Adam Michael Karlin (Aug. 26, 1974-Sept. 2, 2024), a Cook County deputy sheriff who grew up in Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community, passed away Sept. 2 after battling a long illness.
Karlin, the son of long-time Chicago community activist Rick Karlin and stepson of writer Gregg Shapiro, marched in Gay Pride parades in the ‘70s, was a founding member of COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) and served as a coach for the Big Chicks baseball team.