Victor Salvo, executive director of The Legacy Project was the main topic of "A Fireside Chat" at Center on Halsted's Hooper-Leppen Theater on October 1.
On stage, Douglas O'Keeffe, co-producer and host, interviewed Salvo. Joanne Gaddy and Christina Court also produce the Fireside Chats.
"He's worth interviewing," said O'Keeffe. "It's that time. The Legacy Project is so important and with the dedications coming up it was the perfect person for the perfect time."
The dedication ceremony for the seven new plaques being added to the Legacy Walk is on Oct. 11. However, it was time to learn about Salvo's own history, not just the historical faces and stories he has cast in bronze.
Salvo grew up with "Leave It To Beaver" upbringing, except it was Italian and insane. He started the interview telling the 20-person audience of the fun, multi-generational catholic family he grew up in that argued all the time and showed a baby photo that he joked is from "one of the most horrific series of baby pictures ever taken." Italian as his first language, Salvo learned English in Catholic grade school.
He continued his story, recalling his childhood, life in grade school and high school and his induction into his high school's alumni hall of fame, which he further explained he was significant as he was the first person inducted for gay activism in the heart of republican DuPage County.
While talking about school, Salvo described the bullying he endured in grade school and being a star in high school. Emotional as he told the story on stage that evening, in one instance a bully threatened him and the captain of the football team told Salvo he would stand up for him. Salvo reunited with the protective classmate years later at a high school event where he was recognized for gay activism and surprised to be well received.
"I was both flattered and horrified," said Salvo, initially dreading the interview. "The idea of talking for an hour mostly about me was very discomfiting. I was dreading it, honestly. I'm glad I did it. I hope it was interesting to the people there."
Among the other topics, Salvo's interview touched on his family history with a story of his grandmother, his family mottos, his dislike for self-praise, his gay activism through the years, the Legacy Walk and the upcoming additions. Salvo said he forgot to include some pieces during the chat, not out of embarrassment, but due to so many other details and being oddly "discombobulated."
"During the chat, while relating my discovery of Alan Turing and his role in inspiring the creation of the Legacy Walk, I failed to mention that I have attempted suicide three times," Salvo explained. "This is not something I am embarrassed by, or reluctant to discuss. I've mentioned it in the press before. This part of my life was a huge piece of the magnitude of my reaction to Turing's tragic story. I am fortunate to have the love and support of my family and friends for decades since that dark, dark time. A lot of people aren't so lucky."
Throughout the presentation, Salvo flipped through slides featuring photos of himself, family, historical figures and The Legacy Project to illustrate parts of what he was talking about.
"When I was young I was troubled by how little of our history I did not know," said Salvo about the role history plays in his life. "Once I began to explore it, I began to think about how the past relates to the present. Everything is connected. I simply started to pay attention. Today, at my ripe old age, I can see all around us the tentacles of the past in everything we are dealing with now—not just LGBT people, [but] all people. There isn't a thing in today's headlines that cannot be traced back in some way to something that happened—some decision, some election, some person in the past. This is both fascinating and makes me so angry. We are perpetually paying the price for not thinking ahead, for not paying attention to our past. Once you make that connection in your mind, history matters a lot.
When asked about his inspirations, Salvo thinks carefully and has a few names, listing Lori Cannon, Danny Sotomayor, and Art Johnston to start.
"My partner and I are forced to live inside an exploded filing cabinet because of the Legacy Project, so I can certainly relate to the chaos I have been told surrounded Harvey [Milk]," said Salvo lightheartedly. "I would have to say the person who has inspired me the most is 2013 Legacy Inductee Frank Kameny. He went against the prevailing strategy of the Homophile Movement in the 1960s and '70s to almost single-handedly force our movement onto a new course—a course we have been following ever since."
"I am fortunate to have been schooled by some of the smartest, most giving people, in the ways of activism," Salvo said. "It has made my life both difficult at times, but also very rich. I've learned valuable lessons by being engaged with our community and the hundreds of people who do so much, but never get the recognition they deserve. I have always said, 'you cannot lead until you have learned how to follow.' I have followed some of the best. I can only hope my leadership with Legacy stands up to their example.
Salvo's drive in gay activism comes from his desire to make sure the Legacy Project Education Initiative ( LPEI ), which is the underpinning of the Legacy Project, serves as a tool to help combat the ignorance behind bullying and LGBT youth despair and self-esteem issues. Drawing on his own life, it is the events that triggered his first suicide attempt as a teenager.
"My entire life has become devoted to combating those forces that made me feel my life was forfeit from the get-go," said Salvo. "If our work can give even one kid hope and perspective, it is all worth it."
