The LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project (Dialogue Project), Gerber/Hart Library and Archives (Gerber/Hart) and the queer women’s bar Dorothy Downstairs hosted the 4th Annual Queer History Panel June 11 at Dorothy Downstairs, 2500 W. Chicago Ave., in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood.
Panelists included Center on Cottage Grove Community Engagement Manager Betty Akins; former Architreasures Executive Director, artist and writer Joyce Fernandes; storyteller and “War on Cruising” protest participant Jay Myers; and Equality Illinois Leadership Development and Capacity Building Director and former Chicago Public Schools and Mujeres Latinas en Acción leader Norma Seledon. Dialogue Project Co-Founder, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) Department of Visual and Critical Studies professor and cultural anthropologist Karen Morris served as the event facilitator.
Archivist Kaitlyn Griffith hosted the event. She spoke about the first assignment she was given as a volunteer which was to organize and catalogue the three boxes of archival materials that poet Yvonne Zipter had given to Gerber/Hart. Griffith shared some of those photo materials in a slideshow presentation and read a poem by Zipter, “Lost in Wonderland,” to kick-off the event.
“I want everyone to know how meaningful our elders are and I want our elders to know how meaningful they are to us,” said Griffith.
Morris said that all four panelists were born between 1954 and 1964 which made them young adults in the 1970s and 80s, “a time of great change for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. and widespread rise of queer activism and coalition.” She also shared some context about what was happening regarding LGBTQ+ people and their rights in Chicago and the United States while these elders were coming of age.
Each panelist shared highlights of their life relating to their queer/trans identities and their careers, with slideshow photos accompanying their narratives.
Akins said, “I believe my purpose is to bring resiliency into the Black community and especially the Black LGBTQ+ community … because what happens when all the systems break down? Who will be there to help when they do and who will survive?”
Akins further spoke about her first time attending the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival as well as her time as a member of the LGBTQ Aging Task Force, which was when she found her purpose in life. She said, “We have people out here who are trying to break our systems down. We need to have people who know what to do and who will come out and help … those survive. I want to encourage everyone to find that thing.”
Fernandes spoke about being born in Erie, Pennsylvania which she calls a “miserable Rust Belt city on Lake Erie,” where she never had access to a queer or trans person in real life or any media. When she was younger, she was a tomboy and shared a baby picture where she was in a Cub Scout uniform. Fernandes said she “honed in her lesbianism” while a graduate student and later a staff member at School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Myers said he knew he was a trans person when he was three years old and would say he was a boy to people around him. He spoke about cutting his hair short for the first time while he was in his kindergarten classroom, which resulted in him getting sent home.
Myers added that until 1972 he wasn’t allowed to wear pants in school so he wore kilts instead of skirts or dresses. The first time he learned a word to describe himself was when he bought a Newsweek magazine that had an article about “transsexualism” in New York City.
Seledon said, “Storytelling is magical. I really think that it is through storytelling that we are going to save our country.” She added that in her early 30’s she became aware of her attraction for women. She further spoke about her involvement with the now defunct Amigas Latinas, where she found her queer community. Seledon also discussed the work she is currently doing to both support LGBTQ+ CEOs of organizations across Illinois and encourage LGBTQ+ people to run for office.
The event also featured a pop-up display of materials from Gerber/Hart.
