The Ritz
The Ritz gala dinner is one of the largest events held annually for the central Illinois lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. In its seventh year, The Ritz is a casually elegant affair that features a three-course dinner, an evening of dancing, and a celebration of the progress made by the LGBT community during the past year.
Our theme for 2023 was 'Together, Building Community.' In the past few years, the LGBTQ community has been through so much - a renewed fight to reverse our rights, a continuing trend of hatred and misunderstanding of our trans and non-binary family members, and the list goes on. However, it's through our bonds and connections to ALL of our allies, partners, and supporters that we come together to maintain our freedoms and our successes.
Our 2024 theme is "Celebrating Every Journey." Every member of the LGBTQ+ community, their friends, families, and allies all go through the journey of acceptance and transition. Some of those journeys are more difficult than others, but they make each of us who we are. We celebrate the identities of each and every one of them.
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The packet of information on the event includes: