The American LGBTQ+ Museum

QUEER LEGACIES: STORIES FROM CHICAGO’S LGBTQ ARCHIVES by John D’Emilio | Hosted by Mona Noriega

The American LGBTQ+ Museum Book Club is a space for community and connection, bridging generations through the magic of storytelling. The selections will be a mix of popular queer history and memoir with inspiring authors and iconic guest facilitators. The pages we turn will become stepping stones for intergenerational dialogue, fostering understanding, empathy, and unity. Together, we’ll traverse the landscapes of queer culture, savoring the nuances and complexities that make our stories uniquely ours.

This isn’t just a book club; it’s a movement. Reading together becomes a powerful act of empowerment, a catalyst for change, and a testament to the resilience of the LGBTQ+ spirit. Participants will be a part of something extraordinary. In this book club, we won’t just read, we’ll weave the threads of our stories into a tapestry of strength, resilience, and pride.

Featuring:

John D’Emilio (he/him) is Emeritus Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies and History at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  He is the author or editor of almost a dozen books including Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940-1970; Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin; and Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America, co-authored with Estelle B. Freedman and now in its third edition. His awards include the Brudner Prize from Yale for lifetime contributions to gay and lesbian studies; the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Publishing Triangle, an organization of LGBTQ people in publishing; and the Roy Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award of the Organization of American Historians.  His biography of Bayard Rustin was a finalist for the National Book Award.  The founding director of the Policy Institute of the National LGBTQ Task Force, he has also served as President of the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, a community-based library and historical archives in Chicago, and wrote a book on Chicago LGBTQ history – Queer Legacies:  Stories from Chicago’s LGBTQ Archives. His most recent book is Memories of a Gay Catholic Boyhood: Coming of Age in the Sixties, a memoir published by Duke University Press.

Mona Noriega was born and raised in Chicago.  She engaged for the first time with the feminist movement at Chicago’s Northeastern Illinois University in the 1970’s.  She then became involved with Latina Lesbians en Nuestro Ambiente (LLENA), and in 1993 helped open the Midwest office of Lambda Legal.  In 1995 she cofounded Amigas Latinas, an organization committed to the empowerment and education of Latina lesbian, bisexual, and questioning women in the Chicago area.  In 1999 Noriega was founding Cochair and Senior Bid Consultant responsible for bringing the Gay Games to Chicago.  Noriega was appointed by Mayor Emanuel in 2011 and retained by Mayor Lightfoot in 2019 to serve as Commissioner and Chair of the City of Chicago’s Commission on Human Relations. In 2021 Governor Pritzker appointed Noriega to Chair the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Noriega currently serves as a Commissioner on the State of Illinois’ Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.

Graphic:

Our beautiful graphic is designed by the incredible Loveis Wise (they/he), a multidisciplinary artist, designer, creative director, and Capricorn, drawing reimagined futures and playfulness in Los Angeles.

Accessibility:

This program will be presented via Zoom with live captioning in English. We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. Please reach out with any questions, requests or needs to info@americanlgbtqmuseum.org.