Last night former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington was inducted in the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, posthumously. He died in 1987, but like most people who receive this local honor, his efforts to improve the rights of LGBT people in Chicago were far-reaching even after his death. He was also the first African-American mayor of Chicago when he was elected in 1983. Among his achievements was the passing of the 1988 Human Rights Ordinance, protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination. He also "encouraged and facilitated a new group of independent and progressive gay leaders in Chicago," during a time when AIDS and attitudes particularly among South-side Chicagoans did not reflect favorably on the community. "Washington was the first Chicago mayor to appoint a LGBT liaison and headline a gay rights rally. He also established Chicago ’s first official committee on gay and lesbian issues, now called the Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender issues," reports 365gay.com.
Other inductees last night included Jeff McCourt, the late founder of Chicago gay weekly Windy City Times; Vera Washington, HIV/AIDS counselor, LGBT youth service coordinator, and co-founder of Executive Sweet Inc., which provides opportunities for lesbians of color to build a strong community network; and Chicago Games, Inc., which hosted Gay Games VII in Chicago.
Source
No comments:
Post a Comment