Chicago’s LGBTQ+ library is a space for people to ‘find themselves in the shelves’
Early LGBTQ+ history can be hard to find. Photos, letters, literature and other artifacts have been destroyed or hidden away, in acts of homophobia, out of a fear of repercussions, and even by witting and unwitting family members.
“I think a lot of LGBTQ people, when they were passing away, their materials were being destroyed by family members that didn't understand them,” said Jen Dentel, the community outreach and strategic partnerships manager at Gerber/Hart, a large LGBTQ+ library and archive in Chicago. “And so having a space by us, for us, where we would collect and preserve the history became really important.”
As we learned in our last episode, some queer women boldly operated sapphic establishments in Chicago during the 1920s and ‘30s. However, there was very little written about these places. Often, the only evidence of their existence came in the form of old newspaper articles reporting on the sudden closure of these businesses at the hands of Chicago police.
In this episode, Dentel and Erin Bell, Gerber/Hart’s operations director, take us on a tour of this LGBTQ+ library and archive. They uncover archival treasures of the past, reveal unexpected moments in local gay history and explain the mission of the archive: to preserve queer history as a means of achieving justice and equality.
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Where are the girls? A look at early lesbian nightlife in Chicago
It’s not hard to find the LGBTQ+ hangouts in Chicago these days, but at one point it was. There’s a history of lesbian nightlife that goes back more than 100 years.
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Yes, people really do win pledge drive giveaways at WBEZ
One Curious City listener was skeptical about whether real people actually win WBEZ’s pledge drive giveaways. They do. But there’s a little more to that answer. Plus, an economist who studies fundraising explains why people give money during pledge drives in the first place.
This episode was originally published on March 3, 2022.
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Do people actually donate cars to public radio?
An on-air spot soliciting car donations is a fixture of public radio, but do people actually donate? Yes, about 50 cars are donated a month.
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There’s nature in Chicago. Go bathe in it.
“Forest bathing” is the exceptionally simple Japanese practice of taking a walk — or a seat — in the woods.
Why? For your health, of course!
In our last episode, we learned about Chicago’s urban forest — including the $416 million in benefits all those trees provide, in terms of energy cost savings, stormwater mitigation and air purification. Today, we’re taking advantage of that urban forest by taking a bath in it. (And no, there is no soap or water required.)
Our guide is the co-founder of The Spiritual Guidance Training Institute, Jeanette Banashak, who’s also a faculty member at Erikson Institute downtown.
Banashak has been leading forest bathing and nature companionship experiences for four years. She took Curious City to the Jarvis Bird Sanctuary on the North Side for what she called “a playful, slow, mindful, joyful walk [and] sit in the natural world.”
The goal of forest bathing is to disconnect from urban life, de-stress and connect with nature. Banashak said the practice is rife with health benefits, from lowering blood pressure to improving immune function and calming your parasympathetic nervous system. And although the practice does not require a guide, Banashak has a dream of training facilitators of these experiences to offer weekly sessions, year-round, on every side of the city.
Lucky for us, Chicago has plenty of parks, bird sanctuaries, and natural spaces in which you can forest bathe. So join us. All you need to do is make the time and press play.
Brasil