to understand, we need to have more representation,” Shaw said. “There’s different families, and we need to embrace the differences in families. Not saying that they’re just accepted and we’re just tolerating them. We’re embracing the differences of families.”