Pictures of GLBVA / AVER
Chicagoland, USA
In 1993 President Clinton said he intended to change the policy regarding "gays in the military." That did not go so s'well. I joined what was then called the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Veterans of America. Jim Darby was the Chicago chapter founder of the group, which had originally been initiated by Mariam Ben-Shalom of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That began a trek that continues to this day. (I was going to say "oddesey," but I don't know how to spell it yet.) Later GLBVA changed its name to American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER). Here's a few of my pictures --
Let's Go AVER, Here We Go . . .
We Won - Military Victory !
The 1999 Chicago GLBT Pride ParadeThis is a photo taken just before the parade started. |
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The 1999 Chicago GLBT Pride ParadeThis is a photo taken just before the parade started. |
The 1999 Chicago GLBT Pride ParadeThis is a photo taken at the beginning of the parade. My buddy Chris Grimes, while not himself a veteran, was always willing to pitch in and help. He is the flag bearer in the middle/front. His hair is blonder than normal, if you know him and were wondering. |
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The 1999 Chicago GLBT Pride ParadeThis photo be us veterans in the actual parade. |
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The 1999 Chicago GLBT Pride ParadeThis is a photo taken after the parade. George Busse, our World War II Navy Veteran, who was one of those military personnel at Iwo Jima, he is front and center. |
The 1999 Chicago GLBT Pride Post-ParadeThis is a photo taken after the parade. We're in some parking garage by the Lakefront before some of us split up. |
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The 1999 Chicago GLBT Pride Parade Step OffThis photo was from the GLBVA newsletter of August 2000. Actually, I am not sure wherefore this picture showed up in the August newsletter – a year and a month later. Maybe it was because I was leaving town that month. |
After the 1999 Chicago GLBT Pride DayLooks like someone missed his train to Dumbard. In other words, this is in the Northwestern Station. I forget what time I got home; maybe I just went back to the University. Then again, I could just be goofin' off; it wouldn't be too far-fetched. Actually, I'm not sure if this was from that day or not. But it was on that roll of film. Anyway, we shall see these shoes again a couple of years in the future - in Reno. |
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The cover of the GLBVA newsletter of August 2000.My jaw dropped when I saw this newsletter cover. I was moving to Las Vegas that month. I stayed on as a member of GLBVA/Chicago even after I had moved. How could I not? I thought of starting a chapter in "Battle Born" Nevada, but I never actually got that done. |
