[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 137 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF LORI CANNON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 12, 2025

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and 
legacy of Chicago LGBTQ+ activist, Lori Cannon.
  For over four decades, Ms. Cannon--known as ``Chicago's AIDS 
Angel''--spearheaded some of the most important initiatives of 
Chicago's LGBTQ+ rights movement. Motivated by the inhumane treatment 
of those with AIDS and affected by HIV, Ms. Cannon co-founded a meal 
delivery service, Open Hand/Chicago, in 1988, to ensure that those 
suffering from AIDS would not go hungry. She then led Open Hand in its 
transition to a food pantry program known as ``Groceryland'', helping 
people in need obtain much needed nourishment. Also in 1988, Ms. Cannon 
co-founded ACT UP/Chicago, a grassroots protest group which put the 
AIDS epidemic front and center during a time when the government was 
ignoring the community's devastation. Ms. Cannon was instrumental in 
helping create the NAMES Project, bringing the Aids Memorial Quilt to 
Chicago in 1988, 1990 and 1994. Then, in 2010, she co-founded the 
Legacy Project, an organization committed to honoring the cultural and 
civic contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals, including placing bronze 
plaques along North Halsted Street.
  A pillar of the community she loved so much, Ms. Cannon was 
unrelenting in her commitment to the well-being of each individual. 
When the government and the families of those affected by HIV/AIDS 
abandoned those who were suffering, Ms. Cannon stepped up to fill that 
void--organizing, volunteering, protesting, feeding, hugging, and 
loving each person when there was no one else. As her longtime friend 
Sharyl Holtzman remembers, ``She took care of the whole universe.''
  Ms. Cannon was born and raised in West Rogers Park. Her father, Lee 
Cannon, was a champion of Native American rights. Her younger brother, 
J.H., was born with a defective heart, leading to a lifelong 
disability. After her older brother Jules suffered a horrific 
motorcycle accident, she became the caretaker for both of her brothers, 
a precursor to her life of service.
  When Lori Cannon passed away on Sunday, August 3, 2025, Chicago and 
its LGBTQ+ community lost a selfless champion. Her legacy will live on 
in the community that she supported and loved so much. I am forever 
grateful for her immeasurable contribution and impact on the City and 
its LGBTQ+ community.

                          ____________________