Thomas M. Tunney is the first openly gay alderman of the Chicago Board of Aldermen.

Thomas M. Tunney (born August 22, 1945) is a United States businessman and politician from the state of Illinois. Since 2003, he serves with distinction as the first openly gay alderman of the Chicago City Council. He represents the prominent forty-fourth ward of the City of Chicago and is formally a member of the Democratic Party. His constituency includes major tourist destinations, Boystown and Wrigleyville. Chicago Alderman Thomas Tunney This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Chicago Alderman Thomas Tunney This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Official languages American English (as oppossed to Englands English) Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... An alderman is a member of a municipal legislative body in a town or city with many jurisdictions. ... Chicago City Hall, adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Center, houses the chambers of the Chicago City Council. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Lakeview (properly and historically spelled as Lake View) is a neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is located along the shores of Lake Michigan and runs approximately from Diversey Parkway on the south to Irving Park Road on the north and from Lake Michigan on the... Lakeview (properly and historically spelled as Lake View) is a neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is located along the shores of Lake Michigan and runs approximately from Diversey Parkway on the south to Irving Park Road on the north and from Lake Michigan on the...

Education

Tunney was born and raised in the Irish southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. Upon graduating from a local Catholic high school, he attended the University of Illinois where he obtained his bachelor's degree in restaurant management. Tunney succeeded in obtaining a master's degree in hotel administration from Cornell University. He had hopes of following in his parent's footsteps with a career in the hospitality industry. Chicago, colloquially known as the Second City and the Windy City, is the third-largest city in population in the United States and the largest inland city in the country. ... High school, or Secondary school, is the last segment of compulsory education in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan (Republic of China) (only junior high school), the United Kingdom and the United States. ... The University of Illinois is the set of three public universities in Illinois. ... For other uses of the name Cornell, see Cornell (disambiguation). ...

Businessman

Upon returning from college, Tunney settled into the Lakeview neighborhood and worked in his family's restaurants. Upon hearing that Chicago fixture Ann Sather was retiring and closing her famous restaurant in Lakeview in 1981, Tunney met with Sather offering a proposal to purchase her business. Tunney gained full ownership of the Ann Sather Restaurant and expanded it into a successful chain of enterprises. A college (Latin collegium) can be the name of any group of colleagues; originally it meant a group of people living together under a common set of rules (con-, together + leg-, law). As a consequence members of colleges were originally styled fellows and still are in some places. ... Lakeview (properly and historically spelled as Lake View) is a neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is located along the shores of Lake Michigan and runs approximately from Diversey Parkway on the south to Irving Park Road on the north and from Lake Michigan on the... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tunney joined several prestigious entrepreneurial circles and became chairman of the Illinois Restaurant Association. He founded and led the Lakeview Center Business Association and White Crane Wellness Center. As a result of his success as a businessman, Tunney was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1995. 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Public service

Finding himself in prominence as a local small-business neighborhood leader, Tunney sprang into public service. He opened his restaurants to grassroots and nonprofit organizations as town halls, serving as free meeting places. He committed himself to helping HIV and AIDS victims through programs he created, adopted by the Illinois Masonic Hospital. With a growing business network, Tunney became a fundraiser for local gay and lesbian political advocacy groups. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system (mainly CD4+ T cells and macrophages, vital components of the hosts immune system), and destroys or impairs their function. ... The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV positive and people living with AIDS. The Red Ribbon was created by singer/songwriter Paul Jabara AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is defined as a collection of symptoms and infections...

Upon notice of Tunney's activities as well as the influence of his political contributions to local campaigns, Chicago politicians offered Tunney positions in city governance. He became chairman of the small business subcommittee of the Chicago Economic Development Committee. Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed Tunney to the mayor's Parking Task Force. Mayors of Chicago, Illinois, Current or Previous The mayoral term in Chicago was two years from 1837 through 1907, at which time it was lengthened to four years. ... Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) has been Mayor of Chicago since 1989. ...

Alderman

Upon the announced retirement of ward boss Bernie Hansen in 2002, Tunney was prodded to enter elected office. Hansen, with the consent of the mayor, hand-picked Tunney to replace him as the ward's principal voice in city governance. Hansen resigned just months before the election so as to avoid a primary election, allowing the mayor to appoint Tunney as the replacement candidate. With the support of the political machinery of Chicago's Democratic Party, Tunney was elected alderman on February 25, 2003. Bernie Hansen was a longtime Chicago alderman, serving on the Chicago City Council from 1983 to 2002, when he retired as alderman of the 44th Ward citing health reasons. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As alderman, Tunney has faced criticism over his handling of the Cubs’ demands for more night games and expansion of Wrigley Field. Residents are concerned over how these issues will effect traffic and safety in the neighborhood. Some feel he has given in to the Tribune Company (which owns the Cubs) too easily, and not extracted enough concessions from the team. The Chicago Cubs are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Wrigley Field is a sports stadium in Chicago, Illinois which was built in 1914 for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales and which became the home of the Chicago Cubs in 1916. ... The Tribune Company is a large multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Resources

• Office of Alderman Thomas Tunney