Patricia Latham

Patricia “Patty the Pin Lady” Latham (May 9, 1943[1] – June 4, 2022) was a LGBT activist and AIDS fundraiser known for selling pins in Chicago. As of 2017, she had raised over $50,000. At the time of that estimate, she had been fundraising for over 25 years and battling stage 3 Melanoma for eight years.[2] in 2022, she was a posthumous inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.[1]

Fundraising career

While living in Hawaii in the late 1980s, Latham met a man with AIDS but would not accept financial assistance. A friend suggested selling red ribbons and after she got some, took her to Halstead and Roscoe. Within an hour, she sold all the ribbons and made $20.[2]

For 22 years, Patty worked with Open Hand Chicago, which evolved into Vital Bridges and then Heartland Alliance. She continued fundraising for the Gay Liberation Network.

Assault

Two 28-year-old men assaulted Latham on December 10, 2011, when she was eating lunch on North Clark Street, while fundraising in Rogers Park, Chicago.[3]

References
  1. "Patricia Latham". Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  2. Baudler, Liz. "The life of 'Patty the Pin Lady'". No. November 1, 2017. Windy City Times. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  3. De arrest, Erica (February 9, 2012). "Patty the Pin Lady' case continues". Windy City Times. Retrieved 20 April 2023.


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