On May 3rd, APA-IL’s Diversity Committee and Jane’s Walk Chicago joined forces to present “Planning for Enclaves – A Walking Tour of Boystown.” This walking tour, which started at the Belmont-Red Line CTA station and concluded at the Center on Halsted, discussed the history and future of one of the nation’s most well-known gay enclaves. Walking tour guides Andie Meadows and Vitaliy Vladimirov discussed Chicago’s LGBT history, forces that are displacing long-standing queer spaces, wide-ranging policy and public health implications for Chicago's LGBT persons and new research that highlights the limits of enclaves' benefit to inclusion and diversity.
We covered a lot of ground, literally and figuratively, both on and off “the strip.” There were many highlights – here are just a few.
The impact of historical redlining, and the new influx of non-gay families
Seeing the city’s only trans-owned Filipina bakery
Exploring the relationship between a late night parking ban and queer people of color
Hearing the story of Nurse Lust, and the beginnings of Howard Brown Health Center and Chicago Women’s Health Center
Interested in getting involved? Contact the Diversity Committee at diversity@ilapa.org
(photos courtesy of Steven Migalski, psychologist, ADHD specialist, and LGBT rights advocate)