Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-02-22
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Fundamental: Gerber/Hart's Mission
by Kennette Crockett
2003-06-25

This article shared 3279 times since Wed Jun 25, 2003
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Every civilization needs their keepers of the flame, a recorder of events, significant moments that shape or change a group's destiny and future. The GLBT population is no different, especially when most events related to GLBT community are not noticed by mainstream culture and media.

The Gerber/Hart Library, founded in 1981 and now located in Edgewater at 1127 W. Granville, is one keeper of the GLBT flame. Originally called the Midwest Gay and Lesbian Archive and Library, the name was rethought and eventually changed to honor two pioneers in the movement: Henry Gerber, founder of the Society for Human Rights, and Pearl M. Hart, a lawyer and community activist for women's and children's rights.

Here among thousands of books about gay and lesbian life either revealed in fiction, nonfiction or documented in the gay and lesbian press and their archives, you can relive significant moments in Chicago's history.

'We're tracking the Belmont Rocks and as they are being renovated, that is a significant piece of history that is changing its shape and we have a call out requesting people's pictures and memories,' explained Dave Howser, president of the board for the Gerber/ Hart Library.

'That is a good example of something that had been around forever that is now changing and we are documenting it; we do the same with bars.' Here Howser talks about the importance of Gerber/Hart, books and why you should pay a visit to one of the largest GLBT libraries in the Midwest.

WCT: How did you get involved with Gerber/Hart?

DH: I first got interested through their book sales. Actually, I was an avid book collector in the sense that I wanted to build up my gay and lesbian library and I would come to their annual fall book sales. I got hooked there and I began to see the advantages of the library and being able to check out books there like any other library. I could review books and check out videos so I became a patron. Then I started working with the book sales and became the book sales manager and then I later got on the board.

WCT: Do you think that you could have had a similar experience at any other library?

DH: I could not have done it at any other library because there is not any other library like Gerber/ Hart in the Midwest where you can find so many gay- and lesbian-centered books. If I would have just volunteered at a public library, I would have a wonderful selection of books but I would have to weed through which ones are gay and which ones are not. So I was astonished to find out how many books, fiction and nonfiction, are written about LGBT topics.

WCT: What types of books are you now seeing from gay and lesbian authors?

DH: We are seeing a lot more, but back in 1981 I wasn't part of the organization, but I guess there was sort of a pink ceiling. There were not a lot of gay authors and publishers and people questioned if there was a market for gay books, especially gay fiction. But now there are much more titles. Gay authors are much more prolific now than they ever had been. And I began seeing just a wealth of even juvenile books written for young people either as LGBT youth or youth who have LGBT parents and I am surprised by the diversity.

WCT: How does the library get its books?

DH: Once in a blue moon, we may have some publishers who donate to us [laughs]. It would be great if that happened but mostly it is through patrons who come to our book sales and will donate the books that they have; that is how we get 90 percent of our books. If we have two copies, we use if for our book sale and it we have one we add it to our collection.

WCT: What are the main types of books?

DH: We have plenty of fiction that would include gay, lesbian, transgendered, bisexual and we have plenty of nonfiction that is ordered by the Library of Congress. So we have reference, juvenile, poetry, art books, history books, biographies, autobiographies, religion, spirituality, coming out, sexuality, gender, you name it. And then we have a collection of periodicals that include national publications like Out and the Advocate, and XY magazine and things like that. We also have newsletters and papers.

WCT: Who uses the library?

DH: We could probably break it down into a couple of different types of folks. We do have some folks who use the library like a circulating library. I work on the Friday shifts and a lot of times you will see the same folks coming in to renew their books or to get more books. We also see students from colleges and a graduate school working on research; that is another change that we have seen in the library. We are seeing a lot more students who are choosing LGBT topics to research and do their doctoral papers and then we may see sixth graders coming in working on a history project that deals with the Chicago gay and lesbian community.

WCT: So are their teachers bringing them in … how are the younger people hearing about the library?

DH: Usually it is either parents or the kids will come in on their own, but most of the time it is their parents. I do believe that a lot of teachers know about Gerber/Hart.

WCT: Why is this place important?

DH: Well the easiest way to answer this question is that we don't realize how important it is for us to really track what is going on in the Chicago gay and lesbian community. So it is extremely important for our history to be able to collect it and archive it and say this is our history, this is what is going on and went on. This is what happened in 2002, two significant AIDS organizations closed or this is what happened in the year 2007 when we finally ... whatever that is. What makes Gerber/Hart so important is that we are preserving our culture, what's happened in the past, what is going on right now for those historians of the future who will begin to realize how important this library is. We are the largest in the Midwest, and that is hands down easy. There are other places that archive LGBT materials that have larger collections or there may be other larger circulating libraries that are part of universities and things like that, that maybe have gender or sexuality or things like that, but to have both under one roof is pretty unique.

