Main fundraiser photo

Time to Support Tracy Baim ~ 35 Yrs of Commitment

REMINDER:  for all contributors, we will be hosting a virtual happy hour featuring Tracy Baim on Wednesday, February 10th at 6pm CT. 
Zoom link to join   https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7457120025
Meeting ID: 7457120025
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Tracy will provide us insights into what is like to be a journalist at a LGBTQ newspaper in the 1980s and 1990s, during the early days of the AIDS crisis and struggles of gaining acceptance and equal rights for the LGBTQ community.

== Original campaign text below ==

Tracy Baim, our selfless, long-time leader in our community needs our support to help Windy City Times.

Leading a print LGBT newspaper in the day of digital transformation has been a challenge for many years, made even more challenging by the COVID pandemic and the impact on print advertising.  The funds raised be used to retire the final debt from printing and maintain hosting of OUR LGBT newspaper online to preserve our rich history.

Many people know Tracy as Publisher and Executive Editor of Windy City Times, Chicago’s LGBT newspaper.  And some may know her as a community historian, film producer, author or community activist.  However you have known her, Tracy has helped to build community, culture, and art, and has provided a venue and a voice way before the internet, before our relationships were legally recognized, before Corporate LGBTQ groups were created, and before we had openly LGBTQ politicians.  Tracy was a creator and a trailblazer at a time when violence against LGBTQ was the norm and the very existence of LGBTQ persons was denied. 

Tracy has been selfless in her decades of extraordinary accomplishments.  Just to name a few of Tracy involvements and accomplishments:
·      She led the Marriage Equality March on Springfield in 2013 that brought over 5,000 to Springfield and was a key step to our state passing gay marriage law.  For this and her many other efforts.  Tracy was honored with the Freedom Award by Equality Illinois in 2020. 

·      She was vice co-chair of the 2006 Chicago Gay Games, where she led many areas including coordinating with City departments and fundraising.  Over seven years, she built and executed the plans that brought tens of thousands to Chicago, resulted in positive coverage in the Chicago Tribune and the Sun Times that changed perceptions and further advanced progress toward equality for LGBT people . 

·      As LGBT youth homelessness grew as a key issue in our community, Tracy stepped forward and led putting in place a Homeless Youth Summit and youth locker storage initiative.  For her work, she was honored by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless with their Les Brown Award in 2016 .
 ·      Established Pride Action Tank that helped to overturn the City of Chicago’s discriminatory laws that prohibited equal bathroom access for gender non-conforming people.
·      In 1994, Tracy was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame  (yes, 26 years ago!)

All this work of challenging discrimination and working on behalf of equity and inclusion she has delivered in her “free” time….  we cannot overstate the wonder at her consistent drive, ability to drive collaboration, and selflessness. 
 
We view it as our honor to be able to help Tracy in such a small way compared with her 35 years of selfless commitment and extraordinary contributions.  Any level of support would be greatly appreciated.   

Our goal is to raise $30,000 to cover a significant part of Tracy's financial obligations.   Our intent is to surpass this goal.  Any additional funding will pay for online hosting costs to keep Windy City Times articles available into the future.  
 
>>Look for an update coming soon with the details on the virtual happy hour to celebrate and thank all of you who have contributed.

All amounts raised will go to Tracy Baim / Windy City Times.

Donations 

  • Francesca Gaiba
    • $25 
    • 3 yrs
  • Brent Showalter
    • $20 
    • 3 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $20 
    • 3 yrs
  • Bennett Lawson
    • $50 
    • 3 yrs
  • Doug Ferguson
    • $50 
    • 3 yrs

Organizer

Sam Coady
Organizer
Chicago, IL

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