Former Mayors Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot, Chicago’s first openly gay mayor, were all champions of the LGBTQ+ community.Mayor Brandon Johnson is apparently determined to follow in his predecessors’ footsteps — by making Chicago what he called, “the largest U.S. city with an executive-level position dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+equity.”The newly created job will be filled by Antonio King, who has spent more than two decades as the LGBTQ+ health and outreach liaison for the Chicago Department of Public Health.King’s marching orders from the mayor are to devise a policy plan tailor-made to “strengthen protections and opportunities” for LGBTQ+ Chicagoans.It will tackle everything from eliminating health disparities to providing support and resources to “business owners within the LGBTQ+ community who have sometimes felt ignored or not as visible [to] previous administrations,” King said.“Business owners and agencies don’t always hear about things coming out of the cultural affairs department or ways that they can participate and put in applications for contracts to work with the city,” said King, 63. “This administration has been intentional about ensuring that the LGBTQ+ community is informed and understands that we have a seat at the table. We’re being put at the table with a plate, with a seat, and told that, ‘Your voice is viable. Your presence is wanted.’”Over the years, there has been talk about creating a set-aside program for businesses owned by LGBTQ+ Chicagoans similar to the percentage of city contracts earmarked for minorities and women. King, however, has no plan…
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