Save BIG CHICKS tavern

We, the undersigned, demand that the City of Chicago and Liqour License Control Commission refrain from closing the business known as Big Chicks, located at 5024 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL.

We believe that the owner, Michelle Fire, is a fine, upstanding citizen who runs an honest business, pays her taxes and is a productive and supportive partner in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community and the City of Chicago

Big Chicks has provided a safe haven and home to a diverse group of people for many years. The establishment attracts men and women of various ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds. It is a rare and unique institution that simply by being promotes racial, ethnic and socioeconomic interaction and acceptance that might not normally occur.

Furthermore, Michelle Fire has gone out of her way to help the community and city. Big Chicks has often been the site of charity fundraisers and has proved to be an effective conduit for community outreach in the fight for HIV/AIDS prevention.

It has come to our attention that a real estate developer has purchased the property next to the tavern. And we feel its no small coincidence that the City of Chicago has decided to shutter Big Chicks at this time. It would appear that Fires bar and restaurant are an obstruction to this project. We feel that there is room for growth and expansion in the city but not at the expense of existing neighborhoods and businesses. Certainly this unique establishment can coexist with whatever is built next to it.

The effects of closing Big Chicks would be far reaching. Not only would the City of Chicago rob itself of one of its most unique treasures, but doing so would also put people out of work -- some of whom have worked for Fire for many years. A construction site would provide jobs for many, but it would leave Fire and her staff out in the cold.

We demand you take into account all Michelle Fire's many contributions and the far-reaching effects a closure would have. They go far beyond the monetary kind. Big Chicks is an important part of the community. Don't shutter this tavern and further erode the uniqueness of this city. We respectfully and sternly demand that the City of Chicago do the right thing and not close Big Chicks