It all started with a parade.
In 1993, Lisa Marie Pickens and her then-partner ran a support group for Black queer women out of their Hyde Park home. The African American Womyn's Alliance, as it was known, hosted monthly events and distributed newsletters promoting women's and queer rights.
"We thought we were the only Black lesbians on the South Side," Pickens says with a laugh. "And, of course, we were not."
The couple soon found dozens of like-minded women and pieced together a plan to walk in the Bud Billiken parade. With a two-mile-long route that weaves through Washington Park, Bud Billiken is the oldest and largest African-American parade in the United States.
Pickens submitted via certified mail a parade application that clearly stated the group's sexual orientation. It was rejected. She then submitted a second application—late, crumpled and purposefully ambiguous. It was accepted.
The Womyn's Alliance alleged discrimination, challenged the decision denying them the right to walk, and won. Fresh off their parade success, the burgeoning activists met with friends and allies to plot their next move.
"We thought it would be great to create something like [Horizons or the Center on Halsted] on the South Side of the city," Pickens said. "That's kind of how Affinity was born, with people really wanting to be who they were in their own communities, and making sure there were resources available in their own communities."
Affinity is a Chicago-based social-justice organization that works on behalf of Black LGBT communities, focusing on health and youth issues. It celebrated its 16th anniversary this year, but still doesn't have a permanent home—and it's working to change that.
The nonprofit recently launched a fundraising campaign to raise $40,000 by the end of July. Executive Director Kim Hunt said Affinity has its eye on an undisclosed commercial space in Hyde Park that it'll share with two other nonprofits—each of which works with women of color and the queer community. If plans succeed, Affinity's as-yet-unnamed center will be the first and only LGBT resource facility on the South Side.
"We think that the community really feels its time for such a space on the South Side of the city," said Pickens, who co-founded Affinity and serves as its board president. The organization has been renting space in a Unitarian church for several years, but recently outgrew the 1,200-square-foot location. It's new home will total more than 6,000 square feet.
"For community groups, this is a real issue," Hunt said. "So many grassroots organizations don't have spaces of their own. These are kind of kitchen table operations that are doing such incredible work with so few resources. That's one of the things we're so excited about." With a larger space, Hunt said, Affinity will not only improve its existing programming, but also create new initiatives.
One of the organization's hallmark programs, for instance, is its Youth Leadership Institute. Here, young queer African Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 receive social justice, non-profit management and community organizing training. The students then work to coordinate Affinity's annual Youth Summit.
In a larger venue, Hunt said, Affinity can open its doors to even more young leaders while maintaining a youth lounge and drop-in center. Younger community members will be able to take part in organized programming or simply enjoy a safe space.
The organization is also looking to expand healthcare services. "We think that mental health is an area that's been neglected, both in the larger African American community and certainly the LGBTQ community," said Pickens. "One of the things I'm most excited about is having space to allow us to offer mental health services to community members in group settings."
Affinity has identified $40,000 as the amount needed to cover moving and start-up costs, while simultaneously creating a cushion for its impending rent increase, which will be steep. The organization will host several fundraising events over the course of the next two months, and its progress will be tracked with a thermometer on its website.
On June 10, Affinity is sponsoring "From Rags to Riches: A Benefit for Affinity Community Services," which will feature an art sale, raffle and open mic performances. Suggested donation is $15.
Hunt said enlisting individual donors makes sense for Affinity. "Investing in the organization really means investing in community, which ultimately means investing in the health and wellness of individuals." Hunt wants people to feel they own part of Affinity and have a stake in its success.
The organization welcomes suggestions for its new space. "The possibilities are almost endless, in terms of services we perhaps have never thought of," Pickens said. "The increased size of the space will be a huge resource in and of itself. I can imagine some civil unions taking place there… The possibilities are very exciting."
To donate, learn more about Affinity or track its fundraising progress, visit http://www. affinity95.org .
