In Remembrance of Charlotte Newfeld

Floor Speech

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Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of LGBTQ activist, community leader and friend, Charlotte Newfeld.

Since the early 1970s, Charlotte was a fierce advocate for the gay and lesbian community in Chicago. I first had the pleasure of working with Charlotte during the No Lights at Wrigley campaign in the 1980s. In that time, I was witness to the commitment she had to working for the community. We both served on the Lakeview Citizens Council where she taught me the importance of putting the local community above all else.

Her contributions have included advocating for the appointment of a mayoral liaison and her active lobbying to secure passage of Chicago's human rights ordinance, which prohibits discrimination because of sexual orientation. She lived in Lakeview for nearly 60 years, and in that time, worked to improve education, open spaces, neighborhood protections and AIDS awareness in the area.

Charlotte was a true trailblazer and will be dearly missed, but the impact she had on Chicago and on the LGBTQ community, will be felt for generations to come. I am thinking of her family, particularly her daughter Julie, during this time.

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