By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Andrew J. Mertzenich said this June 1 will be more than the first official Rockford Pride Parade. It will be “history marching through downtown Rockford.”
Mertzenich is the chairperson of the newly formed Rockford Area Pride Committee, a devoted group of about 10 people working to put on a parade that celebrates and empowers the LGBTQ+ community.
“We saw that there was a need to shout loud and clear to everyone that LGBTQ+ people exist,” Mertzenich said. “That they are worthy of dignity, respect. They have allies, and they were finally claiming their place in this neighborhood, in this community, and would be silenced no more.”
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Mertzenich delivered those remarks Monday during a ceremony at The Liam Foundation in Midtown to honor and introduce the four people who will serve as grand marshals of the Pride Parade on June 1.
They are Phyllis Gallisath, Krystal Ball, Bill Stein and Kevin Stites.
“We wanted to make sure our grand marshals would be a unifying force,” Mertzenich said. “All four of these people – whether intentionally or not – are advocates for our community.”
The city has had various forms of celebrating Pride Month, from the Pride .1K Race to The Office Nite Club’s annual Pride Alley Party. While there have been unofficial events with vehicles moving through the streets displaying symbols of pride, this June will mark the first time a sanctioned event closed down city streets for the parade.
“In these days when it feels like we’re going backwards, there’s not a more important step than this,” said Stites, a Pecatonica native who is one of four grand marshals. “It means a great deal to me as I hope it does to the community.”
Stites moved back to Pecatonica in June 2020 after living in New York for 20 years, where he worked in music and theater including multiple Broadway productions. He also led national tours of “Les Miz,” “Miss Saigon” and “Phantom of the Opera.” He served as a guest conductor for the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Grant Park Festival Orchestra and has guest conducted with Rockford’s own Rockford Symphony Orchestra.
He said when he came back home he found the community was less accepting than he had remembered. He hopes the parade will provide the area’s LGBTQ+ community with a major show of support.
“I lived a straight life for decades. It was not easy to come out, and I was not proud at all,” he said. “The more I saw the discrimination and the stupidity that was aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, the more I thought — dammit I am proud. I am proud and I am equal to anyone else.”
The grand marshals were chosen to represent the categories of unite, remember and celebrate. Stites fills the celebrate category for his success in the arts.
Ball and Gallisath represent unity.
Ball, a drag performer from Belvidere, was chosen because of the resilience shown during protests surrounding a drag queen story hour that was planned at Talcott Free Library in Rockton last summer. The library ultimately decided to hold the event virtually because of safety concerns, but Mertzenich said Ball stood strong in the face of bigotry and intimidation.
Gallisath is the founder of The Liam Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s founded for her son, Liam Burdick, a former Harlem High School student who came out as transgender at age 15. He died by suicide shortly before graduation.
Stein, who is the grand marshal in the remember category, was chosen because organizers say his story shows how far the region has come. He was the music director at Holy Family Catholic Church in 2003 when he was fired for refusing to break up with his partner and live in celibacy. Now, 21 years later, he is married to his husband, John Stewart, and has two stepchildren and two grandchildren.
“Bill shows us that this community is strong, and will persevere through any hardship to a brighter day,” Mertzenich said.
Rockford Area Pride Parade
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, June 1
Where: Midtown and downtown Rockford (route below)
On the web: rockfordareapride.org
Contact: Info@RockfordAreaPride.org
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas