As the community has grown, so, too, has the number of organizations serving it. As a result, there has been some self- segregation, as some women and men, transfolk, and people of color have created safe spaces to be with their own kind, rather than always being the “tokens” in a group, trying to educate others about sexism, racism, transphobia, etc. But from time to time there have been opportunities to work together on these issues.

In the 1980s, a prominent organization was Black and White Men Together ( BWMT ) , later known as Men of All Colors Together ( MACT ) . Many within BWMT joined primarily for the social interaction and dating opportunities, but the mere existence of BWMT—which was part of a national movement—helped transform opinions. Similarly, Chicago's primarily social Asians and Friends group, which is still in existence in the 2000s and inspired the formation of similarly named groups elsewhere, has political implications by bringing Asian and non-Asian men together.

Womyn of All Colors and Cultures Together ( WACT ) was founded in the 1990s based on the MACT model, and into the 2000s it has provided a monthly social opportunity for women of all backgrounds to come together. A truly diverse group, it has nurtured dialogue between many women. “It was because of WACT that groups like Amigas Latinas, Khuli Zaban, and even Affinity were able to begin or expand and strengthen,” says WACT cofounder Evette Cardona.

While not an official organization, the International Women's Day Dance also brought diverse women together for many years, starting in the 1980s and moving into the 2000s. Several women's groups started the annual event at a union hall, and later it was held at downtown hotels, attracting more than 1,000 women, straight and gay and across all color lines, to celebrate diversity. The host groups changed over the years, but they included Chicago Women in Trades, Literary Exchange, Mountain Moving Coffeehouse for Womyn and Children, Affinity, Amigas Latinas and more.

The Color Triangle—probably the most purposefully political of the groups—operated from 1997 until the early 2000s. Founded in part by Les-BiGay Radio's Mary F. Morten and Alan Amberg as a way to bring diverse parts of the community together, The Color Triangle was specifically designed to be a coalition of LGBT community leaders committed to ending racism in the LGBT community.

The group held events and forums with titles such as “Confronting Hatred Across Communities,” and facilitated organizations' coming together to host dances and cooperate on innovative new multicultural projects ( such as the GLSEN Youth Scholarships ) . It was successful due to the involvement of key leaders such as Morten, Cardona, Toni Armstrong Jr., Renae Ogletree, Chris Smith, Neena Hemmady, Sharmili Majmudar, Mona Noriega, Casey Reese, Javier Barajas, RoiAnn Phillips and many more, most of whom were officers in prominent LGBT organizations. The impact of the Color Triangle group is still felt in Chicago.

From Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Community, edited by Tracy Baim, Surrey Books, 2008.