May 7, 2008
Nation Report
Johnson urges people to get tested for HIV
WASHINGTON—Celebrated basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson is seeking to raise awareness about AIDS.
The former Los Angeles Lakers point guard spoke at Howard University April 30 as part of a campaign to help minority... Full Story
Memphis school accused of outing gay students
MEMPHIS, Tenn.—A Memphis high school is accused of violating the privacy of two male students by publicly identifying them as gay. In a letter to the Memphis school board, which was made public April 29, the American... Full Story
Anti-bullying bill defeated in Louisiana House
BATON ROUGE, La.—A bill defining school bullying as harassing, threatening or harming students for reasons including race, religion or sexual orientation was killed by the Louisiana House... Full Story
Indiana body may be another Baumeister victim
NEW ALBANY, Ind.—Authorities have exhumed a body from a New Albany cemetery to determine if the unidentified remains were the victim of a serial killer... Full Story
Gay couple seeking marriage charged with trespassing
OYSTER BAY, N.Y.—A gay couple on Long Island couldn’t get a marriage license when they went into their town clerk’s office, but they did get a ticket for trespassing... Full Story
Methodists vote to keep anti-gay policy on books
FORT WORTH—The United Methodist Church, meeting for its quadrennial policy gathering last week in Texas, rejected a proposal to change its official condemnation of gays and lesbians... Full Story
Georgia Tech loses case filed by anti-gay group
ATLANTA—A federal judge says a gay-rights website sanctioned by the Georgia Institute of Technology cannot use language that discriminates against religions that condemn homosexuality. The Safe Space site... Full Story
McGreeveys argue over three-way sex testimony
TRENTON, N.J.—The wife of former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey wants to bar testimony in their divorce trial from a former aide who claims he had sexual trysts with the couple... Full Story
Editorial
At a meeting on the South Side April 30, black GLBT youths talked about the issues they have concerning North Halsted Street’s GLBT entertainment district. There were also representatives from the North Halsted business community and from various organizations and agencies at the meeting. It was supposed to be a discussion... Full Story
I am responding to your April 23 editorial position supporting the constitutional convention that will appear on the November Illinois ballot. Certainly anytime citizens exercise their right to vote it is important. However, I am always cautious when anyone is trying to talk me into voting one way or another under the mantle of self-protection... Full Story
Opinion
Young gays and lesbians want to be married. And have kids. That’s what the first survey of the aspirations of gay and lesbian youth discovered. Rockway Institute reported that more than 90 percent of the lesbians and more than 80 percent of the gay males they surveyed “expect to be... Full Story
Thomas Beatie created a bit of a stir on tabloid television, in the tabloid press and on numerous blogs. Beatie, you may recall, is the person who “identifies as” a man and is legally married to a woman. Beattie announced in the Advocate magazine that he was artificially inseminated, is now carrying a fetus and will give birth to a child... Full Story
Freetime
I was interested to read about the dramatic increase in the issuance of moral waivers allowing criminals to join the Army and Marine Corps, including child molesters and... Full Story
VIRGO: AUGUST 21-SEPTEMBER 20: You don’t really know where this will go but you’re optimistic. After a long stretch in nowhere land it’s great to be on a new track. Dive in and give it everything you’ve got. You’ll be amazed to see how well it pays off.
