Northalsted Business Alliance is asking for the public to weigh in on the "Boystown" moniker.
The Alliance has published a survey asking community members' opinions on the Lake View neighborhood, which was officially designated an "LGBTQ+ community" by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1997; its rainbow pylons received historical landmark designation in 2019.
But for many years, exactly how welcoming the neighborhood actually is for some community members has been called into question, with many people of color, transgender persons and youth saying that they've been made to feel unwanted in Boystown in recent years. Activist Devlyn Camp recently started an online petition demanding that the neighborhood be designated with a new, more inclusive name.
The Alliance's new survey asks participants how often they visit Lake View, whether the Boystown name makes them feel uncomfortable, and solicits suggestions for a new name, among other questions. The survey will be active through Sept. 14 and can be taken at northalsted.com/survey/ .
