Welcome to another episode of The Monumental Project on behalf of the Monuments Toolkit! In honor of Pride Month, we decided to look at an incredible monument collection that does an amazing job championing the LGBTQ+ community. The monuments in question? None other than The Legacy Walk in Chicago, Illinois.
The LGBTQ+ community has made great strides in the past few decades in the field of public art representation. One notable example of public art representing the gay community is the iconic Stonewall National Monument in New York City. Erected in 2016, the monument commemorates the historic Stonewall uprising of 1969, a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The monument, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, serves as a symbol of resilience and marks the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. It stands as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and the importance of safe spaces for all individuals to express their authentic selves. This monument, as well as other public art installations like the AIDS Memorial Quilt, have provided the LGBTQ+ community with positive reminders that their history and identity is respected.
Today we are focusing on the Legacy Walk in Chicago Illinois, another monument collection that does an amazing job highlighting the impacts of exceptional LGBTQ+ individuals. Public art plays a significant role in shaping our cities, fostering inclusivity, and most importantly highlighting diverse narratives. This is the biggest reason why controversial monuments are an issue; their presence upholds a niche and outdated narrative. The work of the Monuments Toolkit often focuses on controversial monuments that have glorified specific pieces of history, but we also love to draw attention to what we call Monuments of Upliftment. Monuments that are, in our eyes, correctly using the power of statues and monuments to support amazing organizations, histories and cultures. The Legacy Walk is a great example of this.
The Legacy Walk is a dynamic outdoor history display in Chicago's "Lakeview" neighborhood, also known nationally and globally as "Boystown." Ten pairs of 25 feet tall ornate steel "Rainbow Pylons" indicate the nexus of Chicago's LGBTQ community along the half-mile North Halsted Street Corridor, between Belmont Avenue and Grace Street.
A series of bronze biographical memorial markers affixed to the pylons commemorate the life and work of notable LGBTQ individuals whose achievements have helped shape the world - but whose contributions, sexual orientation, or gender identity have been overlooked, minimized, or completely redacted from most historical texts.
The installation is amazing for many reasons, which is why it became a national landmark in 2019 and the only outdoor LGBTQ history museum in the world. To speak to the history and creation of this monument, The Monumental Project spoke to Victor Salvo.
Victor Salvo is the creator, co-founder and executive director of the Legacy Project, the program responsible for the Legacy Walk. A native Chicagoan, Victor Salvo has been an activist for four decades. As co-founder and executive director of the award-winning“Legacy Project,” Victor works to educate the general public about the many roles that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people have played in the advancement of world history and culture.
We sat down with Victor to speak on Chicago's LGBTQ history, the inspiration behind this collection, and how it's already impacted the lives of so many people.