Windy City Times Reporter Lu Calzada recently profiled Julio Flores, PHIMC Program Director for the Alliance. Here is an excerpt from the article published on October 13, 2026:

Julio Flores didn’t have a traditional educational path into public health. He went straight from high school into volunteer and full-time work. Nevertheless, in recent years, he has becoming a formidable force for queer advocacy in Chicago.

Now, he’s in his fourth year as program director for Alliance, the branch of the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago supporting LGBTQ+ youth. He’s spent the greater part of the last decade supporting LGBTQ+ youth around Chicago, and hopes to continue bridging the gaps in care.

…

[H]e’s learned to ask himself, “What kind of ancestor do I want to be?”

“We often talk about [how] our ancestors did all of this for us,” he said. “We’re able to do everything that we do because of them. But at the same time, it’s like, what is it that I need to do? How do I want people to remember me? … What is the impact that I want my existence to have not only in my generation, but hopefully in the future?”

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Learn more here about how the Alliance collaborates with and supports LGBTQ+ youth.