WCT: Getting back to documentation, is it important for groups to document their own history.

DH: It is so hard to see what is going on as it is happening—it really does take a few years and retrospective. Then it is like 'wow we had no idea that this was happening,' like our struggle for equal rights tends to be a very slow pace and we are documenting that as well as the rich and flavorful cultural things that happen. Like we have flyers, t-shirts and other memorabilia and advertising associated with Chicago beyond just pride month. Those things give color and depth.

WCT: So what are you tracking now?

DH: Well this past year 2002 the city of Chicago honored both of our name sakes— Pearl Hart has a mark of distinction and Henry Gerber's house became a historical landmark. So Chicago is waking up and seeing the importance of history being made in Chicago. The Belmont Rocks and as they are being renovated and things like that, that is a significant piece of history that is changing its shape and we have a call out requesting people's pictures and memories.

WCT: Did someone documented Paris Dance? Do you have more women's history or men's?

DH: A lot of stuff that we have in our archives or special collections is in its raw form. We might have an individual who has donated his/her memorabilia and it might include things from Paris or Carol's Speakeasy. So if someone said we wanted to document a place specifically then we would have to do a search and we document things so things can be crossed-referenced. We have so many things that you probably could look at the birth and demise of a lot of bars.

WCT: Do you think you are balancing out people of color in the GLBT history?

DH: You know back to the collections—we basically collect anything that is given to us or that we can get our hands on. So we don't have a lot of control over what we have and do not have. We are in the collection business, more so than seeking out. There have been times in the past that we have tried to increase transgender issues, and we contact people to see what are the best books representing that group. We have gotten a lot of donations from LCCP, Women in the Director's Chair, and Kindred Hearts. We make sure that the different groups out there know that we are here and that they share the value of their history and donate items so that they can be well represented. We want folks who feel that they are not being represented in Chicago's history to donate stuff so they can be represented.

WCT: Have you all thought about moving closer to Boys Town like the Center on Halsted—because a lot of people may not know of you?

DH: I am sure that that is the case. I have talked with other librarians and in general libraries are really starting to see less and less patronage because it is much easier to surf the web and get your information. I am sure that the Center will get a lot of foot traffic and early on they told us that they wanted to have the library there, but not the archives because they didn't have space for both. There was some hesitation about having something that is not really accessible to the public, because our archives need to be kept organized and temperature controlled. It is not something that you can just go and leaf through. So they had some concerns and limitations and we decided that it is much more important to keep them both together, even though we are off the beaten track—we are a little bit north of Boys Town. We wanted everything under one roof so folks who do come here for research purposes do not have to go to two places.

____

Gerber/Hart Library is located at 1127 W. Granville Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60660-2012, (773) 381-8030, www.gerberhart.org, e-mail info@gerberhart.org . Hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays 6-9 p.m., Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays noon-4 p.m. (Use of the archives and collections is by appointment only.)

Gerber/Hart Library will celebrate Henry Gerber's 111th birthday Saturday, June 28 with cake, punch and other sweet treats. The event begins at noon and continues until 4 p.m. A drawing for a free membership to Gerber/Hart will be held.

Members of the Gerber/Hart contingent participating in that afternoon's Dyke March will cut the cake before leaving for the march as a group at 1 p.m.

Henry Gerber was born June 29, 1892 in Bavaria, Germany. He immigrated to this country in 1913 and, in 1924, formed the Society for Human Rights, the first documented homosexual emancipation organization in the United States. In 2001, the city of Chicago declared the home in which Gerber resided when he formed the Society, 1710 N. Crilly Ct., a landmark. A plaque embedded in the sidewalk in front of the home was unveiled in June 2002.

A short segment on Gerber from the 1997 video Out of the Past: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Rights in America will be screened throughout the day.

Gerber/Hart, working with Friends of the Arts, New Town Writers, and others, has begun plans for a Spectacular Spectacular in September. Call (773) 381-8030


This article shared 3279 times since Wed Jun 25, 2003
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

SHOWBIZ Warhol, Sarah Paulson, upcoming books, Rufus Wainwright, Elliot Page
2023-05-26
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled seven to two that the late artist Andy Warhol wasn't allowed to use a photographer's portrait of Prince for a series of pop-art images, per The Hollywood Reporter. Associate Justice Sonia ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Google Doodle, drag laureate, Nebraska bill, NYC AIDS Walk
2023-05-26
D.C. poet/activist/journalist Ivy Young passed away at age 75, per a press release. Among other things, Young worked at Chicago's VISTA; the Center for Black Education and Drum and Spear Book Store in D.C.; the ...


