Lori Cannon - The Fireside Chat Series
Channel: Fireside Chats with Douglas O'Keeffe
Date: 2018-09-11

Cannon was among the earliest volunteers for Chicago House. Her maternal instincts, her totally irreverent sense of humor, and her high-energy approach to everything put her at the center of everyday life at the agency's first community residence for PWAs. She helped to plan the weekly "family meal," the regular Thursday-night dinner that was intended by the residents to include volunteers, staff, and other individuals visiting the site. She also assisted residents in completing routine tasks that had, for many, become a challenge; these included shopping, laundry, and personal care. She called on her numerous friends, acquaintances, and business associates, scheduling hair stylists and planning recreational outings "for the boys," "borrowing" a school bus from time to time as the situation warranted.


Inside Leather History: A Fireside Chat is produced by Douglas O’Keeffe and Mistress Joanne C. Gaddy (the “Producers”).The Chats seek to capture the memories, reflections, and experiences of leaders in the leather and/or LGBTQ communities. With a deep and heartfelt regard for the importance of our history, it is the intent of the Producers to collect, preserve, and appropriately share the stories of our forebears and others who have made significant contributions to the leather and/or LGBTQ communities. This is done through a series of recorded interviews.