The artist was once beaten for beg gay near where the mural now stands. Much has changed, she said — but there's still progrs to be ma." class="" style="
His later work nveyed polil and societal them such as homosexualy and anti-apartheid msag. Keh Harg was an openly gay Amerin artist.
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Much has changed, she said — but there's still progrs to be ma.</p></div><div class="articleMeta__ContaerWrapper-sc-mnxmjt-0 kiZEZ article-meta article-meta--top irvg__ntaer irvg__ntaer--articleMeta"><div class="flt__SocialShargWrapper-sc-1ap9xvz-0 fInWHe article-meta__social-sharg irvg__post-social-sharg irvg__post-social-sharg--pill"><ul class="pill__SocialShargList-sc-19unuas-0 hpxHWY post-social-sharg__list"><li class="pill__SocialShargItemWrapper-sc-19unuas-1 iWrpEJ redd"><a class="flt__LkWrapper-sc-iyf4mi-0 hcvtma --flt" href=" rel="" target="_blank"><span class="pill__InWrapper-sc-19unuas-2 iCbVVq redd"><svg stroke="currentColor" fill="currentColor" stroke-width="0" viewBox="0 0 24 24" height="1em" width="1em" xmlns="><tle>Share on redd</tle><path fill-le="evenodd" d="M15.57,15.284 C14.673,15.284 13.91925,14.5565 13.91925,13.6595 C13.91925,12.7625 14.673,12.011 15.57,12.011 C16.467,12.011 17.1945,12.7625 17.1945,13.6595 C17.1945,14.5565 16.467,15.284 15.57,15.284 M15.951,18.437 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le-mon__post-byle--sibar"><div class="sibar__AuthorsWrapper-sc-135rg5d-1 cOMElx post-byle__thors-wrapper"><div class="sibar__Avatars-sc-135rg5d-3 cYVCSw post-byle__grouped-avatars"><div class="flt__Element-sc-8r6934-0 Eajbf post-byle__left irvg__agment irvg__agment--flt"><a class="flt__LkWrapper-sc-iyf4mi-0 hcvtma irvg__lk irvg__lk--flt" aria-hidn="te" href=" rel="" target="" tabx="-1"><figure class="flt__FigureWrapper-sc-1lmy-0 fjaYGN post-byle__avatar irvg__post-featured-image irvg__post-featured-image--flt"><span style="paddg-bottom:100%" class="flt__ImageWrapper-sc-1lmy-1 hnRmkg"><img alt="" height="1200" loadg="lazy" src=" srcSet=" 2400w, 258w, 768w, 881w, 1321w, 1762w, 1080w, 41w, 564w, 615w, 65w, 145w, 291w, 581w, 1161w, 194w, 387w, 774w, 1548w, 172w, 344w, 688w, 1376w, 516w, 1032w, 1366w" siz="100px" width="1032" class="flt__ImageTag-sc-1lmy-2 jDWYqd"/></span></figure></a></div></div><div class="sibar__AuthorNam-sc-135rg5d-2 cqTYOK post-byle__thor-nam"><span class="flt__AuthorWrapper-sc-3fiqtm-2 cAJsvb post-byle__thor"><a class="flt__LkWrapper-sc-iyf4mi-0 hcvtma post-byle__thor-lk irvg__lk irvg__lk--flt" href=" rel="" target=""><span class="flt__TextWrapper-sc-hmou3q-0 nVGhA irvg__text irvg__text--flt">Mric Peña</span></a></span></div></div></div><div class="timtamp__TextWrapper-sc-1uu26yx-0 fBbNtW article-meta__post-timtamp le-mon__post-timtamp le-mon__post-timtamp--timtamp"><div class="post-date">7:50 AM CDT on Jun 16, 2021</div> </div></div><div class="flt__ContaerWrapper-sc-1k8y94x-0 bTqzht article-featured-image irvg__ntaer irvg__ntaer--flt" id="sgle_media"><figure class="article__FigureWrapper-sc-7s8aer-0 enkhzk irvg__post-featured-image irvg__post-featured-image--article"><span style="paddg-bottom:56.25%" class="article__ImageWrapper-sc-7s8aer-1 cLpHBB"><img alt="" height="675" loadg="lazy" src=" srcSet=" 1200w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 1080w, 64w, 564w, 615w, 101w, 225w, 451w, 900w, 600w, 267w, 533w, 1067w" siz="(max-width: 350px) 350px, (max-width: 1058px) 768px, (max-width: 1700px) 1080px, 2400px" width="900" class="article__ImageTag-sc-7s8aer-2 ehmVhs"/></span><div class="article__ImageMeta-sc-7s8aer-3 eBXNjs"><figptn class="article__ImageCaptn-sc-7s8aer-4 hrwttr">Earlier this month, multidisciplary artist Sam Kirk unveiled “Fierce” on the rner of 18th Street and Ashland Avenue Pilsen.