Homosexuality In Chicago

In the early 1970s, the Chicago Sun Times reportedly called the first gay pride parade “…just a bold but loosely organized stream of activist and drag queens who marched along the sidewalk …shouting and vamping for gay rights.” This statement reflected society’s view of homosexuals as "drag queens", a term traditionally used to imply a male who acts with exaggerated femininity. While “drag” is commonly associated with homosexual males, those who participate in drag actually vary in gender, class, culture, motivation, and sexual orientation. Disdain with the minimization of homosexual identity and demand for equal rights the University of Chicago Gay Liberation Front sought to take action to debunk and rid stereotypes of homosexual selfhood.

Wiemhoff and other gay activist created the Chicago Gay Liberation Front which had many local activities to help gays including hosting small dances and mixers for same-sex couples on The University of Chicago campus, which had over two thousand participants by the time of their last dance. Wiemhoff, students, and graduates of The University of Chicago disrupted the 1970s Chicago meeting of the AMA (American Medical Association) which sought to distribute pamphlets that declared homosexuals "unhealthy". Wiemhoff’s group wanted to challenged the common belief at the time among most doctors and psychiatrists that homosexuals were emotionally and psychologically ill and needed treatment. Wiemhoff and other activist protesters eventually led to the de-stigmatization of gays and lesbians in the American Medical Association, by 1973 the AMA withdrawn their claims . Henry Wiemhoff and the other gay activist felt like the AMA weren’t depicting the truth about homosexuals so they took a stand against them. Furthermore doctors and psychologist at the time believed that gays were mentally and or physically sick and needed treatment. Less than a year later the AMA made it so the world would know that their accusations were

The University of Chicago Gay Liberation Front has made a lasting impact on Chicago since its creation in 1970. Chicago Gay Liberation, the group The University of Chicago transformed into, is still here today. Thanks to the Chicago Gay Liberation and other groups and activist Chicago has a Gay Pride Parade annually to support the LGBTQ community. Also the University of Chicago has sixty annual events for their students and alumni to support LGBTQ students on campus; which has approximately two thousand participants each year. OutLaw, a law group that formed from Chicago Gay Liberation, has been open for almost 31 years. There is an Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer which main purpose is to create a safe community for LGBTQ students and