Legacy Project Executive Director Victor Salvo spoke about his organization's work at a Pride month gathering for LGBT professionals held June 28 at the Marriott Residence Inn in downtown Chicago.
Out & Equal Chicagoland, Marriott International and PwC organized the event.
Salvo discussed the importance of the Legacy Project, especially with regards to educating young people, in highlighting societal achievements and contributions from LGBT individuals. He noted that Legacy Project's traveling exhibition was also often especially "eye-opening" for straight audiences and spoke of its value in settings like corporate lobbies and public libraries.
The exhibition has traveled to about 20 different sites and has been viewed by about 175,000 people, Salvo said.
He also examined historical contributions from various LGBT individuals, some of whom have already been memorialized on Legacy Project plaques on the rainbow pylons on Halsted Street, among them Alan Turing, Jane Addams and Bayard Rustin, and others he hopes can be added to the History Walk in the future.
Those pylons, Salvo noted, "are likely the only places where the words lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender are cast in bronze."
Jim Huberty of Out & Equal, Bryce Gilchrist of PwC and Andris Antons of Marriott International also gave remarks at the event.