John Pennycuff

Survey


1) Birthdate:

1964


2) Birthplace:

Chicago, Illinois


3) Date you first mark as getting together with your spouse Robert Castillo:

March 19, 1991 as a couple
October 1, 2003 as domestic partners
February 5, 2004 as husbands. :- )


4) City/state where you live currently:

Live together in Chicago, Illinois


5) Education:

Some college but did not graduate.


6) Career:

Event coordinator


7) Did you serve in the U.S. military?

No


8) How do you describe your sexuality and your gender?

Queer male


9) Do you have children and/or grandchildren?

No


10) If you are GLBT, please describe when you first “knew”:

Discovered attraction to boys while in high school.


11) Who did you first “come out” to and when?

I came out to Robert in 1991 and my friends shortly after. Most were supportive, but I lost one friend, Ron, whom I had known since I was five years old. Guess he couldn't handle my being gay.


12) What troubles did you face as a GLBT person?

I worried about losing close family members and having access to a family members; have had anti-gay graffiti at my work place; and have been verbally assaulted, threatened, etc.


13) If you are not GLBT, describe how you came to be an ally:

If Robert and I weren't queer, we would probably have been allies anyway. :- )


14) Did you have mentors in the Chicago GLBT community?

Robert was my mentor (aaawww!!).


15) Involvement in organizations (GLBT and/or mainstream):

Grace United Methodist Church of Logan Square (lay leader)
Logan’s Queer News (co-founder)
Queer Nation (volunteer)
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power/ACT UP Chicago (volunteer)
City of Chicago Advisory Council on LGBT Issues (volunteer)
Neighbors for Rey Colon (volunteer)
Unity Park Advisory Council (volunteer)
Emergency Clinic Defense Coalition (volunteer)
Logan Square Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Neighbors (volunteer)
Equal Marriage NOW! (volunteer)
NEIU GLBA (volunteer)
Coalition Against Bashing (volunteer)
Donor to many organizations and campaigns


16) When you were coming out, what were your favorite Chicago GLBT bars?

Bistro Too (late ‘80s-early ‘90s), and Paris Dance (early ‘90s)


17) What were the key issues faced in the GLBT community when you first came out?

HIV/AIDS, anti-gay violence, and discrimination.


18) What issues do you see as key in the GLBT community today?

Couples rights, Don't Ask/Don't Tell, and acceptance of LGBTs of color in their respective communities.


19) How have AIDS and/or other health issues impacted your life personally?

I lost two of my closest friends to health-related issues: Gerardo Montemayor and Ken Pederson.


20) How would you describe the “diversity” within the Chicago GLBT community?

This community has a long way to go before it is truly diverse. It is still pretty segregated based on gender, income, and race.


21) If you consider yourself a “political” activist, how do you define this?

Robert and I have volunteered in political campaigns and have lobbied legislators for various issues – AIDS, gender identity, equal rights, etc. And we also take to the street to protest if we have to.


22) Describe what you feel your personal legacy is to the Chicago GLBT community.

I did what I could with what I had.

Getting married was a high point of our lives!!


23) This project is also about “defining moments.” Please discuss some of those in your life.

Getting married; protesting with Queer Nation; taking Robert to my family reunion; coming out to my family; long-term relationship.


24) Additional comments and memories.

Gerardo Montemayor was a hell of an activist and we miss him!!!!!!!!!!! Kudos to Lisa Pickens and Neena Hemmady and WAC (Women’s Action Coalition) for all their hard work over the years.



Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Community, the book is edited by Tracy Baim and features the contributions of more than 20 prominent historians and journalists. It is published by Surrey Books, an Agate imprint, and is hard cover, 224 pages, 4-color, with nearly 400 photos.
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