Ottawa church to host A Pride Night of Remembrance on June 9 in Washington Square

A Pride Night of Remembrance event will be 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 9, in the north end of Washington Square in Ottawa.

Sponsored by Open Table United Church of Christ, the Night of Remembrance will honor members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies who have lost their lives to violence, suicide, AIDS and other causes related to navigating life as marginalized populations. Luminaires will memorialize persons publicly known to have died because of violence in the past twelve months. Supplies will be available for attendees to create additional luminaires for those they wish to remember.

A program at 7:30 p.m. will pay tribute to those being remembered, including short elegies, prayers, a guest speaker and music. A contingent from the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus will perform in the program. Luminaires will remain lit in the park until 9 p.m.

In case of rain, Pride Night of Remembrance will be at Open Table United Church of Christ, 910 Columbus St., across from the southeast corner of the park. The event will be in the second floor sanctuary and livestreamed to the ground floor for those unable to navigate the staircases; the Jackson Street entrance will accommodate those with mobility limitations.