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Back in the Day: Moments in Chicago's GLBT History
1973: A Chicago-area gay law students association holds its fourth meeting in the Up North bar/restaurant, 6244 N. Western Ave. The group plans to present a public gay law forum during June’s Gay Pride celebration... Full Story
DVDiva: Like Beckhan, but Bent
“Eleven Men Out” (here!/Regent/Liberation)—A few athletes on U.S. sports teams, from baseball to basketball to football, have come out as gay over the years. In more recent times, such an event has come to create less drama than it would have in the past... Full Story
CFP reviews "Brian's Boys" & "El Rancho". Full Story
Theater
This remounting of TimeLine Theatre Company’s award-winning 2006 production of “Fiorello!” is a joyful reminder that it doesn’t take a massive stage and a Broadway budget to create great... Full Story
It is rare that a show with dense verbosity and classic, tangled plotlines is able to accurately reflect contemporary existence, but such is the case with Halcyon Theatre’s vibrant... Full Story
The braggart nature of local politicians earned Chicago the well-known moniker “the Windy City.” Strawdog Theatre Company’s sensitive “Old Town” gives emotional perspective... Full Story
News
Well, the election may be over but the bitter taste will probably linger in North Carolina’s GLBT community. That’s because the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund refused to back an openly gay candidate in a tight race for the... Full Story
Immigration forum deals with bigger picture
A number of community activists gathered at the Center on Halsted April 30 for a forum discussing issues facing GLBT immigrants to the United States. These activists, however, sought to open up conversations that went beyond laws... Full Story
Wilson Cruz talks about coming out at Roosevelt
Speaking at Roosevelt University May 1, out actor Wilson Cruz discussed two huge mistakes he made when he told his parents he was gay years ago. The first was coming out to his mother when she was behind the wheel of a car... Full Story
CYouth Pride Center last week announced that it has been awarded a grant by The Crossroads Fund Youth Fund to help organize 10 gay-straight alliances in Chicago Public Schools on the South Side. YPC is focusing on schools where most of its youth attend and... Full Story
Cincinnati gays want hate crime charges in slaying
Some 175 people in Cincinnati took out a full-page ad in the city’s daily newspaper May 1 to press police into pursuing hate crime charges in the slaying of a gay man in March. James McGee, 43, died April 22, almost a month after he was brutally beaten by two teenage... Full Story
Boehmer officially welcomed at Sidetrack event
GLBT business and community leaders officially welcomed the 23rd District’s new police commander, Kathleen Boehmer, at a reception at Sidetrack April 30. More than 100 people attended the event, including most owners and managers of Halsted’s GLBT business community in Lakeview.... Full Story
Australia enacts gay rights laws
CANBERRA, Australia—Australia’s new government won praise April 30 for its plan to eliminate discrimination against gay couples in more than 100 laws, but even those applauding said it should go further and approve same-sex marriages... Full Story
MEXICO CITY—Gay actor, activist and nightclub owner Tito Vasconcelos was released from jail April 30 in Mexico City, five days after he was arrested in a bizarre episode stemming from complaints by a rival... Full Story
Presbyterian minister wins church court ruling
TIBURON, Calif.—The highest court of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has ruled that a California minister did not violate denominational law when she officiated at the weddings of two lesbian couples... Full Story
Freestyle: arts, entertainment & lifestyle
David Hockney’s new Landscapes
David Hockney (1937- ) is a celebrated British artist who was at first loosely associated with the 1960s “pop art” movement because of his early, simplified style. But he moved beyond that narrow category with his creation of etchings, portraits, composite photographs and stage designs... Full Story
‘True’ blue: an interview with Cyndi Lauper
Whether you had the opportunity to catch the first True Colors tour when it came your way in 2007 or you missed out on it, Cyndi Lauper is returning with her musical and comical pals, both queer and straight, to add some color to your Pride... Full Story
Harvey Fierstein imbues new work with his passion for theater
NEW YORK—Harvey Fierstein, four-time Tony Award-winning actor, playwright and singer, has just turned down a part in an Adam Sandler movie. Meanwhile, in his dressing room at the Walter Kerr... Full Story
Freeview: Movie Reviews & Calendar
“Iron Man” (Paramount)—Even if you aren’t a comic book geek and the names Tony Stark, Obadiah Stane or even unlikely superhero Iron Man have no meaning to you, you’ll probably be entertained, at the very least... Full Story
Grand diva Diana Ross had so much to sing about after she left the Supremes that Motown released not one but two solo discs by her in 1970. The first one, an eponymous masterwork that featured a majority of Ashford & Simpson... Full Story
Fri., May 9: The Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence, welcomes the hipster line-up of M.I.A. and Holy F*ck at 7:30 p.m. Call (773) 561-9500. More Listings
On the waterfront: Cool products for hot days on and by the water
A gift arrived via UPS not too long ago. The box was super long and heavy. The neighbors joked about someone sending me a coffin. But no, the gift was more thoughtful than that—a kayak... Full Story
Find warmth and great fare at Gruppo di Amici
Although it’s been open less than two years, Gruppo di Amici has become a favorite gathering spot for many friends. Since “Gruppo di Amici” is loosely translated as “circle of friends... Full Story
CHICAGO—It was a remarkable, if short-lived, 19th century blue-collar utopia. George M. Pullman, famous and wealthy from the luxurious sleeping car that bore his name, in 1880 began building whole... Full Story