Howard Brown Health to Honor the Legacy of the Lesbian Community Cancer Project
(September 18, 2024 – Chicago, IL) – Howard Brown Health is proud to announce the upcoming installation of a tribute wall honoring the legacy of the Lesbian Community Cancer Project (LCCP), a pioneering organization that provided critical support, care, and advocacy for women with cancer and their families of choice. The tribute wall will be unveiled in late Spring 2025 at the Howard Brown Health Halsted Clinic, located at 3501 N Halsted, on the clinic’s third floor.
Founded in 1990, LCCP was born out of a profound need for specialized care and a sense of community for lesbians facing cancer. The organization provided peer support groups, direct services, and emotional care during a time when lesbians and other members of the LGBTQ+ community often faced unique challenges in healthcare settings. In 2007, LCCP merged with Howard Brown Health to continue providing care for women and other members of the community, ensuring that their health needs would be addressed with dignity and understanding.
This tribute wall will serve as a lasting memorial to the groundbreaking work of LCCP and will offer a meaningful way for community members and supporters to honor loved ones or recognize their participation in the movement for healthcare equality. Contributions of $500 or more will ensure that both the donor’s name and the name of their honoree are included on the donor wall. For all donations, regardless of size, donors and honorees will be recognized in Howard Brown Health’s 2025 annual report and on a dedicated webpage honoring LCCP. Gifts can be made at donate.howardbrown.org/lccp
“LCCP was so important to us finding community together,” said Tracy Baim, a lead supporter for the wall project. “When it started at the Women’s Gym, LCCP was a space to support one another through grief and loss and celebrate when we beat cancer. It’s important that we remember and name the people who helped build that supportive community.”
In addition to commemorating LCCP’s legacy, the tribute wall will highlight the broader contributions of lesbians to the LGBTQ+ community’s health and well-being.
“Lesbians have always been a backbone of the Queer community,” said Katie Metos, Vice President of External Relations at Howard Brown. “Honoring LCCP at Howard Brown Health Halsted gives us an opportunity to look back on some of the lesbians who were instrumental in helping our community age.”
The tribute wall will be in the waiting area on the third floor of the Halsted Clinic, a fitting location reflecting on LCCP’s mission of community-based support and care. It will serve as both a reminder of the past and an inspiration for continued work in addressing healthcare disparities in the LGBTQ+ community.
Howard Brown Health invites supporters, community members, and advocates to contribute to the tribute wall project. This initiative not only honors those who have made a difference in the fight against cancer but also ensures that the spirit of LCCP continues to inspire future generations.
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Rooted in LGBTQ+ liberation, Howard Brown Health provides affirming healthcare and mobilizes for social justice as an agent of change for individual wellbeing and community empowerment. Howard Brown envisions a future where healthcare and transformative social policies actualize human rights and equity for all. Howard Brown offers primary care, behavioral health, and social services at 10 clinics across the city, regardless of ability to pay.
Media Inquiries:
Wren O’Kelley, Associate Director of Communications and Marketing
mediainquiries@howardbrown.org
872.269.3411