Dean Ogren (Pictured right with George Mal. Photo courtesy of Ogren) a champion within the leather, AIDS and gay communities, was honored at the Jon Henri Damski Awards ceremony held at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted, on March 29.
The award, known as the “Jon Henri,” is named after Chicago journalist, activist and “queer thinker” Jon Henri Damski. Often referred to as the Studs Terkel of the gay community, Damski was a thoughtful writer and a voracious consumer of the art of conversation. He wrote for publications such as Gay Chicago Magazine and Gay Life, and eventually ended his career at the Windy City Times. “He was a man that showed reverence to everyone, hustlers and politicians alike. He was a man of the people,” said Lori Cannon, a longtime friend and veteran AIDS community service provider. As an activist, Damski worked side by side with other LGBT pioneers, such as Rick Garcia, Art Johnston and Laurie Dittman. Together they became known as the “Gang of Four,” and their lobbying efforts led to the passage of the Chicago human-rights ordinance in 1989 and the hate-crimes ordinance in 1990.
Damski passed away in 1997 after battling cancer. Yet, his memory is alive in the hearts of those who knew him and his sense of community spirit was in full celebration at the event. “We still need fighters,” said Cannon, “so it’s fitting that Dean receives this award. He’s been there since the beginning.”
According to Cannon, Ogren has been an exemplary “go-to guy” for logistics and planning for organizations like Open Hand (now Vital Bridges) : “When Open Hand faced some painful budget cuts, Dean’s response, along with his partner, John, was to organize the infamous toilet-paper party to make sure that low-income people living with AIDS had their basics, their essential personal-care items. Not only did Dean organize this event—he and John hosted it, creating a long-standing tradition that they open their home every January with tables loaded with food. He’s a selfless guy, like Jon Henri.”
When Ogren was asked about his personal connection to Damski, he said, “This isn’t really about just me. It’s about Jon and it’s about all of us taking care of each other. You really gotta pay it forward. You need to take care of yourselves, then each other. The AIDS fight isn’t over. Each person can make a difference. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. You can really make things happen as an individual. Impacting just one person makes a difference.”