The State of Illinois will host an exhibit based on the 2010 inductees into Chicago's Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in the atrium of the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, November 15, through Wednesday, November 17, 2010. Photos and biographies of the inductees will be on display, highlighting their achievements and contributions to the City of Chicago.
This display is co-sponsored by the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations' Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues.
Viewers of the display about this year's inductees will learn, for example, that:
· Claudia Allen's most frequently produced lesbian play is Hannah Free, which premiered at Chicago's Bailiwick Repertory in 1992;
· Scott Free's involvements reach across production, musicianship, photography, and activism in a broad and impressive range of venues and commitments;
· E. Patrick Johnson is the first African American born and raised in Hickory, North Carolina, to earn a Ph.D. degree, and his one-man play Sweet Tea has translated his research on gay black men for large audiences;
· Award-winning author, journalist, and political activist Achy Obejas worked to secure passage in 1988 of Chicago's human-rights ordinance, which prohibits sexual-orientation discrimination;
· Since 2001, Chicago Police Officer Jose Rios has been the liaison between the Chicago Police Department and Chicago's LGBT communities;
· For 26 years, Asians & Friends — Chicago has provided a social network for gay men of Asian descent and built a bridge between them and the larger LGBT community, culturally, socially, and philanthropically;
· In May 2011, the Chicago History Museum will unveil a major exhibition, "LGBT Chicago," that will showcase stories from the city's LGBT history.
Prior to the opening of the display, the 2010 induction ceremony for the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10, in Sidney R. Yates Gallery at the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St. The event will be free and open to the public, and it will mark the 20th celebration of the only known government-sponsored gay and lesbian hall of fame.
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations ( CCHR ) , through its organized response to discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice, works to make Chicago a bias-free city. The Commission is charged with enforcing the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and the Chicago Fair Housing Ordinance. CCHR investigates complaints to determine whether discrimination may have occurred and awards relief for acts of discrimination. Under the city's Hate Crime Law, the agency aids hate crime victims. CCHR also employs pro-active programs of education, intervention, and constituency building to discourage bigotry and bring people from different groups together.
