JUST A WEEK  AWAY!

Chicago House is elated to announce its 6th Annual Speaker Series Luncheon, a conversation about Gender, Race, and Economic Disparity under the LGBTQ umbrella on October 15th, 2014 at the Hilton Grand Ballroom on 720 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL. The Panel Discussion and Moderated Q&A will begin at 12:30 PM with our esteemed speakers, Laverne Cox, an Emmy nominated transgender actress and LGBT activist, Jason Collins, a 13-year basketball veteran and the first openly gay NBA player, and Dustin Lance Black, social activist and Academy Award winning screenwriter for MILK. This year’s moderator is Gautam Raghavan, former LGBTQ advisor to President Obama and Vice President of Policy at the Gill Foundation. These three icons follow in the footsteps of previous speakers Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Whoopi Goldberg and Kenneth Cole, who have all shed light on the work of Chicago House relative to their efforts around the world.

The 6th Annual Speaker Series Luncheon marks a critical fundraising event for Chicago House’s desperately-needed services, and is an opportunity for a larger conversation on our nation’s growing inequality and disparity of wealth. Individuals who identify as LGBTQ are significantly more likely of being disadvantaged socio-economically. LGBTQ persons, despite having more education than the national average, make less money than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, particularly if they are African American. Chicago House seeks to respond to these alarming statistics by highlighting not only the great need, but also the moral imperative that the LGBTQ community has to care for its own members living in poverty.

As we approach our 30^th anniversary, Chicago House looks to its origins focusing on HIV/AIDS, poverty, and LGBTQ persons. With the nation’s first and largest employment program for those with HIV/AIDS and our recently opened Translife Center, Chicago House continues its commitment to engage in action and conversations building towards a movement of inclusivity and economic advancement for those marginalized in the LGBTQ community. This is a conversation the entire community should be having; this is the next big issue we face.

Together, we stand at crossroads of progress in HIV/AIDS stigma, civil equality, and economic disparity. With your continued support, we may celebrate our victories and the lives of individuals and families that Chicago House serves.

We encourage you to be present for what we are sure will be a revolutionary event. To purchase tickets or to become a sponsor, contact Lori Byars at  773-248-5200 x209. Additional information is also available at www.chicagohouse.org.