There will be videos, guest speakers and former honorees at this free event.
Many consider Summit as being on the ground floor of shaping Chicago’s LGBT community. She has a 40-year history that includes founding the iconic bar His ‘N Hers, nestled under the Addison L stop; being a founding member of the Chicago chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); and being a longtime activist, appearing in numerous videos and documentaries—including the film Before Stonewall, which chronicled the pre-1968 activities of the national gay and lesbian community.
In addition, Summit pioneered the “Gay $ Project” together with gay businessman Frank Kellas, creating an ink stamp to mark paper currency as coming from gays and lesbians, demonstrating economic impact on every day commerce. She helped lead the charge picketing Evergreen foods, educating it’s owners and other ‘mainstream’ business persons that gays and lesbians were among their regular customers and deserving of common courtesy and respect.
Damski was an weekly columnist, poet and community activist who died in 1997 at age 60. Among other things, he was considered among those who were critical in the passage of Chicago’s Human Rights Ordinance in 1988 and the local hate-crimes bill in 1990. He contributed to many publications, including Windy City Times.
For more information about the event, contact Sharyl Holtzman at 773-398-9009 or sharyl@girlrockltd.com.
Related; windycitytimes.com/lgbt/Chicago-Icon-The-Marge-Summit-Story-Part-One-of-a-two-part-feature/61433.html.