</figptn><span class="article__ImageCred-sc-7s8aer-5 ieDIYX">Mric Peña/ Block Club Chigo</span></div></figure></div></div><div class="flt__ContaerWrapper-sc-1k8y94x-0 bTqzht article-ntent-ntaer irvg__ntaer irvg__ntaer--flt"><div class="ntentWidth__ContaerWrapper-sc-1p9n6rf-0 gnvRpv irvg__ntaer irvg__ntaer--ntentWidth"><div class="flt__CredibilyInditorsWrapper-sc-18725oc-0 iUZmNj le-mon__credibily-ditors le-mon__credibily-ditors--flt"><ul class="credibily-ditors__list"><li class="credibily-ditors__list-em"><span class="flt__TextWrapper-sc-hmou3q-0 nVGhA credibily-ditors__tle irvg__text irvg__text--flt">Credibily:</span></li><li 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class="articleContent__Wrapper-sc-1rqfqf-0 bDtujo le-mon__article-ntent pi-ntent le-mon__gutenberg-ntent le-mon__gutenberg-ntent--articleContent" id="pi"><p>PILSEN — For years, Sam Kirk wanted to pat a pri mural celebratg queer inty on the South Si. </p><p>The <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href=">Lata artist</a> wanted to see reprentatn of LGBTQ members her own neighborhood, not jt North Si queer muni like Anrsonville and Northalsted, formerly known as Boystown.</p><p>“Bee of segregatn and how the cy is set up, there’s this feelg that we have to do thgs signated areas,” she said. “But there’s gay people all over the cy.”</p><p>Earlier this month, Kirk’s goal me to life as she unveiled “Fierce,” a mural celebratg the global LGBTQ muny. It’s on the rner of 18th Street and Ashland Pilsen.</p><p>The piece picts the Progrs Pri flag swirlg around seven people exprsg themselv their queer inty. “Fierce” is a reprentatn of joy and eedom, and brgs visibily to the queer muny on the South and Wt sis, Kirk said. </p><p>“I felt like that was important to show bee there’s a lot of different layers that e up wh different cultur, specifilly for those who intify as queer,” Kirk said. “Whether be rejectn or acceptance, I jt wanted to show beg gay is a global thg. It’s every culture, and every muny. We celebrate our culture along wh our queer inty.”</p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img siz="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcSet=" 1200w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 1080w, 64w, 564w, 615w, 101w, 225w, 451w, 900w, 600w, 267w, 533w, 1067w" class="wp-image-430939" alt="" src=" height="768" width="1024" loadg="lazy" dg="async"/><span class="image-cred"><strong>Cred: </strong> Mric Peña/ Block Club Chigo</span><figptn class="wp-element-ptn">Sam Kirk pated the mural near the block where she was beaten as a teen. </figptn></figure><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img siz="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcSet=" 1200w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 1080w, 72w, 564w, 615w, 114w, 254w, 507w, 1013w, 600w" class="wp-image-431075" alt="" src=" height="683" width="1024" loadg="lazy" dg="async"/><span class="image-cred"><strong>Cred: </strong> Dre Rodriguez, Luv Cy Media</span><figptn class="wp-element-ptn">Sam Kirk pats “Fierce” on the rner of 18th Street and Ashland Avenue Pilsen.</figptn></figure><p>As a teen, Kirk was severely beaten for beg gay, she said. The attack happened on 19th Street and Ashland Avenue, jt a few blocks om where the mural is.</p><p>“I was beaten unnsc and faced que a b of harassment Pilsen when I was younger for beg gay,” Kirk said.</p><p>Reflectg on those attacks, Kirk said she uld not have imaged patg a pri mural nearby. </p><p>“The neighborhood was different, and also our world was so different,” Kirk said.</p><p>Sce those days, people’s perspectiv have changed —but more work needs to be done, she said.</p><p>“We are far om where we need to be” the cy terms of LGBTQ rights and protectns, Kirk said. “There’s still a lot of issu. We see every month our cy and Black and Brown neighborhoods: LGBTQ members are discrimated agast or murred.”</p><p>Kirk said she also wants to spur nversatns about LGBTQ issu wh Black and Brown muni. She is rooted the South Si neighborhood bee of s culture, but the artist said she wants the area to acknowledge s queer muny, too.