Team Rowan Celebrates

Although this year is Team Rowan’s 1st official year in The Chicago Pride Parade, we debuted our 18 ft Rainbow Dragon car float in the 2024 parade thanks to our wonderful friends at the Milliman Group along with the organization Out In Tech. And before that, we participated by driving in the Evanston Pride Car Parade.

This year, we’re kicking things up a notch, bringing the Rainbow Dragon car float back, now escorted by our group of fierce and fabulous DRAGon Kings, Queens, and Royalty Marchers in honor of our late son, Rowan Shimer, and all brave protectors of trans and queer kids everywhere. ♥

Pride Month 2025

Why Pride Month is important to Team Rowan

Like many of the activities during Pride Month, Team Rowan seeks to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, gay pride movement, and the colorful loving light of affirmation and allyship this world desperately needs. Specifically, in alignment with our purpose, we participate to give visibility for trans and queer youth.

Pride Month is an annual opportunity to shine a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ kids, their parents and families as they navigate the journey of coming out and living their truth together.

“Even the smallest light can make a difference in the darkest of times.”

Enter the Rainbow Dragon

You may be wondering: Why a dragon? Besides being unquestionably awesome, dragons had special meaning to Rowan, as well as general symbolic qualities that are important to our mission with Team Rowan. 

Team Rowan debuted our 18 ft Rainbow Dragon car float in the 2024 parade thanks to our wonderful friends at the Milliman Group along with the organization Out In Tech. This clip is the live footage of the 2024 parade by ABC 7 WLS Chicago.

Rowan was a passionate advocate and member of the LGBTQ+ and transgender communities—especially his friends. As a prolific artist and writer who drew self portraits of himself before he came out as a transgender boy. Coming out for Rowan meant communicating his truth—his true self and gender—and his way of expressing how he fit into this world, while letting others in to understand. He also was a fan of the “How To Train Your Dragon” book series and the movie “The NeverEnding Story,” which the rainbow dragon is partly inspired by.

“As if dragons guarding precious treasure, we protect our inner truths and fears.”

And so the Rainbow Dragon serves as a tribute to trans and queer kids. A magical symbol of protection and a gender-affirming guardian, the dragon symbolizes a powerful ally protecting LGBTQ+ youth on their courageous journey of coming out and living their truth—giving them the bravery to become who they’re meant to be.

The making of the Rainbow Dragon

When we created the 18 ft dragon over the course of a week, about 10 days total, a lot of planning and learning went into the process beforehand. For instance, learning how to carve foam insulation,  which makes up the dragon’s shape and parts. Then, with the help of teammates, together we laminated the entire core with paper-mâché and painted it with a colorful Pride palette.

Dragon fun facts:

  • Even though the dragon is 18 feet long and 3 feet wide, it only weighs about 10 lbs, or, about the same as a small cat. Me-ow!

  • The papier-mâché exterior of the dragon was made using about half a gallon of wood glue, making his armor very tough and durable—sort of like a real dragon.

  • The dragon was featured on ABC 7 Chicago’s broadcast of the 2024 Pride Parade, as well as Chicago Pride Parade’s website gallery.

  • At the end of the movie “The NeverEnding Story” the main character rides the luck dragon, Falcor, through his hometown chasing his bullies until they hide in garbage bins to escape. Our Rainbow Dragon also has a rider. Can you guess who it is?

Little surprises from Rowan

The night we painted the rainbow dragon, I discovered a mysterious little memento left behind on my sweatshirt after the all-night session of painting. Rowan often doodled these smiling faces in notebooks, especially on the notes of their friends during class as joyful marks of happiness and love.

On that night, we know they were helping us the whole time…

Team Rowan is grateful the opportunity to march and celebrate LGBTQ+ youth!

If someone you know comes out to you, Team Rowan invites you to channel the bravery and strength of the rainbow dragon to support and protect trans and queer kids like Rowan. Because everyone needs a team.

We are stronger together! Please reach out to Team Rowan if you’re interested in joining the Team or learning how to support: hello@teamrowan.org.