Daley at the Gay Games Opening Ceremony. Photo by Judy Rolfe_________
Say whatever you want about Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley—and many have. However, it is hard to argue with his contributions to the LGBT community.
Daley, 64, who is gearing up to run for a sixth term as the city's governmental leader, has provided support through words and actions. Among other things, he has helped establish the Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues and sponsored the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Chicago is also the only city in the nation to have an annual government-backed salute to LGBT veterans of the armed services. He has aided the Center on Halsted financially ( with millions in assistance through the city budget ) and has funded hate-crimes initiatives. Moreover, he has repeatedly vocally supported same-sex marriage and has chaired LGBT events, including the 2006 Gay Games, as honorary co-chair. ( The community's appreciation of Daley was solidified when the mayor himself was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. )
Recently, Daley spoke with Windy City Times. He discussed the Hall of Fame, HIV prevention funding and the LGBT community's contributions to Chicago.
Windy City Times: You were recently inducted into the Hall of Fame. What was that like for you?
Mayor Richard Daley: Well, it was a great honor for me. The community has made Chicago a global city, and it's done so much. It was a special honor; the city is giving awards, but [ it was great ] to receive an award from such a wonderful community.
WCT: What LGBT-related accomplishment are you particularly proudest of?
MRD: I'm proud that the city welcomes the community, and the community really enriches Chicago. Take the Gay Games, with the Opening and Closing ceremonies [ as well as ] the other festivities. It was special, but it moved without any controversy—and that says a lot. People view the Midwest in their way, and I think that we're much more open than the East or West coasts. I hear about people moving from San Francisco, Atlanta Philadelphia and Washington [ D.C. ] to come here. We have that Midwestern friendliness; we're down-to-earth.
WCT: Is there anything that has not been achieved that you would like to see done?
MRD: In the long run, there's the whole question of marriage. [ Marriage can be ] a basic component of raising families, and [ LGBT individuals ] make great parents.
I think that [ conservative ] people need to realize that LGBT individuals are people everyone knows, including them. They're brothers, sisters, cousins and neighbors. That's what I'm trying to [ get across ] : the human side of it.
WCT: Recently, the city awarded $500,000 for HIV prevention funding. However, some HIV/AIDS advocates were disappointed that they didn't get the $1.7 million increase they said they needed. What do you say to those activists?
MRD: It's all [ about ] federal money. We have to look at all aspects of human services. We committed $500,000; some cities have not committed at all. We can only pick up so much, and we have to see how we can get the rest of the funding from the federal government. [ In addition, ] it hadn't been increased in a few years. At the same time, we think we can gain more from the federal government—and [ possibly ] come out ahead.
WCT: Was there anything else you wanted to add?
MRD: What the gay community provides is a spirit. Chicago is becoming a global city, and it reflects all the positive things they've done for the city—and I really mean that. It was also really great to put the awards on TV. Also, with the Gay Games, people came and said, 'Oh my God! Look at Chicago!' People would come up to me and say, 'God, I love your city. The people are so friendly.'
WCT: Actually, talking about the Games made me think of the Summer Olympics that the city is trying to host. How confident are you about Chicago getting that chance?
MRD: I'm confident in the sense that Los Angeles has hosted the Olympics twice. Regarding the international aspect, the Gay Games provided perspective about things—and we got positive [ coverage ] from the media. We were showcased in Chicago, and we showed what we can do.
The general mayoral election will take place Feb. 27.
