An Evening with Cleve Jones:The History and Struggle for LGBT Civil Rights

I am proud to announce that Join the Impact Chicago, along with Young Chicago Authors, Haymarket Books, Victory Gardens Theater, and Chicago Public Radio WBEZ 91.5 will be host Cleve Jones to Chicago on August 29th, 2009

Who is Cleve Jones?

Cleve Jones is an activist who’s been fighting this battle since the turbulent 1970’s in San Francisco alongside pioneer gay rights leader Harvey Milk. Cleve became one of the first people to recognize the true threat of AIDS, so he co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in 1983. When he was at a candlelight memorial in 1985 for Harvey Milk. Cleve conceived the idea of making a quilt as a form of remembering those who were lost to AIDS. In 1987, Cleve created the first quilt panel for the AIDS Memorial Quilt in memory of his close friend Marvin Feldman. The AIDS Memorial Quilt has grown to become the world’s largest community arts project, it now memorializes the lives of over 80,000 Americans (Gay and Straight) whom have passed due to AIDS. Nowadays, Cleve travels extensively across the United States and around the world, giving lectures at high schools, colleges, universities and other forms of gatherings. The latest project that Cleve Jones is working on is the National Equality March in Washington D.C. this October 11th.

Why Now?

The Obama administration promised to be a “fierce advocate” for equality for gays and lesbians. Yet even after over a hundred days in office, these promises continue to go unfulfilled. I am not only talking about over turning the Defense of Marriage Act but also Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Cleve Jones along with other activist from across the country decided it was time for us to make our voices heard. So the National Equality March was born as a way for us to show mass support for LGBT rights.

How can I get involved?

If you are in the Chicagoland area, you can attend “An Evening with Clive Jones: The History and Struggle for LGBT Civil Rights” on August 29, 2009 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the Victory Gardens Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave). It will only cost you a suggested donation of $5; you can donate more if you like because all proceeds will go to help fund buses to send people locally to the National March on Washington DC. The evening will feature Cleve Jones and performance pieces from Young Chicago Authors on the theme of LGBT rights, including the poem “The Pink Triangle” which was the winning poem of the Louder Than A Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival.

Tickets are now available at http://www.haymarketbooks.org/event.php?id=21. (Day of tickets will be available, but reservations are strongly encouraged as space is limited. Buy your tickets securely online via PayPal).

MJ