</p><p>“We n’t keep nng to the North Si all the time, jt to be ourselv,” Kirk said. “We have to be able to be ourselv the neighborhoods that we also feel culturally nnected to.” </p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img siz="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcSet=" 1200w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 1080w, 72w, 564w, 615w, 114w, 254w, 507w, 1013w, 600w" class="wp-image-431076" alt="" src=" height="683" width="1024" loadg="lazy" dg="async"/><span class="image-cred"><strong>Cred: </strong> Dre Rodriguez, Luv Cy Media</span><figptn class="wp-element-ptn">Nancy Everly and Sam Kirk pat “Fierce” on the rner of 18th Street and Ashland Avenue Pilsen.</figptn></figure><p>Wh the new mural, Kirk hop that “nversatn starts happeng more often.”</p><p>“It’s one of the reasons I cid to do public art — to e a public space to brg up nversatns while celebratg people, creatg visibily and reprentatn,” she said. </p><p>Sce the mural went up, Kirk said she received a msage om someone who lled the mural “rehg.” Another person said ma them feel seen, addg, “And I’ve lived this neighborhood my whole life.”</p><p>For Kirk, the msag rerce the mural’s importance.</p><p>“It jt helps me to realize that ’s a topic, a nversatn that we still need to have different muni and different neighborhoods,” she said.</p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img siz="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcSet=" 1200w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 1080w, 72w, 564w, 615w, 114w, 254w, 507w, 1013w, 600w" class="wp-image-431073" alt="" src=" height="683" width="1024" loadg="lazy" dg="async"/><span class="image-cred"><strong>Cred: </strong> Dre Rodriguez, Luv Cy Media</span><figptn class="wp-element-ptn">Sam Kirk pats “Fierce” on the rner of 18th Street and Ashland Avenue Pilsen.</figptn></figure><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img siz="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcSet=" 1200w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 1080w, 72w, 564w, 615w, 114w, 254w, 507w, 1013w, 600w" class="wp-image-431072" alt="" src=" height="683" width="1024" loadg="lazy" dg="async"/><span class="image-cred"><strong>Cred: </strong> Dre Rodriguez, Luv Cy Media</span><figptn class="wp-element-ptn">Nancy Everly and Serg Maciel pat “Fierce” on the rner of 18th Street and Ashland Avenue Pilsen.</figptn></figure><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img siz="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" srcSet=" 1200w, 300w, 768w, 1024w, 1080w, 64w, 564w, 615w, 101w, 225w, 451w, 900w, 600w, 267w, 533w, 1067w" class="wp-image-430941" alt="" src=" height="768" width="1024" loadg="lazy" dg="async"/><span class="image-cred"><strong>Cred: </strong> Mric Peña/ Block Club Chigo</span><figptn class="wp-element-ptn">“We are far om where we need to be” the cy terms of LGBTQ rights and protectns, Kirk says. </figptn></figure><p><a href="><em>Subscribe to Block Club Chigo</em></a><em>. Every dime we make funds reportg om Chigo’s neighborhoods</em>.</p><p>A<em>lready subscribe?</em><a href="><em> Click here</em></a><em> to support Block Club </em><a href="><em>wh a tax-ductible donatn</em></a>. </p><p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chigo Podst” here:</em></strong></p><iame class="" style="width:100%" width="640px" height="377px" src=" allowfullscreen=""></iame><div style="height:1px;left:0;marg:0 to;posn:absolute;poter-events:none;right:0;top:50%;width:1px" id="wp-irvg-gtm-article-midpot"></div></div></div></div><div class="ntentWidth__ContaerWrapper-sc-1p9n6rf-0 gnvRpv article-meta article-meta--bottom irvg__ntaer irvg__ntaer--ntentWidth"><div class="flt__SocialShargWrapper-sc-1ap9xvz-0 fInWHe irvg__post-social-sharg irvg__post-social-sharg--pill"><ul class="pill__SocialShargList-sc-19unuas-0 hpxHWY post-social-sharg__list"><li class="pill__SocialShargItemWrapper-sc-19unuas-1 iWrpEJ redd"><a class="flt__LkWrapper-sc-iyf4mi-0 hcvtma --flt" href=" rel="" target="_blank"><span class="pill__InWrapper-sc-19unuas-2 iCbVVq redd"><svg stroke="currentColor" fill="currentColor" stroke-width="0" viewBox="0 0 24 24" height="1em" width="1em" xmlns="><tle>Share on redd.