Tracy Baim Explained

Tracy Baim
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	journalist, writer
Years Active:	1984–present
Education:	Drake University
Known For:	Windy City Times
Movement:	LGBT Rights

Tracy Baim is a Chicago-based LGBT journalist, editor, author, and filmmaker. She is also a former publisher of the Chicago Reader newspaper.^[1]

Biography

Baim attained a journalism degree from Drake University in the field of news-editorialism in 1984.^[2]

Career

Windy City Times was founded in 1985 by Baim and others, who started Sentury Publications to publish the paper.^{[3] [4]} where she is the publisher and executive editor.

Baim came to the Chicago Reader in 2018 and planned to leave by the end of 2022.^[5]

Awards and honors

• 1994: Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame Inductee.
• 1994: Chicago Torch Award winner. Given by the Human Rights Campaign Fund.
• 1995: Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 leader.
• 2005: Community Media Workshop’s Studs Terkel Award.
• 2012: Top 10 selection from the GLBT Round Table of the American Library Association. For Gay Press, Gay Power: The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers in America.
• 2013: Lifetime Achievement Award. From the Chicago Headline Club at the 37th annual Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism.
• 2014: Fueling the Frontlines Awards honoree.
• 2014: Association of LGBTI Journalists Hall of Fame Inductee.

Baim was also a finalist for a 2012 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Press, Gay Power: The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers.

Works

Journalism

• GayLife. Editorial Assistant.
• Windy City Times. Co-founder 1985. Owner, publisher, writer, photographer.
• Outlines newspaper. Co-founded 1987.
• Huffpost. Contributor.
• Chicago Reader. Publisher 2018. Co-publisher –present.

Books

• Obama and the Gays: A Political Marriage. 2010.
• Gay Press, Gay Power: The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers in America. 2012.
• Out and Proud in Chicago. (2008) Related, see the Chicago Gay History website.
• Barbara Gittings: Gay Pioneer.
• Vernita Gray: From Woodstock to the White House. 2014. Co-author Owen Keehan.
• Leatherman: The Legend of Chuck Renslow.^[6]
• The Half Life of Sgt. Jen Hunter.^[7]

Films

• Hannah Free. 2008, Ripe Fruit Films.
• Scrooge & Marley, a Gay Christmas Carol. 2012.

Other projects

• That's So Gay. LGBT history trivia game.
• Pride Action Tank. Co-founder.
• Chicago Independent Media Alliance. Fundraising organization for community media. 2020.
• Gay Games VII. Co-vice chair.
• March on Springfield for Marriage Equality. Founded 2013.

References

Citations

• Web site: Tracy Baim . Chicago, IL . Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame . https://web.archive.org/web/20211205235210/https://glhalloffame.org/baim-tracy/ . 1994 . 2021-12-05 . 2021-12-05 . .
• Book: Baim . Tracy . Keehan . Owen . 2014 . Vernita Gray: From Woodstock to the White House . United States . 978-1-499-38888-6 . 2021-12-05 .
• Web site: Astraea Foundation honors three Chicagoans . 2014-05-17 . Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice . 2021-12-05 . .
• Web site: Tracy Baim . Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice . 2014 . 2021-04-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210410142039/https://www.astraeafoundation.org/honorees/tracy-baim/ . 2021-12-05 . .
• Web site: The Conversation: Tracy Baim and Her Quest to Save Community Media . Hieggelke . Brian . 2020-05-08 . NewCity . 2021-12-05 .
• Web site: Tracy Baim . Association of LGBTQ Journalists . 2014 . 2021-12-05 . .
• Web site: Chicago Gay History . 2021-12-05 .
• Web site: Tracy Baim . American Institute of Architects . 2021-12-05 . .
• Web site: Contributor Tracy Baim . HuffPost . 2021-12-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210309180632/https://www.huffpost.com/author/tracy-baim . 2021-03-09 . .

External links

• IMDB
• Chicago Gay History project

Notes and References

1. Web site: Reader . Chicago . 2022-08-05 . [PRESS RELEASE] Baim stepping down as Reader publisher end of 2022 ]. 2023-05-21 . Chicago Reader . en-US.
2. Web site: 2013-02-08 . Tracy Baim: a gay-media torchbearer . 2023-05-21 . Chicago Tribune.
3. Book: Barnhurst, Kevin G. . Media Queered: Visibility and Its Discontents . 2007 . . . 978-0-8204-9533-0 . 143–147.
4. News: The 50 Most Powerful Women in Chicago Tracy Baim . Chicago Magazine . April 13, 2020.
5. News: Roeder . David . Tracy Baim to leave the Chicago Reader by year-end . 23 October 2022 . Chicago Sun-Times . August 5, 2022.
6. Web site: 2013-02-08 . Tracy Baim: a gay-media torchbearer . 2023-05-21 . Chicago Tribune.
7. Web site: 2013-02-08 . Tracy Baim: a gay-media torchbearer . 2023-05-21 . Chicago Tribune.