Each year, State’s Attorney Foxx presents the Pride Recognition Awards in observance of Pride Month. The Pride Recognition Awards honor the accomplishments of outstanding LGBT community groups and leaders, attorneys, and judges.
Candidates for the Pride Recognition Awards must be Cook County residents and are considered using the following criteria:
- Leadership, honor, and integrity
- Community involvement and activism
- Volunteer/ Pro-Bono work
- Youth involvement and/or mentorship programs
- The Nomination Form (download; PDF)
- The nominee’s professional biography
- A nomination letter detailing why the nominee is deserving of the Pride Recognition Award
Past Pride Recognition Award Recipients
2019
Honorable Judith C. Rice, Domestic Relations Division, Circuit Court of Cook County
Kevin B. Morrison, Cook County Commissioner, 15th District
2018
Honorable Mary Colleen Roberts, Domestic Relations Division
Circuit Court of Cook County, The Night Ministry, Paul W. Hamann
President & CEO
2017
Judge Colleen F. Sheehan, Juvenile Justice Division,
Circuit Court of Cook County, Kelly Cassidy,
Illinois State Representative, 14th District
2016
Christina Kahrl, Trans Activist,
ESPN Editor,
Jeremy H. Gottschalk, Vice President,
Corporate Strategy & General Counsel, Sittercity Incorporated
2015
Judge Michael B. McHale, Criminal Courts Division,
Circuit Court of Cook County
Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, Anthony Papini,
Executive Director
2014
Officer Jose Rios, LGBT Liaison,
Chicago Police Department
Dalila Fridi, Senior Analyst,
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
2013
Honorable Sebastian Patti, Circuit Court of Cook
County, Presiding Judge, Domestic Violence Division
Camilla Taylor, National Marriage Project Director, Senior Staff Attorney, Lambda Legal
2012
Greg Harris, Illinois State Representative, 13th District
Mona Noriega, Commissioner of Human Relations Department
2011
Glen Pietrandoni, RPh, AAHIVE, Walgreens Pharmacy
Arthur L. Johnston, Community Activist
2010
Reverend Stan Sloan, CEO, Chicago House
Judge Patricia Logue, Circuit Court of Cook County
PAST VERNITA GRAY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
2019
Tracy Baim
Windy City Times, Owner
Chicago Reader, Publisher
2018
Julio Rodriguez
Association of Co- Founder/Board President
Association of Latinos Motivating Action (ALMA)
2017
Kim L. Hunt, Co-Founder, Pride Action Tank,
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
2016
Ray J. Koenig, III
Clark Hill, PLC
2015
Café Pride
(Reverend Joy Douglas Strome, Reverend Alex Wirth,
Stuart Smith)
2014
Chef Art Smith
Culinary Professional and Founder of Common Threads