In Our Thoughts & Prayers

A tireless and outspoken advocate in the LGBT community of Chicago, Christina Santiago, passed away this last weekend. The Marin Foundation would just like to send our condolences to the friends and family of Christina Santiago and your prayers would be appreciated during this difficult time for them.

Christina Santiago, a well-known LGBT advocate and the manager of programming for Howard Brown Health Center’s Lesbian Community Care Project ( LCCP ) , died Aug. 13 when strong winds toppled a concert stage at the Indiana State Fair, killing five.

Santiago’s partner, Alisha Marie Brennon, was among 45 injured. Brennon was expected to survive, a friend said. She had surgery Sunday night, and on Monday she was moved from the intensive care unit and her neck brace was removed.

Concertgoers in Indianapolis, Ind., were waiting for country music duo Sugarland to take the stage when strong winds collapsed the stage Saturday night. Weather.com reported that winds were between 50-70 mph. at the fair.

Santiago, 29, was among those killed.

Santiago, a self-identified Puerto Rican lesbian and feminist activist, grew up in the Bronx in New York City and received a degree in women’s studies and sociology from the University of New York at Albany.

Just a year after starting her work at Howard Brown Health Center, Santiago was honored with a Windy City Times “30 under 30” award for her work as women’s healthcare advocate in 2007.

Click here to read the rest of the article from the Windy City Times.

Much love.