A Gay in the Life: Kim Hunt, Executive Director of Affinity

You would expect the executive director of an organization to be constantly busy—and Kim Hunt, who leads Affinity (a non-profit organization that serves Chicago’s Black lesbian and bisexual women’s community) is no different. On the day Windy City Times shadowed her, Hunt was meeting with a woman associated with the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center.

When asked what a typical day is like, she immediately responded, “I don’t know if there is one.” She then detailed what is usually involved: “I have meetings all over the city, and then I’ll have a series of phone conferences. Sometimes, I spend a lot of time answering e-mails from constituents and organizations that want to partner with us. Other days, it’s planning programs or creating funding proposals—and there’s a lot of that,” she said with a slight laugh.

Moreover, Affinity has undergone a big change, as the organization moved out of its longtime home at 5650 S. Woodlawn; it now has two locations, including one in which the group is housed with Black Women for Reproductive Justice at 53rd and Blackstone. (On top of that change, Hunt reported on her website that her father recently passed away.) As for the future of Affinity, Hunt said that “this is an exciting time, despite the fact that we have this challenge in terms of finding space. The need for organizations like Affinity is clearer than ever.” Hunt then talked about how Affinity is working with youth, allies and the transgender community.

For more about Affinity, see

www.affinity95.org.

STATS

Age

48

Neighborhood

Hyde Park

Hometown

Kansas City, Mo.

Previous Occupation

Co-founder of O-H Community Partners, a consulting firm

Relationship Status

Partnered for 11 years

Children

Two daughters—one at a Texas university and one in

a local high school

Hobbies

Reading, biking