Lori Cannon

Lori Cannon
Born1951 (1951)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died (aged 74)
OccupationAIDS activist
Known forCo-founding Open Hand Chicago

Lori Cannon (1951 – August 3, 2025) was an American AIDS activist who was based in Chicago.[1] She was a volunteer at Chicago House and Social Service Agency,[2] the non-profit organization providing housing and hospice during the AIDS crisis.[3] She then worked with the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, helping to establish the Chicago chapter. She was involved with the 1988, 1990, and 1994 installations of the quilt in Chicago, coordinating media and public relations activities.[4][2]

Biography

Cannon was born in Ravenswood, Chicago in 1951.[5][6] In 1988, she co-founded Open Hand Chicago together with fellow activists James Cappleman, Greg Harris, and Tom Tunney. Open Hand Chicago began as a food delivery service for people with HIV/AIDS. It expanded into a food pantry.[7] In 2011, it became part of Heartland Alliance and then became the Vital Bridges Food Program.[8][9] The same year Cannon was involved with the founding of ACT UP Chicago.[4]

In 1994, Cannon was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame as a "Friend of the community".[4] She died on August 3, 2025, at the age of 74.[10]

References

  1. ^ "They Were Warriors: The ACT UP Protests That Shook Chicago". Chicago Magazine. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Chicago's AIDS Angel on the Disease's Darkest Days". The Advocate. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  3. ^ "Our History". Chicago House. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Lori Cannon". Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  5. ^ "A fired-up Cannon". Chicago Tribune. November 7, 2004. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  6. ^ "Lori Cannon". Women's L Project. March 12, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  7. ^ "For this pantry, Christmas Eve marks 31 years of feeding HIV/AIDS-impacted LGBTQ community". Chicago Sun-Times. December 23, 2019. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  8. ^ "Vital Bridges Food Program". Heartland Alliance. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "Open Hearted: Lori Cannon - Windy City Times News". Windy City Times. June 25, 2003. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Harrington, Adam (August 4, 2025). "Lori Cannon, Chicago LGBTQ+ activist and advocate for people with HIV/AIDS, dies at 74". WBBM-TV. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
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