Nominations are open for the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame's 2015 induction class.
The Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame was established in 1991 under the auspices of what was then the Chicago Commission on Human Relations' Advisory Council on Gay and Lesbian ( later, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender ) Issues, a municipal government agency. At the end of 2011, the advisory council ceased to exist after a commission restructuring, and the Friends organization succeeded it as caretaker of the Hall of Fame in partnership with city government.
Nomination forms can be downloaded or printed from the Hall of Fame's website ( www.GLHallofFame.org ) or requested by calling 312-401-8893 and leaving a mailing address.
Completed nominations should be sent to the following address no later than July 10, 2015:
The Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame
3712 North Broadway, Unit 637
Chicago, Illinois 60613-4235
The Hall of Fame honors the volunteer and professional achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, their organizations and their friends, as well as their contributions to the LGBT communities and to the city of Chicago. This is a unique tribute to dedicated persons and organizations whose services have improved the quality of life for all of Chicago's citizens.
Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame inductees fall into one of three categories: "individual," "organization," or "friend of the community." Nominees represent all of Chicago's sexual-minority communities, including LGBT Chicagoans, past,
present, living, and dead, as well as those who have supported or assisted them.
The Hall of Fame's purpose is to recognize the achievements of LGBT Chicagoans, their contributions to the development of the city, and the help they have received from others. In 2015, it holds its 24th annual induction ceremony and continues to represent an official recognition by Chicago's government of the city's LGBT residents and their allies.
The chosen nominees will be inducted at the Hall of Fame's annual ceremony, which will take place from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday November 10, at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m., and the program is scheduled for 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Those selected for the "individual" category are or were members of Chicago's LGBT communities and have made single far-reaching or significant long-term contributions to the quality of life of those communities or of the city as a whole. Those in the "organization" category are LGBT businesses and nonprofit groups that have done likewise. "Friends of the community" are non-LGBT-identified individuals and organizations that have contributed to the quality of life of the city's LGBT communities.
