During the 1970s, in spite of their increasing visibility and political organization, African American gays and lesbians were less accepted on both the South Side and in white-dominated gay circles. In March 1978, Ouida Lindsey, a popular WFLD prime time talk show host, interviewed several African American gay men about the challenges of being African American and gay.

At the same time, the Chicago Gay Liberation had gained media and cultural exposure in spite of on-going tensions between lesbians and gay men, and between Black homosexuals and their white counterparts. A Women’s Caucus and a Black Caucus, which later became The Chicago Lesbian Liberation and The Third World Gay Revolution, formed within the Chicago Gay Liberation to address the specific concerns of lesbians and Black gay men.

By the early 1980s, three African American gay groups had developed: National Coalition of Black Gays – Chicago Chapter (NCBG), Gentle Waves (Chicago’s Black Lesbian group) and the Committee of Black Gay Men.