Ian Bonner grew up in New Jersey and has always enjoyed being active and involved. In 2000, he was one of the founding members of his high school’s gay-straight alliance. At Fairfield University, a Catholic school in Connecticut, Ian was one of a very few out LGBT students on campus. There he learned both the value of being a ‘person for others’ (a Jesuit motto) and the reality that faith can be a source of great positive social change, as well as a tool of intolerance. During these years, Ian began volunteering at Bread and Roses, a home and hospice for people living with HIV/AIDS, and Head Start, a program for city youth. These experiences forged a passion for working with and for LGBTQ people, all youth and HIV/AIDS prevention.
In 2004, after graduating with a degree in psychology, Ian moved to Chicago. He has been working at Center on Halsted for over a year. Ian is the Young Men’s Program coordinator and works with the Young Men’s Group and Youth Leadership Council. His most challenging and favorite part of his work is case management for individuals in need.
DID YOU KNOW? If you want to find Ian outside of the Center on Halsted, look for him on some of Chicago’s improv and sketch stages like Donny’s Skybox or The Playground.