Vernita Gray was a pivotal figure in Chicago's LGBTQ and women's liberation movements. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she became involved in civil rights activism inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s demonstrations near her high school. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, she immersed herself in the burgeoning gay liberation movement post-Stonewall riots. Gray co-founded the Women's Caucus of the Chicago Gay Alliance, later known as Chicago Lesbian Liberation, a pioneering multi-racial organization advocating for gender and racial equality. She also established an LGBT support hotline and contributed significantly to the newsletter Lavender Woman. Throughout her career, Vernita worked various roles including owning and operating Sol Sands restaurant, writing for both mainstream and LGBT media, and serving in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office as an LGBT victim-witness coordinator and later as a liaison for the community.

In 1992, Gray was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame for her extensive activism. She continued to fight for LGBT rights, including marriage equality. Despite battling cancer, she and her partner Patricia Ewert became the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Illinois in 2013. Vernita Gray's life was a testament to her dedication to civil rights, LGBTQ activism, and community support, leaving an enduring legacy in Chicago and beyond.