Women of All Cultures Together ( WACT ) celebrated its 20th anniversary with a big potluck event at the Chicago Theological Seminary on May 3.
"It is about women of all cultures coming together just to have a brunch and eat," said Rita Adair, WACT liaison on the event committee. "There's no agenda, no affiliation to any religion or organization, there not budget, there's nothing. It's just women coming together to mingle and network and have good food and it's lasted for 20 years."
Launched in 1994, WACT is a potluck brunch and social-support organization for all lesbians and bisexual women. Modeled after Men of All Cultures Together ( MACT ), Merilee Snyder, Evette Cordona, Phyllis Johnson and Claire Huang came together with a vision to provide a social venue for women who did not want to meet at bars.
"What we were looking for was a way to break the color line," said Johnson. "First off, a lot of lesbians, their social scenes were based in the bar and we didn't want to do that and we wanted to have a way for white women and Black women, Asian women and Latina women, to come together and just be."
Johnson hosted the inaugural brunch in May 1994, welcoming 10 attendees.
Remembering she brought the lemonade and first salad to the first brunch, she said each meeting held the first Sunday of each month maintains the original mission and a laid-back, social setting.
"I think about how they've lasted for 20 years and maybe it is because there's no agenda and no affiliation," said Adair who has been a liaison for a year and coming to WACT for four years since coming from Wisconsin. "It just exists, so there's no arguments or anything."
The party had over 60 people to enjoy networking and tables of food. A history of WACT was presented and guest speakers Cordona, Johnson and Melvyna Gaynor were honored with awards as well as Affinity Community Services, who has served as a WACT sponsor over the years.
Lucy Shumpert, the event Emcee, provided the event introduction Sandra Peterson said a prayer. DJ Doris played the music during the celebration, while Hakeema and Keema's Kickin' Crew led the line dancing instruction toward the last few hours.
"I'm really happy about it," said Johnson of the 20th anniversary. "I think it feels a little too Chicago, but this brunch maybe is going to bring back that Latina, white girl, Black girl, Asian girl mix. That makes me very happy. I hope to come to the 30th. I like this event because it was very diverse. We had women from all over the city and women from all different cultures together."
More information on WACT is at www.facebook.com/events/1424956277761473 .
