• MonaNoriegaGaryChichesterbyTracyBaim
    Mona Noriega and Gary Chichester. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • DamskiTypewriter
    Damski’s typewriter and Cubs hat were on display at the event. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • Ogren
    Dean Ogren. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • Cannon
    Lori Cannon. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • Greaves
    Bill Greaves. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • MonaNoriega
    Mona Noriega. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • GaryChichester
    Gary Chichester. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • GaryChichesterB
    Gary Chichester. Photo by Tracy Baim
The 21st annual Jon-Henri Damski Award was presented to longtime gay activist Gary Chichester March 31 at Sidetrack bar, on what would have been Damski’s 81st birthday.

Damski was a longtime columnist in gay newspapers, including for Windy City Times and Outlines. Wearing his signature Cubs baseball cap, Damski was a regular at many Lakeview and Boystown bars and events, and a co-founder of Town Meeting, a group widely credited with putting Chicago’s gay-rights ordinance over the top in the late 1980s.

Speakers first at the event were Dean Ogren, Lori Cannon, Bill Greaves and Mona Noriega, who presented Chichester with a mayor’s proclamation for his work. Chichester began his activism in the early 1970s, and during his speech he showed his treasured early gay pride flag.

See the March 28 cover story interview with Chichester here: windycitytimes.com/lgbt/Longtime-local-LGBT-activist-Gary-Chichester-friends-reflect-on-his-work/62410.html.