▁was ▁an ▁American ▁ess ay ist , ▁week ly ▁column ist , ▁poet ▁and ▁community ▁activ ist ▁in ▁Chicago ' s ▁gay , ▁les bian , ▁bis ex ual ▁and ▁trans gender ▁communities ▁from ▁the ▁mid ▁to ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁death , ▁Dam ski ▁was ▁the ▁longest - running ▁column ist ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁gay ▁and ▁les bian ▁press , ▁having ▁written ▁for ▁publication ▁every ▁week ▁from ▁November ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁until ▁November ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁Dam ski ▁is ▁also ▁considered ▁the ▁first ▁gay ▁column ist ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁Mid west ▁to ▁publish ▁under ▁his ▁real ▁name ▁and ▁photo , ▁starting ▁in ▁January , ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁when ▁no ▁legal ▁prote ctions ▁existed ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Chicago ▁to ▁give ▁one ▁rec ourse ▁if ▁fired ▁from ▁a ▁job , ▁or ▁forced ▁from ▁housing , ▁due ▁to ▁sexual ▁orientation . ▁Dam ski ' s ▁ ▁ep igr ams , ▁columns ▁and ▁poetry ▁have ▁been ▁gathered ▁in ▁several ▁collections ▁and ▁anth ologies ▁( see ▁" D am ski ▁and ▁Fire t rap " ▁section , ▁below ). ▁ ▁Dam ski ▁was ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁most ▁instrument al ▁in ▁helping ▁to ▁pass ▁Chicago ' s ▁Human ▁Rights ▁Ord in ance ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁which ▁granted ▁prote ctions ▁in ▁jobs ▁and ▁housing ▁to ▁members ▁of