The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, celebrating its 30th anniversary, invited the LGBTQ+ community to nominate individuals, organizations, businesses, and allies for the 2021 Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and the response was tremendous. The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame now has a slate of possible inductees for the 2021 Hall of Fame. A selection committee, comprised of Individuals inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, will review the slate of candidates and select the candidates in a meeting on July 17. Anybody inducted into the LGBT Hall of Fame as an Individual is entitled to serve on the selection committee. Those interested in participating should send an e-mail to outreach@LGBTHallofFame.org by July 1. The names of the inductees for 2021 will be released on or before July 19, 2021.
The ceremony for inductees will be held on Tuesday, October 5 at the Chicago History Museum. The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame was founded in 1991 as the Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame. Its purpose then, as now, is to honor people and entities, nominated by the community, who have made significant contributions to the quality of life or well-being of the LGBT community in Chicago. It is the first city-sponsored hall of fame dedicated to LGBT people, organizations, and allies in the United States.
From its founding in 1991 until 2016 the Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame relied on support from the City of Chicago. The city ceased funding the Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2016 as part of then-mayor Rahm Emanuel’s cost-cutting programs. At that time, it was rechristened the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and has since been supported and maintained by the Friends of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, with approval from the City of Chicago.
The first Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame ceremony took place during Pride Week and was held at Chicago City Hall. Mayor Richard M. Daley hosted the ceremony and afterward, photos of the inductees were displayed in City Hall. The Hall of Fame has no physical facility but maintains a website, which allows anyone to visit the Hall of Fame at any time. Traditionally, the City of Chicago has displayed the Hall of Fame materials during induction periods.
For more information, visit the organization’s website, chicagolgbthalloffame.org/ or its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/56108152083.
