About
Partners in Dignity
Your support at this event directly empowers Brave Space Alliance to sustain and expand our essential work rooted in our pillars of dignity: Health, Housing, Food, Identity—and a special pillar, Advocacy. Each pillar represents a critical area of focus:
• Health: Providing affirming and culturally competent healthcare services.
• Housing: Ensuring stable and affirming housing for community members facing vulnerability.
• Food: Combating food insecurity through nutritious and culturally inclusive food options.
• Identity: Empowering individuals through affirming programs, self-expression, and community resilience.
• Advocacy: Our special pillar, passionately fighting for your rights, because we all deserve dignified lives.
Your participation helps strengthen these vital pillars, ensuring they remain impactful and sustainable.
Join us for the Partners in Dignity Soiree—Brave Space Alliance's inaugural annual fundraiser and awards celebration! Emceed by the incomparable Kim L. Hunt and Roderick K. Hawkins, this memorable evening will feature good food, drinks, and inspiration during a fireside chat between CEO Channyn Lynne Parker and Tracy Baim, founder and editor of Windy City Times and Founding Board Member. Hear firsthand about the incredible journey of Brave Space Alliance, including the lessons learned, our current progress, and our vision for a brave new future.
Together, we'll honor extraordinary individuals who've helped make our achievements possible, including our Partners in Dignity Awardees Angela Barnes and Renauda Riddle, our Community Partner, Life is Work, and our Corporate Partner, Ferrara.
Raise a glass with us as we toast to resilience, unity, and the exciting future we're building together!
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History
The Partners in Dignity Soiree came about as a successor to "A Brave New Year"—a celebration in May of 2024 that marked the one year anniversary Brave Space Alliance's new leadership, and saw the first Partners in Dignity Award.
Meet The Emcees
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Kim L. Hunt
BSA board emeritus, Kim L. Hunt, Vice President, Special Projects & Innovation, Policy and Advocacy at AFC and Executive Director of Pride Action Tank, is a 2016 Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inductee. We're excited to have her contagious, positive energy guide us through the evening.
Roderick K. Hawkins
Roderick K. Hawkins is a celebrated community advocate and the Associate Dean of External Affairs at Northwestern University’s School of Communication. His signature charisma and sharp insight will bring energy and warmth to the evening. We’re thrilled to have him keep the momentum high and inspire generosity throughout the night.
Key Moment Spotlight
Join us for a Fireside Chat
Channyn Lynne Parker
Brave Space Alliance CEO
Tracy Baim
Brave Space Alliance Founding Board Member and Board Emeritus
Tracy Baim, Executive Director of Press Forward Chicago, co-founded Windy City Times and published the Chicago Reader. A trailblazer in media and advocacy, Tracy has earned Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Chicago Headline Club and Chicago Journalists Association, and induction into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. She authored or edited 14 books, including a biography of Howard Brown Health. Tracy is a founding board member, with us for six years, including a term as board chair, and brings invaluable insight to our fireside chat.
Thank You To Our Sponsors
COMPANIONS IN DIGNITY
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Greg Harris
Host Committee
Katie Metos
Mary Morten
Chaundre White
Renauda Riddle
Kim Foxx
Roderick K. Hawkins
Jamie Frazier
Eric Wilkerson
Terrence Chappell
Joli Robinson
Maliyah Arnold
Dr. Keith R. Green
Becky Carroll
Brecken Cutler
Kelly Suzanne Saulsberry
Aisha N. Davis
Terra Campbell
Ken Mejia Beal
Kim L. Hunt
Tracy Baim
Dr. Travis Gayles
Commissioner Precious Brady Davis
Myles Brady Davis
Zahara Bassett
Kylon Hooks
Kevin Pleasant
Asher McMaher
Megan Solis
Become a PIDS Sponsor and Host
We invite you to join us as a Partners in Dignity Sponsor and/or member of our host committee!
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Taking on either of these roles will allow you the opportunity to deepen your impact at Brave Space Alliance. In addition to a variety of programming and visibility incentives, sponsors and host committee members will receive an invite to a pre-event cocktail hour where they can engage with the Brave Space Team and other key allies of our organization one-on-one.
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Partners In Dignity Awardees
Nonprofit Partner In Dignity
Life is Work
Life Is Work is a trans-led organization dedicated to serving Chicago's TLGBQ+ communities by educating, empowering, and organizing individuals from diverse backgrounds to secure safety, wellness, and justice. They envision a world where Chicago's TLGBQ+ people have the resources and support needed to thrive authentically in safe, stable environments.
Individual Partners In Dignity
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Renauda Riddle & Angela Barnes
Not only have Renauda and Angela built an inclusive queer bar at Nobody's Darling, keeping the tradition of women-centered bars alive while welcoming trans and LGBTQ+ patrons, their work as community leaders has been instrumental in supporting both Brave Space and the broader Chicagoland LGBTQ+ community at large.
Corporate Partner In Dignity
Ferrara Candy Company
Ferrara has proven its commitment as a company to inclusivity and diversity. Through years of partnership with Brave Space Alliance and other LGBTQ+ organizations, they have donated food, clothing, candy, volunteer time, and funds to support our community from all sides. Their partnership sustains our work and honors our community.
About the Awards
Recognizing sustained and impactful allyship
The Partners in Dignity Awards recognize those who have demonstrated meaningful, sustained, and impactful allyship to the Black and brown trans and LGBQ+ communities in Chicago. Each award category honors a distinct type of partnership with Brave Space Alliance:
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Corporate Partner in Dignity Award: Recognizes a company that has significantly supported our mission and the communities we serve
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Individual/Personal Partner in Dignity Award: Honors an individual or couple who has been a consistent and visible ally
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Nonprofit Partner in Dignity Award: Celebrates a nonprofit organization whose actions and initiatives have furthered the rights, dignity, and well-being of Black and brown trans and LGBQ+ individuals
