Out the Archives is a recurring feature diving into the Windy City Times collection, offering a look back at the rich history of LGBTQ+ Chicago.
In this edition, we look back at the June 2000 issue of BLACKlines interview with Lorraine Sade Baskerville, a pioneering transgender activist, social worker and community builder who died recently at age 75.
At the time of the interview, Baskerville was the founder and executive director of transGenesis, a Chicago-based social services organization created to support transgender people—particularly Black trans women—during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The group focused on harm reduction, safe-sex education and survival services at a moment when trans communities were routinely excluded from public health responses.
The interview captures Baskerville’s clarity of purpose and deep commitment to collective care. She speaks candidly about gender identity, faith, family, community responsibility and the urgent need for trans-led solutions rooted in lived experience.
Below, we republish the full BLACKlines interview as it originally appeared in June 2000.
