CHICAGO — Lora Branch of Gilead Sciences Inc., Mo Green of the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney, and Jeffery Pub will be honored at the opening ceremonies of Fahrenheit Chicago.
The reception will celebrate the beginning of the Fahrenheit Chicago weekend, which culminates with the LGBTQ Beach Party the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 26, at Oakwood Beach, 4100 S. Lake Shore Drive. Friday’s reception includes music by Sean Parks and other entertainment. Sponsors of the reception include Howard Brown Health, MillerCoors, and Breakthru Beverage. Fahrenheit Chicago events run throughout the weekend of Aug. 24-26. For a complete schedule, visit www.equalityillinois.org/fahrenheitchicago2018/.
“Equality Illinois is excited to honor Lora Branch, Mo Green, and the Jeffery Pub during Fahrenheit Chicago. They are creating a powerfully positive impact in communities of color in Chicago,” said Anthony Galloway, director of civic engagement at Equality Illinois, in a press release. “Lora, Mo, and the Jeffery Pub work hard to ensure community voices are heard and to foster much-needed safe spaces, visibility, and understanding. They are symbols of Fahrenheit Chicago’s values.”
Lora Branch oversees HIV and Hepatitis C screening programs in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for Gilead Sciences, Inc. and manages Gilead’s collaborative partnership with the NAACP to implement a national program known as the Black Church and HIV Social Justice Initiative. Previously, Branch worked with the Chicago Department of Public Health, where she led program operations for HIV prevention, care, housing, capacity building, and STI/HIV specialty clinics. Branch was also the Bureau Chief for the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Office of LGBT Health. Lora is also a well-known house and dance music DJ and has been featured in several documentaries as she holds the distinction of being the first female DJ in Chicago’s historic House Music scene.
Mo Green is Director of Community Engagement at the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney. He previously served as Senior Community Outreach Coordinator for U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth. He also served as Deputy Political Director for the Tammy Duckworth campaign for the U.S. Senate. Additionally, Green was the Regional Field Director for U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s 2014 re-election campaign and the Campaign Manager and Political Consultant at New Chicago Consulting, LLC, where he managed and advised on several aldermanic races.
Jeffery Pub is an institution for Black LGBTQ culture in Chicago and is believed to be one of the oldest Black LGBTQ bars in the country. Welcoming a diverse clientele, this nightclub-focused spot has served as a safe gathering space for the South Shore LGBTQ community since the 1960s.
Lynne Perryman, a member of the Equality Illinois Institute’s board of directors, and Channyn Lynne Parker, youth Development manager at Howard Brown Health, will emcee the reception. The festivities will begin with a ribbon cutting by organizers and Lamont J. Robinson, Democratic candidate for state representative of the Fifth House district. Robinson is a local business leader in the LGBTQ community and the first LGBTQ person of color to be nominated by a major party for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly.