A well-known LGBT advocate who recently relocated from Cincinnati, Ohio, was beaten death in Chicago Oct. 30.
Darius Chambers, a native of Selma, Ala., made a name for himself as an LGBT advocate through his work with Equality Cincinnati and the Human Rights Campaign.
Chambers was a member of the Truth and Destiny Covenant Ministries in Cincinnati. According to a message posted to cincylgbt.com by Chambers’ pastor, Lesley Jones, Chambers was fatally beaten by four men during an attempted robbery of his cell phone at a bus stop the night before Halloween. All four of his attackers (ages 16-17) have been arrested and are being held in Cook County Jail.
Lesley wrote that Chambers had moved to Chicago in hopes of working at Center on Halsted due to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant targeting young men of color for HIV prevention services.
Brian Richardson, spokesperson for the Center, said that Chambers had not been hired for a position there. Richardson could not say if Chambers had applied or interviewed with the organization, but added that the Center does not typically comment on hiring processes.
Chambers had moved to Chicago approximately three weeks before his death.
He is survived by his mother, Rosa Hardy. His only siblings, two sisters, also died young. One was murdered a few years ago and the other died at age 14 in an accident, according to Jones.