Former Illinois State Rep. Greg Harris reflects on work to support LGBTQ+ community
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As we come to the end of Pride Month, we turn our attention to a pioneering lawmaker whose activism and public service began amid the AIDS epidemic.
In more than 16 years in the Illinois House, Greg Harris sponsored legislation that changed the lives of many members of the LGBTQ+ community. Before he became one of the first openly gay lawmakers in Illinois and the first openly gay man to hold a leadership post in the Illinois House, he was also chief of staff to former Chicago Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th).
After more than 30 years in city and state government, Harris is operating on his own schedule these days, after retiring from the Illinois House in January, but service remains at the center of his life.
"It's giving me a chance to work on a lot of different issues that are really important to me, like in the LGBTQ community and working in some health care areas," Harris said.
Among many issues, Harris championed in his long career as a trailblazer. Before he retired early this year, Harris was the Illinois House Majority Leader, the highest-ranking openly gay public official in Illinois history.
"The political world has evolved to a place where they will welcome and accept people who are LGBTQ as elected officials, and part of top leadership, and there was a time where I think that would have been a struggle," Harris said.
It's a struggle Harris knows all too well. As a young man in his native Colorado, Harris was trying to find his place in a challenging environment.
"There was always these two lives — my life as a gay person, and then the life I felt like I was being forced to present to my family, and classmates, and the outside world," He said.
Harris said the two parallel lives made him feel like he was trying to be a "chameleon."
"What do I do to gain acceptance with this group, especially when I sort of deep down, I thought being gay is this horrible secret that I needed to keep," He said.
Perhaps a big city would be welcoming, he thought. So he took a job in Chicago in 1977. Politics then was not on his radar.
"I went to work, I partied at night, and that was fine, until my friends started to get sick and die all around me," He said.
The AIDS epidemic was ravaging the gay community. Harris wanted to serve. He and his friends founded Open Hand Chicago. They cooked and delivered meals for those with AIDS, and provided companionship for many who had been shunned.
"I began to think there's people all over Chicago who don't have these networks or friends, or who are ostracized from their church or their family or whatever, and we need to find a way to help them," he said.
An activist was born. Then Harris himself got some devastating news.
"I was diagnosed with HIV in 1988; full-blown AIDS in 1990," Harris said.
Harris said he thought he'd been given a death sentence at the time.
"Because one of the infections I had, my doctor said 'You should wrap up your affairs because you probably have six months left. People do not recover from this,'" he said.
That was 33 years ago. Harris threw himself into public service. He was the longtime chief of staff then-Ald. Mary Ann Smith in the 48th Ward. In 2006, he was elected to the Illinois House. From the start, the new state representative said marriage equality was his number one priority.
"I introduced a bill when I first got in. So that was 2006. It was seven years of fighting," He said. "Seven years of constant fighting with allies across the state to change the hearts and minds of a enough people to pass marriage equality."
Seven years of pushing led to passage of same sex marriage in Illinois in 2013. Harris was given a standing ovation.
Today, in his personal life, Harris has time to pursue martial arts, and reflect on a career that opened doors and changed laws.
When asked how he wants to be remembered for his time in state and city government, he said, "as somebody who went and in tried to help some other people."
Harris said as he stays active, and encourages young people to get involved to fight attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, saying, "we can't rest on our laurels."