| August 1, 2024 For Immediate Release |
For more information contact: Greg McFall, Board Co-Chair inquiry@chicagolgbthalloffame.org 773-281-5095 |
CHICAGO LGBT HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2024 INDUCTEES
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot among 19 Individual Inductees
in the “Class of 2024”
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, the only city-sanctioned LGBT Hall of Fame in the world, has announced its slate of 2024 inductees: 19 LGBT-identified individuals, two LGBT-identified organizations, and one “Friend of the Community” (ally). The 2024 inductees, who represent a wide cross-section of the diverse Chicago community, this year include Lori Lightfoot, former Mayor of Chicago; WGN Weekend Morning News co-anchor Sean Lewis; Reverend Charles Straight, senior pastor of the Faith United Methodist Church; John von Rhein, longtime music critic of the Chicago Tribune; and LaTony Alvarado Rivera, executive director of the Chicago Freedom School.
Pictures of the inductees are available at this link: Link
The 2024 Class of Inductees:
Individual Inductees:
“Mama Gloria” Allen (posthumous inductee), who pioneered a “Charm School” at the Center on Halsted conducting life lessons on appearance, etiquette, personal interaction, job-interview comportment, hygiene, safe sex, healthy relationships, and self-respect to predominantly young unhoused transgender people.
Dr. Daniel S. Berger, founder of Northstar Medical Center (Wellness Home at NorthstarHealthcare), a pioneering researcher in the treatment of HIV through drug therapies, and a nationally noted art collector, for his lifetime of work in health/medicine, civic involvement, and leadership in the arts.
Amailia Black, advocate for trans rights and visibility and former Special Projects of National Significance researcher, Volunteer and Community Engagement specialist, and executive assistant to the CEO for Howard Brown Health.
Bonsai Bermudez MSW, co-founder and executive artistic director of the Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP), a program creating a brave environment for LGBTQI+ youth experiencing homelessness to learn new ways to address their struggles and celebrate their strengths through personal leadership and community involvement.
Daniel Dever, former development director for Howard Brown Memorial Clinic and Children’s Place Association and longtime volunteer with Equality Illinois, American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, Rainbow Railroad, and other organizations. Daniel is currently a board member of the Reader Institute for Community Journalism.
Character artist John Foos, aka Miss Foozie, noted fundraiser and entertainer since 1997 with a passion for making people feel welcome and have fun at community events including the Northalsted Halloween Parade and the Proud Pet Parade.
Timothy K. Frye, lead coordinator of PrideChicago and longtime co-coordinator of Chicago’s annual LGBT Pride Parade with his husband, Hall of Fame inductee Richard Pfeiffer, until Pfeiffer’s death in 2019. Following a two-year pandemic-related hiatus, Frye started the Pride Parade tradition again in 2022, continuing to lead the annual event.
Demetrius “Dem” Hopkins (posthumous inductee), attorney and music entrepreneur whose influential music nightclub Oz helped establish Chicago’s 1980s punk rock scene on a national level. In the 2000’s he served on the board of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and helped to forge a lasting relationship between CCH and Riot Fest.
Antonio King, the first gay/bi Black man to serve as LGBTQ Health Outreach Liaison at the Chicago Department of Public Health and a founding member of the Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus, whose dedication to the art of female impersonation and pageantry has been a cornerstone of his advocacy work for more than 25 years.
Sean Lewis, Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and Chicago’s first out gay news anchor for WGN/Channel 9. Sean has also volunteered hosting events for community organizations including Chicago House, Equality Illinois, The Legacy Project, Test Positive Aware Network, and Brave Space Alliance.
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who served from 2019 through 2023 as the city’s first Black female and first out LGBT mayor. She is the first openly lesbian Black woman to serve as mayor of a major American city, making Chicago the first and still only one of the United States’ three largest cities to boast an out LGBT chief executive.
