Black queer communities on Chicago’s South and West Sides are working to rebuild intergenerational connections that have been strained by the impacts of the AIDS epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic. Many in these communities recall mentors who influenced their lives, but also feel the absence of elders lost to public health crises.
Leslie Givens remembers Boris Powell, a local fashion designer known for his openness and advocacy. Ry Douglas, a transgender activist, cites an internship with Barak adé Soleil as crucial in shaping their approach to accessibility in community programs. “He’s definitely an elder who has shown up for so many of us,” Douglas said.
The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and ’90s had a significant impact on Black LGBTQ+ people in Chicago. Black residents accounted for half of new HIV diagnoses from 2009-2013, despite being only 15% of Illinois’ population. As of 2024, Black people make up nearly half of those living with HIV/AIDS in Chicago.
Joshua Miller described how both AIDS and COVID-19 have led to isolation within Black queer communities. “I think the biggest thing was our loss of connection,” Miller said about the effects of the pandemic. “I feel like there were just a lot of folks who I would always see that I don’t talk to as much. There was definitely a loss of trust.”
Many found themselves excluded from mainstream LGBTQ+ spaces, which often centered white experiences. Givens recalled that during his youth at Kenwood Academy High School in the 1980s, he sought out safe spaces and eventually became involved in HIV prevention work through Brother 2 Brother.
During the AIDS crisis, Black queer stories were largely absent from mainstream media coverage, with some Black newspapers initially refusing to report on its impact within their own communities.
The arrival of COVID-19 brought further challenges. Dr. Maya Green, former Chief Medical Officer at Howard Brown Health, said: “I’m from the South Side; when you live in disparity, you don’t really have to wait until it shows up in this specific situation. You just expect it.” In Chicago’s first year of the pandemic, Black residents made up 41% of coronavirus-related deaths despite representing less than a third of the city’s population.
Community members responded by organizing support systems such as microgrants and food delivery during lockdowns. Douglas noted: “If I’m being real, the second half of March 2020 was a breath of relief, because the help that I had been needing for a while was finally being made available.”
By early 2023, many supports faded as workplaces reopened and mask mandates ended. Long COVID remains prevalent among marginalized groups; according to city data from 2023, one quarter of self-reported long COVID cases were among Black residents and over half affected transgender or gender non-conforming individuals.
Organizations continue to provide resources and safer gathering options:
– House of the Lorde offers events ranging from readings to dance classes.
– Afroflare Salon hosts events tailored for those with skin conditions.
– Clean Air Club distributes air filters and masks for event organizers.
– Parallel Play Chicago organizes COVID-conscious gatherings.
– Care Not Covid Chi advocates for ongoing precautions.
Douglas co-founded The Axis Circle with Kenyatta Johnson in 2023 to create COVID-safe spaces for Black queer people—requiring masks and negative tests at all events. “We were having so many conversations about isolation… So many of us were dealing with disproportionate financial issues because of the push to return to in-person work not being an option for us,” Douglas said.
Storytelling also plays a role in preserving history. Zahra Baker works with About Face Theatre’s Queer Youth Ensemble to ensure stories lost during previous crises are remembered: “I still feel like most of the stories connected to the loss [from AIDS] are not naming my friends; it’s not naming the Black people and how we were affected by it.”
Miller now helps organize events through Black Alphabet—including art therapy workshops and film screenings—to foster community ties: “I like to be connected to what my history is because if you don’t learn it, then someone else is going to tell you what it is.”
New leaders are emerging as well. Skai Underwood leads Prep4Teens at TaskForce Prevention and Community Services on Chicago’s West Side—a program focused on sexual health education—and credits mentorship from colleagues such as Director Reyna Ortiz: “We call her Mother TaskForce… Her just showing up and making sure her voice is being heard.”
Givens encourages adults to mentor youth directly: “Why are you not bringing somebody younger into this group with you? Because that’s what happened to me… Mentorship needs to come out to strengthen the community. We need to be strong in supporting our own.”
As these efforts continue across generations, Chicago’s Black queer communities seek restoration after decades marked by erasure and loss.
