Individual | Inducted 2026
Ray J. Koenig III has spent more than two decades advancing LGBTQ+ equality, visibility, and leadership in Chicago through legal work, public service, and community advocacy. An openly gay attorney and civic leader, he has contributed to initiatives addressing marriage equality, human rights, LGBTQ+ services, and inclusion within the legal profession.
Koenig was an active advocate with Illinois Unites for Marriage, the coalition that led the successful effort to pass marriage equality legislation in Illinois. He received the coalition’s Outstanding Leadership Award in 2013 in recognition of his contributions to the campaign.
His community service has included leadership with Chicago House and Social Service Agency, an organization providing housing, healthcare, and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS and other marginalized populations. Koenig has served as chair of Chicago House and as a board member and donor. His advocacy on behalf of the organization was recognized with its Service Award for Advocacy in 2019.
Koenig has also served through multiple mayoral appointments to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations under three separate mayors. In that role, he helped advance enforcement of the city’s antidiscrimination protections and promote equal treatment for Chicago residents.
His work in the legal profession has expanded LGBTQ+ visibility within one of Chicago’s major civic institutions. In 2023, Koenig was elected president of The Chicago Bar Association, becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ person to lead the organization in its 150-year history.
Koenig’s honors include the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund’s Out to Win recognition, the Vernita Gray Lifetime Achievement Award, the Diversity Scholarship Foundation’s Advocate for Diversity Award, and leadership awards from legal and civic organizations. Together, his professional, civic, and community service have included advocacy for marriage equality, support for LGBTQ+ social services, enforcement of human rights protections, and historic leadership of The Chicago Bar Association.