The Oak Park Area Lesbian & Gay Association +, or OPALGA+, might change its name in 2025 to help meet the needs of a diverse community and ensure everyone feels welcome and included.
The proposed name, “Out with Purpose,” is contingent on a vote from members of the organization in January 2025. Anyone looking to join can do so online, and those who renew membership for 2025 will be able to vote.
“[We’re] just making sure that everybody who wants to be feels welcome and included and does not feel as though, maybe, there is any sort of barrier to that,” said Cas Scaman, co-chair of the OPALGA+ board of directors. “We have heard from some people that … the name especially is something that might be a barrier to them where they don’t feel explicitly welcomed.”
OPALGA+ is one of the largest LGBTQ+ membership organizations in Illinois, according to its website. The organization’s mission is “To promote full equality for and positive attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community. To provide a positive community family for our members through social activities, civic engagement, and community activism.”
Members and non-members alike can attend OPALGA+ events, including potlucks, group outings, volunteer opportunities, advocacy at rallies and marching in parades.
The organization was originally established in 1989 and was named the Oak Park Lesbian and Gay Association at the time. The name was chosen then to highlight both men and women, according to OPALGA+.
In 1995, “Area” was added to the name due to the organization growing beyond Oak Park. And in 2019, a plus sign was added to include a variety of identities.
But Scaman, daughter of Village President Vicki Scaman, said some community members have expressed they don’t feel included in the current name or feel uncomfortable being part of the organization under that name.
“[In 2019], there still was not much done within the organization to continue outreach to people who are not part of the binary lesbian and gay communities,” Scaman said. “There was a lot of work that needed to be done.”
So, the current board began to consider a change.
According to OPALGA+, the organization’s mission is clear, but perceptions of it may have changed. Potential members and current members alike have said the organization could do more to promote inclusivity and better position it to grow.
In 2024, the OPALGA+ board decided to work with a marketing firm, Famous Victory, to conduct community surveys and analyze the current name and brand. The board then started a task force, with three members, including Scaman, to review results.
Only about 40% of survey respondents said they felt “completely represented” by a “Lesbian and Gay Association Plus,” the rest saying they felt not represented, only somewhat represented or neutral. So, the task force recommended to the board that OPALGA+ change its name.
Scaman said the task force then created options for a new name and conducted two focus groups with OPALGA+ members and non-members. The groups largely favored the proposed name “Out with Purpose.”
This name, Scaman said, was chosen because people of various demographics all seemed to gravitate toward the idea that being “out” was important to the organization. And the focus groups liked the idea of having a “driving purpose.”
That purpose ties to the scholarship program, she said, where the organization provides financial support for LBGTQ+ students and allies in college or other programs.
Scaman said they also tried to stay away from words or phrases that might be overused, because the organization wants a long-lasting name that won’t soon need to be changed again.
Most focus group members understood a name change is in the organization’s best interest, Scaman said, but there was some pushback within the organization. Overall, feedback has been more positive than negative, she said.
“We’ve also had a lot of people reach out to us saying that they are joining the organization for the first time because of this,” Scaman said.
The OPALGA+ board unanimously approved the name this month, but that’s not the last step. The entire membership of OPALGA+ will vote on the potential name change in January 2025. If approved by a simple majority, the organization will start taking steps to implement the change.
Scaman said, if approved, it might take several months to a year to transition to the new name completely, but that it will be well communicated and honor the history of the organization. The organization would launch a new logo, website and social media channels during this time. Throughout the transition, the OPALGA+ name would still appear alongside the new name to help build understanding.
In addition to the name change, the organization has been working to diversify its board members and do more diverse programming, Scaman said. For example, in 2024 OPLAGA+ had an event with TaskForce Chicago, an organization working to promote HIV prevention in youth.
“The original purpose of the organization had a lot more to do with advocacy and outreach,” Scaman said. “That’s something we’re going to continue to do and hope to do even more in the new year.”
