"New Horizons" was the theme of this year's sold-out Center on Halsted (The Center) annual Human First Gala April 20 at The Geraghty in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.
Ahead of the awards ceremony, the Center's Board of Director's Chair Victor Ravago welcomed Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to the stage.
Johnson said he was honored to be in attendance to celebrate the Center's vision, mission, accomplishments and the evening's awardees—Donald M. Bell with the signature Human First Award, McDonald's with the Corporate Impact Award and Rush University System for Health (RUSH) with the Community Spirit Award.
Additionally, Johnson said that for the first time since 2011, Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council has zero vacancies, the city has prioritized training "senior leadership to make the city more inclusive for trans and gender nonconforming individuals," reinstituting the LGBTQ+ Affairs Policy position in the Mayor's office to ensure that queer and trans Chicago residents "can live safe, healthy and vibrant lives."
Johnson also spoke about how his administration has and continues to take steps to make sure that the LGBTQ+ migrants arriving in the city know they are welcome however they identify themselves, direct them toward LGBTQ+ entities like the Center so they "can find community" among other inclusive measures. He added that as long as he is Chicago's mayor the city "will always be a beacon of hope and a place that affirms the LGBTQ+ community."
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker appeared via a video recording to congratulate the evening's awardees and celebrate "the vibrancy of Chicago's LGBTQ+ community and the vital contributions its members have made to our society and state." He added that "Illinois is becoming a beacon of equality and hope for all" and thanked the Center for its continued partnership with these efforts.
Ravago said that "tonight is a coming out party for our new CEO Joli Robinson" who is already working to increase the Center's programming offerings and impact. He also spoke about being a former undocumented person from Tijuana, Mexico who benefited from the DACA program. Ravago said that through his involvement at the Center he was able to meet his now husband (they got married a year ago at the Center) and gain permanent resident status in the United States.
Robinson said she is filled with joy "as I stand here before you in celebration of our resilient, powerful and beautiful community. First I would like to acknowledge the ancestral people whose land we inhabit today and the ancestors who have stewarded these Chicago lands." She added that since her arrival she has learned about the now 50-plus year history of the Center including the "triumphs, celebrations, impact, growth and diverse array of experiences" as well as "some of the painful moments of stretching and learning that are a part of all organization's history … We look forward to a new horizon of who we are and who we can be as a community center to all."
The Center's Board of Directors Development Committee Chair Susan Betteridge and Director of Senior Services Britta Larson presented Bell; a longtime LGBTQ+ activist, advocate for seniors, Illinois Commission on LGBTQ+ Aging Chairperson, Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council member and The Village Chicago, One Roof Chicago and National Organization for Men Against Sexism Boards of Directors member with his award.
Bell, who got a standing ovation as he took to the stage, said he has lived a life that has been "marginalized by race, sexual orientation and class" and "I wasn't pleased about growing into two new isms" regarding age and physical disability "but we all must live the lives we are given and that is what I encourage all of us to do." He thanked Pritzker and the former Illinois Department on Aging Chair Paula Basta as well as former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and current Mayor Johnson for entrusting him with these leadership positions on the commission and advisory council respectively. Bell also encouraged LGBTQ+ youth to connect with their LGBTQ+ elders like himself.
The Center's Board of Directors Programming Committee Chair Jacqueline Sinclair and Director of Culinary Arts Jenny Urban presented McDonald's with their award.
Accepting McDonald's award was Executive Vice President and Global Chief Supply Chain Officer and the Pride Employee Business Network Executive Co-Sponsor Marion Gross. Ronald McDonald was also onstage during Gross' acceptance speech.
Gross spoke about McDonald's five core values—serve, integrity, community, inclusion and family. She added that when they began their Chicago Community Grants Impact Program in partnership with the Chicago Community Trust in 2022 these also became the values that they used to fund local organization's programs directed toward Chicago's youth community particularly on the South and West sides of the city. Gross said that the Center immediately became an "obvious choice" for funding. She spoke about McDonald's LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and work environment as well as how much a place like the Center would have been for her brother when "he was young and struggling over how and when to come out and feel safe doing so."
The Center's Board of Directors Organizational Change Committee Chair Anne Dooley and Director of Behavioral Health Ing Swenson presented Rush University System for Health (RUSH) with their award.
Accepting RUSH's award was Community Health Equity Chief Medical Officer Liaison Dr. Elizabeth Davis and Affirm: The RUSH Center for Gender, Sexuality and Reproductive Health Program Manager Sanjeeve Singh.
Singh said that inclusivity, empathy and respect are the guiding principles for how RUSH operates and that the Center's vision and dedication inspires them to "strive for a more compassionate and just society." He also acknowledged all the people and organizations involved with providing gender affirming care throughout the years including healthcare professionals and advocacy groups.
Davis spoke about the importance of partnerships and singled out the collaboration that RUSH and the Center has done in recent years to make the Mpox and COVID vaccines available to the community at the Center. She also gave a shoutout to the trans and nonbinary community for their bravery and resilience and "as we celebrate today, let us recommit ourselves to the ongoing work of advocating for gender affirming care and healthcare and health equity for all."
Videos showcasing each awardees accomplishments were shown during the evening's festivities. Bell narrated his own video.
The Center's Board of Directors Governance Committee Chair Lupe Sanchez closed out the night.
The evening also featured a video showcasing the Center's offerings and plans for the future as well as one about youth program participant Sebastian Salinas, two performances by Dare to Drag members, alumni of the Center's Youth and Family Services Drag education program; auctioneer Scott Jones, food by J&L Catering and music by Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles during the cocktail reception and Ariana DJ to close out the night.
McDonald's cheeseburgers were provided to guests as they left the gala.
See centeronhalsted.org/ .
