Gerber/Hart Library and Archives (board member)įederation of Gay Games, Inc. The best news for me was when the psychiatric medical organization removed homosexuality from a list of medical oddities.ġ3) List organizations (GLBT or mainstream) you have been involved in.Īdodi Chicago and Adodi Midwest (board member)Ĭhicago Alliance of African American Photographers (board member)Ĭhicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (board member)Ĭhicago Black Lesbians and Gays (board member)Ĭhicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame Committee (board member) My early years were spent trying to help others realize that it was okay to like the same sex. These combinations of race, sexual orientation, and physical disability all make it difficult to determine which causes my personal sources of discrimination.ġ2) Did you have mentors in the Chicago GLBT community? Most objections occur when one is secure with their own sexual identity and that sexuality is not conforming to the “norm.” I have for as long as I can remember identified as a gay male, which also intimidates others because of the strength to be honest with myself. African American men in this society and world community are extremely threatening on so many levels. My blackness was hindering being educated, articulate, intelligent, very good looking. That single set of laws gave us ways to get others to treat us as equals. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 changed the perception and litigation opportunities for most disabled persons. Persons with disabilities during those years were considered to be objectionable disabilities were a reason to further discriminate against and just plain be hateful toward others. I lost my left arm in 1974 at the age of 18 through a factory accident.
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The troubles I faced as a gay man were mostly job-related. The coming-out process continued throughout the years as I moved from Ohio to Illinois and began working in a few different fields of employment.ġ1) What troubles did you face as a GLBT person? During those early college years I found groups of homosexuals who got together socially and created a bonding force that stabilized my appreciation for myself. My college years were the most rewarding, as I found others who were like me. I then felt so confident with my enlightenment and empowerment that I sought to declare to anyone who would listen that I was completely and totally gay. Coming from a tight-knit family, my siblings also knew that I was the gay brother. He too knew well in advance of my confirmation. My Father was the better actor in the family. My Father responded as if it were a profound discovery, while my Mother responded as if she always knew. I came out to my parents officially at the age of 18. Now that I think about it I don’t recall any major disciplinary action at the time.ġ0) Who did you first “come out” to and when? I guess we were just too excited and loud, or lost track of time, because when the teacher discovered us he immediately sent us outside to be with the other students. This included groping and quite possibly some oral exploration. We then found a space in the coat closet and proceeded to explore each other’s anatomy. A group of us boys for some odd reason decided to remain indoors when others in the class went outside to the playground during our sixth grade class recess.
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It has been a life journey to convince others and make them aware of my preferences for my same sex.Įlementary school probably was the first major exposure and experience to sexual investigation and discovery. My Father on the other hand was not entirely convinced that I preferred males, even though the signs were there.Īll my life I personally knew that my orientation was toward other boys and finally men. Funny because my Mother has told me she knew when I was four years old that I was gay. Sometimes I interchange the term Same Gender loving out of respect for my friend and associate Cleo Manago, a fellow Adodi brother who first started using the term.Ĩ) Do you have children and or grandchildren?ĩ) If you are GLBT, please describe when you first “knew.”
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I would consider myself a black gay male.
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My career experiences include banking, owning a business, fundraising, doing graphic designs, grassroots organizing, photography, photojournalism, and promoter.ħ) How do you describe your sexuality and your gender?