Willow Dey settled in at one of the many full tables at Center on Halsted’s Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, recognizing some of the faces around them and meeting some people for the first time.

Dey, 67, is a former photographer and artist who uses they/them pronouns. Dey said they were born and raised in Chicago but had been away for about 30 years before returning and discovering the center. Since then, they have used a number of the center’s services and support groups for what they called “mature LGBTQ” people.

“I really love the Center on Halsted and live nearby,” Dey said. “I’m really glad that these dinners exist. This is my chosen family.”

Dey came to the celebration with a friend and said they also ran into neighbors and familiar faces. “It was really great to meet people and get

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