Vernita Gray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vernita Gray
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Vernita Gray, 2006 by Matt Simonette
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Vernita M. Gray
December 8, 1948 |
| Died | March 18, 2014 (aged 65) Chicago, Illinois
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia College Chicago |
| Occupation | Activist for fairness, writer, restaurant owner |
| Years active | 1969–2014 |
| Movement | LGBT Rights, Women's Rights |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Ewert (married 27 November 2013) |
| Partner(s) | Patricia Ewert (2009) |
| Awards | Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame 1992, Stonewall Award 1998 |
Vernita Gray (December 8, 1948 – March 18, 2014) was an African-American activist from Chicago. She worked for fairness and equal rights for women and the LGBT community. She started her writing career by publishing in a newsletter called Lavender Woman. Later, she owned her own restaurant for almost ten years. After that, Gray became a helper for the LGBT community in the Cook County State's Attorney's office. In 2013, she and her partner became the first couple of the same gender to legally marry in Illinois.
Contents
Early Life and Activism
Vernita M. Gray was born on December 8, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother was Fran Gray Hairston. While Vernita was in high school, Martin Luther King Jr. moved nearby. He started organizing protests for civil rights. Gray joined the civil rights movement when a friend suggested they take part.
After high school, Gray went to Columbia College Chicago. She studied communications and creative writing. In the summer of 1969, Gray went to the Woodstock music festival with her friend, Michal Brody. There, Brody found a brochure about the Stonewall riots. This event made them decide to get involved in the gay liberation movement when they returned to Chicago.
Starting Her Career
After Woodstock, Vernita Gray and her friends became very active.
Founding Groups and Helping Others
When they returned to Chicago, Michal Brody and Henry Weimhoff started the Chicago Gay Alliance. At the same time, Gray, Brody, E. Kitch Childs, and Margaret E. Sloan helped create the Women's Caucus of the CGA. This group included people of different races from the start.
The Women's Caucus later changed its name to Chicago Lesbian Liberation (CLL). They separated from the CGA because they felt the main group was not focusing enough on issues for women and people of color. Gray also set up a support hotline for LGBT people. It was called FBI-LIST (324–5478) and she ran it from her apartment. Her apartment often became a temporary home for young LGBT people who needed a safe place. Eventually, she had to move to get her privacy back.
In 1970, she traveled across the country with a group of gay men. In 1972, she went to France. After visiting Paris, she went to the Taizé monastery. There, she helped by answering letters. On her way back to Paris, Gray met the famous writer James Baldwin. These trips made her believe even more strongly in working for social change.
Writing and Community Work
The CLL group started a newspaper called Lavender Woman. They also held meetings to help people understand their experiences better. They took part in direct actions, which are protests or demonstrations. Gray was very involved. She helped organize the 1970 Pride March in Chicago and wrote for the Lavender Woman newspaper.
The CLL's weekly meetings were called "Monday Night Meetings." After the meetings, people would go to King's Ransom pub. This pub was popular because it was in a central location and welcomed their mixed-race group. The bar owner was happy to have a crowd on a night that was usually slow, so he made it "ladies night." Gray did not believe in separating women's activities completely from men's. She spoke out when a women's center started to exclude anyone who did not agree with this separation.
Other Work and Recognition
Besides her activism, Gray first worked for the telephone company. In the early 1980s, she opened her own restaurant called Sol Sands. She ran it for eight years. In 1986, she published a book of her own poems called Sweet Sixteen. She also performed her poetry at the Mountain Moving Coffeehouse. After closing her restaurant, she ran a company that made audio and visual materials for children for three years. She continued to write for newspapers like Nightlines and Outlines.
In 1992, Gray was honored for her many years of activism. She was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. The next year, she started working for the Cook County State's Attorney's office. She helped people and families who were victims of violence or hate crimes, especially those from the LGBT community. In 1993, she was part of a legal case with Lambda Legal. This case helped ensure that all people, including gay and lesbian individuals, had the right to participate in public parades.
In 1995, Gray was diagnosed with breast cancer. After treatment, her cancer went away for a time. In 1998, she received the Stonewall Award for her work. This award is given to LGBT activists who improve their communities.
Later Years and Important Changes
In 1999, Gray was promoted in the State's Attorney's Office. She became a special helper for the LGBT community. She attended community events and gave educational programs on television. She helped victims of crime and families of murdered LGBT people. She also taught in schools about hate crimes.
In 2003, Gray's cancer returned. She chose to have a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. When Barack Obama became president, Gray was invited to the White House in 2009. She went again when the president signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. She had supported this law for many years.
Gray met Patricia Ewert through her work, and they became engaged in 2009. They had a civil ceremony in Illinois in 2011. That same year, Gray retired after 18 years of service, and her cancer returned. In 2013, they actively campaigned for same-sex marriage in Illinois. This was despite Gray's cancer spreading to her brain.
When the bill to allow same-sex marriage passed in November, it said couples could not marry until the following June. However, Lambda Legal filed a case on November 22, asking for Gray and Ewert to be allowed to marry sooner. Within days, a judge granted their request. Vernita Gray and Patricia Ewert became the first couple of the same gender to legally marry in Illinois. They were married on November 27, 2013.
Death and Legacy
Vernita Gray passed away on March 18, 2014, from cancer at her home in Chicago. The Illinois General Assembly recognized her activism after her death. In the same year, a book about her life was published. It was called Vernita Gray: from Woodstock to the White House and was written by Tracy Baim and Owen Keehnen.
