Out the Archives: Revisiting the March 1997 BLACKlines Issue and LGBTQ+ Chicago History
Explore Windy City Times' 'Out the Archives' as we revisit the March 1997 BLACKlines issue, spotlighting Carol Moseley-Braun and LGBTQ+ Chicago history.
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Out the Archives is a recurring feature that mines the Windy City Times collection to illuminate the layered history of LGBTQ+ Chicago. Each installment brings readers back to pivotal moments, voices and publications that shaped the city’s queer communities. In this edition we revisit the March 1997 issue of BLACKlines, a publication that captured conversations at the intersection of race, politics and identity.
The March 1997 BLACKlines issue highlighted national and local developments relevant to Black communities and allies. One notable figure from that era is Carol Moseley-Braun, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992 and became the first African-American woman to serve in that body. Her election and public service are emblematic of broader changes in representation during the 1990s — changes that also resonated in Chicago’s Black and LGBTQ+ neighborhoods. Revisiting coverage from BLACKlines offers context about how political milestones were discussed alongside community concerns, activism and cultural life.
Why do these archives matter to LGBTQ+ Chicago history? Archival issues like BLACKlines preserve the conversations that mainstream narratives often miss: the ways race, gender and sexual orientation overlapped in organizing, policy debates and everyday life. Windy City Times’ Out the Archives draws attention to primary sources, profiles and reporting that show how local activists and leaders navigated alliances, tensions and triumphs. For historians, journalists and community members, these pieces are vital for understanding how Chicago’s LGBTQ+ movement evolved within a multiethnic urban landscape.
Exploring the Windy City Times collection and back issues of BLACKlines is more than nostalgia — it’s research, remembrance and reclamation. Whether you’re studying LGBTQ+ Chicago history, researching political representation in the 1990s, or simply curious about the city’s cultural memory, Out the Archives offers a gateway. Check the Windy City Times archive to read original reporting, discover overlooked stories, and deepen your appreciation of the people and events that helped shape modern Chicago’s queer and Black communities.
Published on: March 25, 2026, 6:11 am
