Chicago Society for Human Rights: December 10, 1924

"To combat the public prejudices"

by Jonathan Ned Katz. Copyright (c) by Jonathan Ned Katz. All rights reserved. Reedited by Katz from Gay American History (1976).

PROTECTED ENTRY: This entry by a named creator or site administrator can be changed only by that creator and site administrators, so they are responsible for its accuracy, coverage, evidence, and clarity. Please do use this entry's Comment section at the bottom of the page to suggest improvements. Thanks.

On December 10, 1924, the state of Illinois issued a charter to a nonprofit corporation named the Society for Human Rights, located in Chicago. This society is the earliest documented homosexual emancipation organization in the United States, as is evidenced by the group's charter, unearthed in the research for this book.

According to this charter, the object of the society's formation is

to promote and to protect the interests of people who by reasons of mental and physical abnormalities are abused and hindered in the legal pursuit of happiness which is guaranteed them by the Declaration of Independence, and to combat the public prejudices against them by dissemination of facts according to modern science among intellectuals of mature age. The Society stands only for law and order; it is in harmony with any and all general laws insofar as they protect the rights of others, and does in no manner recommend any acts in violation of present, laws nor advocate any matter inimical to the public welfare.

The management of the society is vested in a board of seven, listed in the charter as:

Rev. John T. Graves, President Al. Meininger, Vice-president Henry Gerber, Secretary Ellsworth Booher, Treasurer Fred Panngburn, Trustee John Sather, Trustee Henry Teacutter, Trustee

The charter is signed by Rev. John T. Graves, Al Meininger, and Henry Gerber.