Gaylon B. Alcaraz has a long history in the Midwestas an activist, organizer and champion of human rights. As the past Executive Director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, she worked within the reproductive justice/rights/health movement to advocate for low-income women seeking to control their reproductive freedom. Among the many social justice accomplishments credited,she served as a founding board member of Affinity Community Services, a social justice organization that advocates for the rights of black lesbian and bisexual women in the Chicago land area. During her board tenure at Affinity, she assumed increased leadership roles, across all areas of the organization’s functions including the role of Vice-President.She is also a past board member of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and the Midwest Access Project.

For more than twenty-five years, she has worked and organized on behalf of sexual minority women, anti-violence, gender equity, health prevention, reproductive justice, as well as race and culture issues. Gaylon has consistently applied her knowledge in practice towards quality improvement, increased access, and by challenging frameworks that do not allow for the exploration of diversity across multiple dimensions when working with, and on behalf of diverse constituencies.In 1995, as a trained organizerthrough Metropolitan Tenant’s Organization, she facilitated the affordable housing preservation at Ogden Corners, located in Lincoln Park. Working with the property management company and resident’s council, she assisted in securing a million-dollar rehab loan from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she was awarded both her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from DePaul University and her Doctoral degree in Community Psychology fromNational Louis University.She has received awards both locally and nationally from Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, Northwest Suburban NOW, Choice USA, Chicago Foundation for Women and Chicago NOW for her work in the reproductive rights/health and justice field. Gaylon wasalso highlighted in the Chicago Woman Magazine as one of “The Fierce 50” and in The Chicago Reader as “The Activist” in the “People” edition. She wasalsoinducted into Chicago’s Gay and Lesbian Hall of Famefor her work on Reproductive Justice issues.