Gay News

Sodomy laws repealed in Minnesota and Maryland
2023-05-23
Sodomy laws are no longer on the books in Minnesota and Maryland. According to The Los Angeles Blade, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a public-safety bill into law on May 19 that repeals several anti-LGBTQ+ sections ...


Gay News

CAKE Chicago taking place June 3-4 at Broadway Armory
2023-05-21
After several setbacks, the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) Chicago will take place June 3-4 at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway. The COVID pandemic caused the cancellations of the 2020 and 2021 in-person expos, and ...


Gay News

Hair coming to Skokie Theater June 23 - July 30
2023-05-20
Madkap Productions has announced the cast and creative team for the inaugural show of their 2023-24 season, the rock musical HAIR, with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, and music by Gail MacDermot. ...


Gay News

Illinois middle-school teacher loses job for promoting 'This Book Is Gay'
2023-05-18
Making This Book Is Gay available to her eighth-grade students resulted in Illinois teacher Sarah Bonner being reported to police—and eventually losing her job, according to an item from The Advocate. According to Today.com, Bonner (who ...


Gay News

Writer Sarah Gailey crosses paths with Black Cat for Marvel Voices: Pride #1
2023-05-15
Publishing company Marvel Comics has been showing its true colors, with Marvel Voices: Pride #1 returning in 2023 for its third year in June. The comic book series features a wide range of out and proud ...


Gay News

Gigi Gorgeous Spills The T Guide at Chicago Humanities Festival
2023-05-12
Chicago Humanities Festival has created events that bring artists and audiences together for one-of-a-kind experiences in the Windy City for years—and 2023 will be no different. Programming slated for this year includes LGBTQ+ favorites such such ...


Gay News

Screenwriter Guinevere Turner book launch June 4; book chronicles growing up with infamous Lyman Family cult
2023-05-25
--From a press release - CHICAGO—The book launch of acclaimed screenwriter Guinevere Turner's When the World Didn't End, a memoir of her childhood growing up with the infamous Lyman Family cult, will be held Sunday, June 4, 2-5 p.m. at Whiskey ...


Gay News

Sidetrack drops Anheuser-Busch products after Bud Light controversy
2023-05-05
Sidetrack announced May 4 that it would cease selling Anheuser-Busch products after the beverage giant gave in to an anti-trans backlash following an online Bud Light advertisement featuring trans activist Dylan Mulvaney. In a Facebook post, ...


Gay News

Illinois to become first state to punish book-banning
2023-05-04
Illinois is about to become the first state to punish public institutions that ban books. Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker has said he supports a House bill that would withhold state funding from any of the state's ...


Gay News

LAMMY Awards announce host, presenters, special guests for June 9 event
2023-05-04
--From a press release - New York, NY, May 4, 2023 — Lambda Literary, the nation's premier LGBTQ literary arts organization, announced updates and additions, including host, special guests and more at the upcoming 35th Annual Lambda Literary Awards — aka ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lily Tomlin, Daniel Craig, Lizzo, 'Noah's Arc,' Maurice Jamal, 'Heartstopper'
2023-04-29
Video below - The Peabody Awards announced that Lily Tomlin and Issa Rae will receive honorary awards at the June 11 ceremony, to be held in Los Angeles for the first time in Peabody's 83-year history, per the Hollywood ...


Gay News

White House proclaims 70th anniversary of the 'Lavender Scare'
2023-04-26
On April 25, the White House issued a proclamation noting April 27 as the 70th anniversary of the Lavender Scare, which negatively—and extensively—impacted the LGBTQ+ community. In 1950, the U.S. State Department fired 91 employees because ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Retired Chicago Fire Department district chief, paramedic Pat Ciara
2023-04-25
Retired Chicago Fire Department (CFD) district chief, paramedic and at one time the highest ranking out lesbian in the history of the CFD, Pat Ciara died April 19 of lung cancer in Lake Worth, Florida. She ...


 


Copyright © 2023 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives. Single copies of back issues in print form are
available for $4 per issue, older than one month for $6 if available,
by check to the mailing address listed below.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.
All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transegender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS






Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.