Andy Thayer is one of Chicago’s most enduring and influential direct-action organizers, with decades of work across LGBTQ liberation, anti-war mobilization, and civil liberties defense. Raised in a politically charged household in upstate New York—his father designed missile parts while his mother aided Vietnam War draft resisters—Thayer was drawn early into dissent. By 17, he was exposing corruption in his high school newspaper, a move that led to the publication's shutdown and set the tone for a lifetime of unapologetic activism. After studying journalism at Northwestern, he went on to co-found the Gay Liberation Network—Chicago’s largest LGBTQ direct-action formation—and the Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism, two groups that played major roles in the city’s protest landscape from the late 1990s onward.
Thayer became widely known for organizing mass demonstrations against the Iraq War—including marches that drew tens of thousands and resulted in high-profile arrests, civil-rights lawsuits, and a precedent-setting $6.2 million settlement for protesters detained in 2003. His activism has repeatedly brought him into confrontation with government power, from clashes with Chicago police to being one of 23 activists targeted in a controversial 2010 FBI raid that ultimately produced no charges. Beyond anti-war organizing, Thayer has led LGBTQ rights actions for decades, from marriage-equality protests and Prop 8 mobilizations to Pride demonstrations advocating clemency for Chelsea Manning. His work spans Chicago, Moscow, and Honduras, reflecting a deeply internationalist commitment to justice. Openly gay and based in Uptown, Thayer remains a central figure in Chicago’s activist ecosystem—fearless, principled, and uncompromising in the face of state pressure.
Watch our full conversation here.
And if you haven’t already, read Andy’s last piece published through GrayStak earlier this year:
