The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame will hold its 26th annual induction ceremony on Wednesday Nov. 9 at the Chicago History Museum ( 1601 N. Clark St. ) with the opening reception at 5:30 and the induction ceremony to follow from 6:00-7:00. This event is free and open to the public.
Those expected to be in attendance include former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Michael and Betsy Tanner, the children of Auntie Mame novelist, Patrick Dennis, documentarian Dr. Yvonne Wellbon, and acclaimed artists Tom Bachtell and David Csicsko.
Twelve individuals, two organizations, and two friends of the community are scheduled for induction into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, the organization which honors and celebrates notable members of Chicago's LGBT communities.
The 2016 honorees are:
"Individual" Category
Robert Allerton ( 1873-1964 ). Honorary president and trustee of the Art Institute, this gay philanthropist's donations beautified the city. He also pressured the state legislature to permit adult adoptions as a way to adopt his adult partner so his inheritance could not be legally challenged. This opened the door the first legally recognized same-sex relationships.
Tom Bachtell. Artist, musician, and, most notably, the prolific illustrator whose distinctive drawings and caricatures appear in "Talk of the Town" and other sections of The New Yorker, as well as periodicals such as Newsweek and Entertainment Weekly.
Ronald E. Bogan. In 1992 he became the first man to publicly come out as gay in a major Chicago newspaper while still actively serving in the Chicago Police Department promoting visibility and opening the door to recruiting openly LGBT officers.
Roman Buenrostro. Co-founder of the Association for Latin Men for Action ( ALMA ) and who has served persons living with AIDS as a Director at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago for the last 18 years, most recently as the Director of Special Projects.
David Cerda. Co-founder and artistic director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, a theatrical group formed to celebrate and preserve the art of high camp and parody on the stage. His productions include "Poseidon: An Upside Down Musical", "The Birds", and "Christmas Dearest".
David Csicsko. Acclaimed graphic artist/designer whose distinctive artwork and stained glass mosaics have beautified many Chicago locales, including the Belmont "EL" Station. His credits include designing the 2012 holiday season displays at the White House.
Patrick Dennis ( 1921-1976 ). Author of sixteen books including the bestselling camp classic Auntie Mame. Dennis was the first individual to have three books simultaneously on the New York Times best seller list.
Kim L. Hunt. Executive Director of the Pride Action Network, former Executive Director of Affinity Community Services, co-founder of the OUTSpoken storytelling series, and current board member of the Legacy Project.
Dr. Thomas Klein. Longtime openly gay physician who was on the front lines during the darkest days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He has served on the Boards of Howard Brown as well as Horizons, is a current Board member of Heartland Health Outreach.
Norma Seledon. Longstanding activist within the women's, Latina, and LGBTQ communities through her professional affiliations with Chicago Public Schools as well as Amigas Latinas, Mujeres Latinas in Accione, and Lesbian Community Cancer Project.
Maritxa Vidal. President of the TransLatin@Coalition - Chicago Chapter, Board Member of the national TransLatin@Coalition, and Director of Health Education, Community Outreach, and Marketing at Vida/SIDA.
Dr. Yvonne Welbon. Acclaimed filmmaker has promoted understanding the experience of Black Lesbians, Black Women, and the larger Black Community. Her work includes "Sisters in Cinema", "The New Black", and "Living with Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100".
"Organization" category
Amigas Latinas. Non-profit organization which provided advocacy, programming, and support for an array of issues facing LGBTQ Latinas in the Chicagoland area from 1995 to 2015.
Big Chicks. Pioneering Uptown bar that has served as a diverse LGBTQ watering hole, a hub of community events and performances, and a longstanding center of LGBTQ fundraising and sponsorship.
"Friend of the Community" Category
Patrick Quinn. Governor of Illinois from 2009-2015 and longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community. His contributions include decisive support for anti-bullying, HIV funding, non-discriminatory policies, and signing legislation to make Illinois the 16th state to provide full marriage equality.
The John Marshall Law School. A Chicago institution since 1899. An early opponent of police entrapment and of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, TJMLS remains a center for LGBT advocacy and scholarship in Illinois.
Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inductees are selected by a committee composed of current individual inductees who review an array of nominations submitted by members of the public. The induction ceremony is being hosted by Friends of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, a section 501( c )( 3 ) nonprofit organization.
"This year's inductees, like our rosters since 1991, represent LGBT achievements in a variety of fields," said Mary Morten and Gary G. Chichester, co-chairs of the Friends organization.
"It continues to show how important contributions from our LGBT communities and from our friends pave the way for the future," said Israel Wright, executive director of the organization. "It is humbling to recognize each inductee's special efforts to create change in ways that affect us all so greatly."