"We make a recommendation to the [ Chicago Department of Public Health ] as to how that funding should be distributed throughout the service category, as outlined by HRSA [ the Health Resources and Services Administration ] ," he said. "It's a yearly thing. As co-chair, I help run the meetings as well as help run the steering committee, which is made up of all the co-chairs of the sitting committees."

Willoughby, 47, is a lifelong Chicagoan who became an activist several years ago when his partner passed away, he told Windy City Times. "I wanted to honor him and honor myself because I felt like I had not been very involved," he said.

So Willoughby became extremely active, and kicked things off by being named Mr. Chicago Leather 2005. From there, he became involved in Project WISH ( We're Invested In Stopping HIV ) , working with vaccine trials. From there, he applied to the council, where he is currently serving his second three-year term. ( A member can serve up to six consecutive years, he said. ) He is on the board of several other organizations, including BEHIV ( Better Existence with HIV ) and Kaos Kontrol Productions; Willoughby started the latter organization "to raise money for HIV/AIDS throughout the city," he said. "To date, we've raised about $35,000 in our first three years." Kaos came to do that through CLAW ( Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend ) , on whose board Willoughby is also a member.

Willoughby is also part of Mama's Family ( www.mamasfamily.org ) , a national organization of leatherpeople.