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

(photo courtesy of Steven Migalski, psychologist, ADHD specialist, and LGBT rights advocate)