Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs Wednesday honored a Du Quoin man with an LGBTQ+ Heritage Month award in Chicago.
Billy Rogers received the Outstanding Commitment to Community Service Award.
Rogers is co-founder and current president of the Golden Rainbows of Illinois South, serving 50+ LGBTQ elders and those aging with HIV in Southern Illinois, with a mission of helping them overcome disparities due to the lack of services available to them.
Last year, Rogers was appointed to the Illinois LGBTQ Aging Commission and named the Illinois LGBTQ Older Adult Advocate for the Illinois Department on Aging.
Rogers lives in Du Quoin with his spouse of 33 years and is a board member of the Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce.