They regularly surveilled and harassed the gay community in Chicago for decades. Sadly, the Society for Human Rights was shut down only a few months after its founding due to a raid by the Chicago Police. So even being a subscriber could have led to arrest. The Comstock Act made it Federal crime to receive “obscene” material through the U.S. Even members of society were afraid to subscribe to its newsletter, Friendship and Freedom. The membership never mustered more than a few gay and bisexual men. Gerber was inspired by similar organizations in his native Germany and aimed to promote legal relief and social understanding for the gay community. Named the Society for Human Rights, it was founded by a German emigre named Henry Gerber in 1924.
To be honest, I was blown away to discover that the first widely-recognized American gay rights organization was based in Chicago. The First American Gay Rights Organization Was Started in Chicago The Chicago Pride Parade is one of Chicago’s biggest parties.
