Fri. January 23, 2026
CHICAGO, ILL. -
When Mayor Brandon Johnson officially appointed Antonio King as the City of Chicago’s first Director of LGBTQ Affairs on Jan. 22, it was more than a nice gesture. It was a major shift in how our city works.
By creating this new role, Chicago is now the largest city in the country to have a full-time, executive position focused on LGBTQ equity. King is a 2024 Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inductee and a longtime expert from the Chicago Department of Public Health. He is not just a liaison; he is a director with the power to make sure our community is considered in every big decision at City Hall.
The main part of King’s new job is creating a citywide LGBTQ policy plan. This means he will work with every city department, like housing and business affairs, to make sure city services actually work for us. For queer business owners in Boystown or Andersonville, King is now a direct link to the Mayor’s Office, ensuring they get the support they need.
King has made it clear that his work will cover many different areas. He is focusing on safety and better services for our transgender and nonbinary neighbors, who still face too much violence and unfair treatment. He is also looking out for our youth in schools and our seniors who need welcoming places to live as they age.
In his past work, King was a trailblazer as the first gay Black man to be a health liaison for the city. He spent years working on HIV/AIDS education and helped start the Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus. He knows that our community is not all the same and that people face different challenges depending on their race or age.
This new office also acts as a shield. With LGBTQ rights being challenged across the country, Chicago is showing it will remain a safe place. Moving this work from a volunteer group to a full-time office means our rights are a permanent part of the city’s mission, not just something discussed during an election.
King often says he is building on the work of the leaders who came before him. Now, he has the authority to take that work further. We finally have a seat at the table where the budget is decided and the rules are made. This is a big win for visibility, but it is an even bigger win for making sure the city stays accountable to all of us.
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