Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Chuck Renslow was one of the main pioneers for Chicago's LGBT community through his advocacy for inclusion, and fought alongside the Democratic party to push for non-discrimination amongst LGBT individuals in Chicago. LGBT interest groups and the Democratic Party have facilitated LGBT political involvement in Chicago.
The Chicago Gay and Lesbian Democrats was the main LGBT political group of the 1980s. In 1965, Mattachine Midwest was founded as a gay rights organization following the Fun Lounge police raid the previous year. Effective LGBT political involvement began in the 1960s alongside the civil rights movement, with organizations such as Chicago Gay Liberation. In 1961 Illinois was the first state to repeal its sodomy law.
