Chicago alderwomen Maria Hadden (49th) and Jessie Fuentes (26th) introduced a resolution at Chicago's April 17 City Council meeting to declare April 22-28 as Lesbian Visibility Week in Chicago. This is part of a nationwide effort led by The Curve Foundation in California.
Several alderpersons and Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Hadden and Fuentes in speaking in favor of the resolution. Hadden read it into the record. There were a few hecklers in the audience who made homophobic comments, but Johnson had them removed for being disruptive.
Longtime lesbian activists and business persons in attendance for the resolution were: Mary Morten, Pat McCombs, Taylor Mason, Mony Ruiz-Velasco, Norma Seledon, Kathy Munzer, and Tracy Baim.
Here is the resolution:
WHEREAS, Lesbian Visibility Week celebrates the vibrant diversity and contributions of lesbian, queer, and nonbinary individuals within our community; and
WHEREAS, the official theme of the 2024 Lesbian Visibility Week is "Unified, Not Uniform," emphasizing the importance of unity while recognizing and uplifting the unique experiences of all LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people; and
WHEREAS, Lesbian Visibility Week seeks to amplify the voices of those who are most marginalized within our LGBTQ+ community, ensuring that their stories are heard and their experiences acknowledged; and
WHEREAS, lesbian, queer, and nonbinary individuals have played a critical role in the state's history, including those who have passed on: Jane Addams, Lorraine Hansberry, Margaret Anderson, Jane Heap, Pearl M. Hart, Valerie Taylor, Jeannette Howard Foster, Ruth Ellis, Renee Hanover, Marge Summit, Marie J. Kuda, Pat Logue, Vernita Gray, Peg Grey, E. Kitch Childs, Jackie Anderson, Hollis Sigler, Renae Ogletree, Joanne Trapani, Marcia Lipetz, Arlene Halko, Mary York, Christina Santiago, Lisa Tonna, Paula Walowitz, Diana Rodriguez, Lauren Verdich; and
WHEREAS, key Illinois organizations have documented and helped the lesbian community, including Lavender Woman, Lesbian Community Cancer Project, Amigas Latinas, Affinity Community Services, Executive Sweet, Zhuli Zaban, Yahimba, Literary Exchange, Women of All Colors and Cultures Together, Women & Children First Bookstore, Mountain Moving Coffeehouse, Gerber/Hart Library, The Legacy Project, Dyke March, Center on Halsted, Howard Brown Health, Equality Illinois, The Color Triangle, LesBiGay Radio, Outlines, and Windy City Times newspaper; and
WHEREAS, Lesbian Visibility Week USA is powered by The Curve Foundation, the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to championing lesbian, queer women, transgender, and nonbinary people's stories and culture through intergenerational programming and community building; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where all individuals are celebrated for their authentic selves; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Mayor and the Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this seventeenth day of April, 2024, do hereby proclaim April 22-28, 2024, as Lesbian Visibility Week in Chicago, and encourage all Chicagoans to join in recognizing the accomplishments and resilience of lesbian, queer, and nonbinary individuals, and to support efforts to create a more inclusive society for all.
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