CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A crowd of dozens gathered in Northalsted as a small rainbow flag was pulled from a 25-foot decorative steel pylon. It unveiled a bronze plate recognizing Dr. Alan Hart, one of three 2022 dedications to the Legacy Walk.
“As a child, Alan L. Hart, who was assigned female at birth, was allowed to dress and live as a boy, with both parents really supporting his gender expression,” said Victor Salvo, with the Legacy Project.
Saturday marked the 10th anniversary dedication of the Legacy Walk, an outdoor LGBTQ+ history exhibit thought to be the only one of its kind. Each bronze marker commemorates the life and work of notable individuals of the LGBTQ+ community.
Due to being outed, Hart had to relocate several times before becoming a prominent figure in the study of tuberculosis.
Hart eventually found that the rapid spread of tuberculosis could be stopped with early detection, and he pioneered the use of X-Ray technology in screening for the disease, decades before other methods were developed.
“As a result, it is thought that millions of lives were saved because of this one man’s commitment,” Salvo said.
The idea for Chicago’s Legacy Walk began in 1987. It would take 25 years before the world’s only outdoor LGBTQ+ history museum was actualized.
“This is the largest collection of bronze, biographical markers anywhere in the world,” Salvo said. “It is also the only — and the largest — queer space, that has ever been declared a historic landmark, and that is extremely important because we, as a community, need a safe space.”
Through highlighting LGBTQ+ accomplishments, Scott Turner, former President of the Imperial Windy City Court of Chicago, said the Legacy Walk’s many biographical representations are important for those who are just coming out, as well as those coming to terms with their sexuality or gender identity.
“I’m of the generation that was the first youth group here in Chicago, Gay Horizons, which eventually became Center on Halsted,” Turner said. “Without that progression, I think our young people would not have had the opportunities that they have now to be out, and proud, and happy, and know that they have our generation — and the ones before us — to support them.”
The Legacy Walk’s education, geared toward visibility and acceptance, isn’t only for younger generations, though.
“Dr. Hart lived his entire life with most people completely unaware he was transgender,” Salvo said. “Even those who have studied his research are still mostly unaware of it.”
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