Kenneth Martín-Ocasio, former president of the DuPage Hispanic Task Force, former co-chair of the Latino Consortium, and longstanding board member of the Association of Latinos Motivating Action (ALMA), for his dedication to advancing professional, social, economic, and educational opportunities within the Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities.
Ken Mejia-Beal, advocate and trailblazer in the Black LGBTQ community and leader in numerous political, media, advocacy, and community organizations within and outside the LGBTQ+ community. As the first Black openly gay elected chair of the DuPage County Democratic Party, Ken made history as the first out LGBT political party chair in Illinois.
Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Brave Space Alliance, the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ center on Chicago’s South Side, recognized for her visionary approach to human rights and social justice. Her advocacy began with achievements at the Cook County Department of Corrections, where she was the first openly transgender woman and advocated vigorously for those in protective custody.
John Peller, president/CEO of AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) since 2014. His keen understanding of how health care and policy intersect and his support for innovative practices have established him as a national leader in the HIV field, greatly improving quality of life and health for the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago and beyond.
LaTony Alvarado Rivera, executive director of the Chicago Freedom School, a 17-year-old nonprofit organization that equips young people and adult allies with the tools to develop strategies for social change. He began his activism at 18 with the Coalition for Sexual Orientation (Illinois Safe Schools Alliance) and served on the education subcommittee for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transition team.
W. Robert Schultz III, campaign organizer for the Active Transportation Alliance, whose mission is to advocate for walking, bicycling, and public transit to create healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities. He has been a leader in activist efforts in Illinois ranging from the successful effort to repeal the death penalty to marriage equality. He also serves on the board of Howard Brown Health and was a founding editor of BLACKlines magazine and a founding member of the Lakeside Pride Music Organization.
Reverend Charles Straight, senior pastor of the Faith United Methodist Church, president of The People’s Lobby Education Institute, and volunteer coordinator for Kupona Network, the first Black HIV service organization in Chicago. He has more than 35 years of committed service in the ministry.
John von Rhein, classical music critic for the Chicago Tribune for 40 years, whose reviews and features played a significant role in establishing Chicago as a world-class cultural center. His involvement with the Rainbow Railroad, an international organization dedicated to providing life-saving assistance to LGBTQ+ individuals and families fleeing violence and persecution around the world, exemplifies his steadfast commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us.
Organizations:
STUD4LIFE, a non-profit organization, founded in 2012, whose mission is to give back and mentor to underserved juvenile LGBTQ individuals.
Womyn of All Cultures Together (WACT), founded in 1993, which has made a significant long-term contribution of advocacy and education to Chicago’s lesbian community.
Friend of the Community:
Sol Flores, founding executive director of La Casa Norte, an organization dedicated to helping thousands of young people and families escape homelessness, and former Deputy Governor in the administration of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Her advocacy and leadership have created safe, inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and families in Chicago.
The Annual Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark, Chicago. The plaques for the new inductees are traditionally given out by the Mayor of Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson has been invited and we hope he will participate this year.
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, the only city-sanctioned LGBT Hall of Fame in the world, was founded in 1991 to honor Chicago’s people and entities, nominated by the community, who have made significant contributions to the quality of life or well-being of the LGBT community and the city of Chicago. The first Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame ceremony took place during Pride Week 1991 at Chicago City Hall. Then-mayor Richard M. Daley hosted the ceremony and afterward, photos of the inductees were displayed in City Hall. The Hall of Fame maintains a website, which allows anyone to visit the Hall of Fame at any time at https://chicagolgbthalloffame.org. Traditionally, the City of Chicago has displayed the Hall of Fame materials during induction periods, Pride Month, and in October for LGBT History Month.
For more information, email inquiry@chicagoLGBThalloffame.org, visit the organization’s website, chicagolgbthalloffame.org, or its Facebook page, available at https://www.facebook.com/groups/chicagolgbthalloffame.
To download the nomination packet including instructions and the nomination cover sheet, Please proceed to our nominatiopn page of our website.
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