A celebration of life for longtime community activist, volunteer and businessman RJ Chaffin will take place Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted.
A reception will be held 12-1 p.m.; the program will be 1-2 p.m.; and a closing reception will take place 2-3:30 p.m.
Inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1997, Chaffin was involved in a wide range of causes and helped raise thousands of dollars for many AIDS and gay groups. He was a well-known business activist with the Northalsted Area Merchants Association (NAMA), as owner of the now-closed RJ’s Video and Rajin’ Rae Jean’s. He was NAMA president from 1998-2004.
Chaffin, a native of Ohio, is most associated with International Mr. Leather and its Leather Marketplace, an event he directed for 18 years, including this past Memorial Weekend in Chica- go. He is interviewed in the new book Leather- man: The Legend of Chuck Renslow, about his IML and gay community work.
Chaffin also served on the boards of Strike Against AIDS, the Chicago AIDS Benefit Committee and NAMA.