In Chicago, there is a phenomenal project in progress that will provide valuable information about our community, The LGBT Metro-Chicago Community Needs Assessment. The LGBT Community Fund of The Chicago Community Trust has partnered with Morten Group to launch this important project. I am on a team is to ensure that LGBTQ people in the Chicagoland area have the opportunity to express what their needs and concerns are by taking an online survey. The team has been working tirelessly across the city and suburbs spreading the word about the importance of this project.
We have showed up at events and left survey drop boxes in every place that will take one. We have also engaged organizations across the city to join us in this community initiative. Although this has been successful, it is not nearly enough. We need every LGBTQ individual in the Chicago community to take part in ensuring that everyone knows about the survey and gets a chance to participate.
If you are a Chicagoland LGBTQ person and you have not taken the survey, please go to www.lgbtfund.org . The clock is ticking and the survey collection period will end soon. You might be asking, "So what's the big deal if I don't take the survey? I am sure lots of other people like me will fill it out." Don't be so sure. Since the project launched in October, hundreds of people have completed the online survey.
Many politicians are not going to care much about what people have to say if they do not see LGBTQ issues affecting the communities they represent. However, if the numbers are large enough, they can have a significant impact on decisions being made about services, resources, legislation and policy. The LGBT Community Fund of The Chicago Community Trust will be using your opinion to inform decisions about funding to the community and the results of the survey will be shared with the Chicagoland community.
If you are a person who lives in a community that does not get any or little LGBTQ resources, it is imperative that your voice be heard so it can be proved that you exist. We know that LGBTQ people live on the South and West Sides of Chicago, but so far most of the respondents to the survey are from the North Side of Chicago. I remember when I was coming out and someone said, "But you don't live on the North Side!" Believe it or not, the mainstream Chicago community does not believe that LGBTQ people live anywhere but the North Side. If you live in any other community, you have the power to significantly change this misperception and potentially bring resources to your community. Without your voice, no one will see the need.
So far, the majority of respondents come from what some might call a privileged status. There can be many reasons for this ( lack of access to computers, mistrust of surveys ) , but the bottom line is that many people are not well represented in the results at this time. This includes people of color, low-income individuals, youth, and transgender members of our community. One of the goals of the project is to bring voice to the diverse parts of the LGBTQ communities that are often left out of the decision making process when it comes to resource allocations.
The LGBT Metro-Chicago Community Needs Assessment can be impactful if all of our voices are represented. Make a commitment. Go to www.lgbtfund.org and take the survey today. It takes about 20 minutes, it's anonymous and you can qualify to win prizes. If you have already taken the survey, commit to sending it to at least 10 people in the next 24 hours. If you don't have access to a computer, call Jessica at 773-343-5111 and she will get you a paper copy. Remember, the survey will close soon and the chance to express your needs and ideas may not come again for many years. Express yourself. Your voice matters.
Alicia T. Vega, MJ, is a community engagement leader for the LGBT Metro-Chicago Needs Assessment.
