'Windy City Times' cofounder reflects on 35 years of amplifying Chicago's LGBTQ stories
October is LGBTQ History Month
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Since 1985, Windy City Times cofounder Tracy Baim said they have been writing the first draft of history of the community in Chicago.
"We were dealing with the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact in Chicago. The parallel fight for gay rights because many people with AIDS were experiencing lots of discrimination," she said.
Baim said the struggles and joys of her community were rarely being covered by mainstream media outlets.
"We were there to create a voice for people and to make sure the breadcrumbs of our history could be found for later generations," she said.
Baim describes the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights as one of the most important stories that the paper has covered.
"A lot of people from the Chicago area went there and came back and changed Chicago forever. They ran for office. They started organizations," she said.
Today, the Windy City Times is primarily digital, only doing four print editions each year. But Baim said they remain committed to amplifying the stories of LGBTQ people in Chicago.
"A lot of what we are covering these days is intersectional issues on how LGBTQ people of color are affected by issues," she said.
