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Equality Illinois honored people and organizations that champion LGBTQ rights during its annual gala Saturday.

Tracy Baim, publisher of the Chicago Reader, was presented the Freedom Award. She’s also the founder of the Windy City Times, an LGBTQ newspaper.

Baim said her job was to cover the community through good times and bad.

She said you can tell how far the LGBTQ community has come by the number of political leaders at the gala, including Chicago’s first openly gay mayor.

Lori Lightfoot attended the event Saturday.