The Henry Gerber Streetscape Dedication Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 2 to 2:30 p.m. at 3311 N. Halsted St. A Legacy Walk Reception will follow from 3 to 5 p.m. at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted. Tickets to the reception are $25 and include one drink ticket and a light buffet, with proceeds benefiting the Legacy Project’s educational programs. The ceremony is free and open to the public.
“When it comes to selfless, courageous, determined, and visionary Chicago LGBTQ activists, it is upon Henry Gerber’s shoulders we all stand,” said Victor Salvo, Legacy Project Co-Founder. “Gerber sacrificed everything to create The Society for Human Rights in 1924. His job. His family. His name. And he went to prison for doing so 100 years ago. Honoring Henry Gerber is long overdue."
Born in Bavaria in 1892, Gerber immigrated to the United States as a teenager and eventually settled in Chicago. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and was stationed in Germany after the war, where he learned about the early gay rights movement led by Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld and the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee in Berlin. Inspired by what he saw, Gerber returned to Chicago determined to bring similar advocacy to America.
In 1924, Gerber founded The Society for Human Rights out of his apartment at 1710 N. Crilly Ct. in the Old Town neighborhood. It was the first legally chartered LGBTQ rights organization in the United States. The group published a newsletter called Friendship and Freedom, which became the first known gay publication in the country.
Only a year later, in 1925, Gerber’s apartment was raided by police. He was arrested, his papers were confiscated, and his name was publicly shamed in local newspapers. The charges were eventually dropped, but the damage was done. Gerber lost his job with the U.S. Post Office and lived the rest of his life under the weight of that persecution.
Despite this, Gerber never stopped writing and advocating. He moved to New York City and continued to publish essays promoting tolerance, equality, and understanding. His courage and ideals paved the way for later movements, including the Mattachine Society, the Daughters of Bilitis, and the broader LGBTQ rights struggle that followed in the 20th century.
Gerber’s name also lives on through Chicago’s Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, the largest LGBTQ library and archive in the Midwest. Named for Henry Gerber and attorney and activist Pearl M. Hart, the institution continues the work he began by preserving LGBTQ history, advancing knowledge, and celebrating those who refused to remain invisible.
In 2015, the federal government recognized the historical significance of Gerber’s home. The Henry Gerber House at 1710 N. Crilly Ct. was designated a National Historic Landmark, becoming one of the few sites in the United States to receive that honor specifically for its connection to LGBTQ history. The home stands as a quiet yet powerful reminder of the birth of organized gay rights activism in America.
The Legacy Project’s induction of Henry Gerber ensures that his life and sacrifice will be remembered where Chicago’s LGBTQ community continues to thrive today along N. Halsted St.
Tickets for the reception are available at: Eventbrite link.
Event Details
What: Henry Gerber Legacy Walk Dedication
When: Saturday, October 11, 2025 – 2 to 2:30 p.m. Ceremony, 3 to 5 p.m. Reception
Where: 3311 N. Halsted (Ceremony), 3349 N. Halsted at Sidetrack (Reception)
Admission: Free ceremony; $25 reception (21+ only)