March 19, 2008
Opinion
The other day, a gay man I met told me a very sad story. He lived year-round in the gay mecca of Provincetown for a good long time. On the off-season, he said, locals and the few visitors would hang out together in bars and coffee shops. These small bands, over time, became... Full Story
I tend to take taxicabs if it is bitterly cold or late at night or my destination is some distance away. And I will chat with the driver if he seems open to it—that is, not talking continuously on his cell phone. One day I was chatting with the driver and he asked if I was married. I could have given the short answer and let it go, but I ventured, “I can’t get married... Full Story
Nation Report
UPS inks deal with gay group to expand diversity
ATLANTA—UPS Inc., the world’s largest shipping carrier, is stepping up its supplier diversity efforts to include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender-owned businesses. The Atlanta-based company said March 11 it is partnering with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce... Full Story
University of Hawaii looks at housing for gay couples
HONOLULU—A University of Hawaii official says the school is working on a policy to admit same-sex couples into family housing. A gay couple is suing the university for not allowing them to return to the housing area they lived in last year because it’s reserved for married couples... Full Story
Ohio lawmakers push non-discrimination bill
COLUMBUS, Ohio—After Jimmie Beall was fired from a teaching job she loved because she was a lesbian, she made a promise to her students that she’d fight to prevent the same thing from happening to others... Full Story
Bill would strengthen Colorado’s anti-bias law
DENVER—A year after protecting gays and lesbians from being fired from their jobs, Colorado state lawmakers are considering outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation in other areas... Full Story
New law penalizes people who purposely spread AIDS
PIERRE, S.D.—A new South Dakota law that goes on the books July 1 requires people to register as sex offenders if found guilty of purposely infecting sex partners with the AIDS virus... Full Story
Robinson says no to Anglican church’s ‘non-offer’
NEW YORK—The first openly gay Episcopal bishop announced last week he plans to have no official role in a meeting this summer of world Anglican leaders, saying restrictions that organizers wanted to place on his involvement had caused him “considerable pain.”... Full Story
Gregoire signs new partners law in Washington
OLYMPIA, Wash.—Domestic partners in Washington state were granted more than 170 of the benefits and responsibilities given to married couples under a measure signed into law March 12 by Gov. Chris Gregoire... Full Story
Editorial
We’re living through a challenging moment right now. Our economic system is showing a lot of strain and uncertainty, something that’s affecting a lot of Americans—and Chicagoans—personally. Some of that’s reflected in our political climate. We’ve gone beyond just having tensions between... Full Story
In response to the “No to labeling” letter to the editor in the March 12 Chicago Free Press, it is clear to me that the person who wrote this letter has spent little, if any, time in either our neighborhood or the Center on Halsted... Full Story
Freetime
I guess we’ve all heard the anti-gay statements of Rep. Sally Kern of Oklahoma City broadcast on youtube.com by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Kern was secretly taped ranting to a private audience of 50 Republicans... Full Story
SCORPIO: Staying too close to normal won’t get you where you want to go. Invitations to parts unknown need to be accepted. Being in the right place at the right time is crucial. Stay open and remember: Miracles come in all shapes and sizes. More
Back in the day: Moments in Chicago's GLBT history
1976: Maturity, a new gay group for over-40s, meets at 100 N. LaSalle St. The featured speaker is Tom Lembo of the Institute for Human Relations, who speaks on the topic “Sex Begins At 40.”... Full Story
“Lars and the Real Girl” (MGM Home Entertainment)—There were probably more than a few people put off by the perceived premise of “Lars and The Real Girl,” i.e., a social misfit and his relationship with the life-sized, anatomically correct doll he purchased over the Internet... Full Story
CFP reviews "Mating Season" & "Hot Truckin'"... Full Story
News
OK—so the Catholic Church is the world’s richest landholder. It also owns billions of dollars worth of art, gold and other items. It has tens of thousands of employees actively working to recruit new members and solicit donations and has managed to convince governments around the world that all of its activities should be exempt from taxation... Full Story
Local McDonald’s executive named to NGLCC board
The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce announced March 12 that Richard Ellis, vice president of communications for McDonald’s USA, has been elected to its board of directors. “We could not be more delighted with the addition of Richard to the board,” said NGLCC President... Full Story
UIC forum highlights school’s GLBT-related research
Faculty and graduate students from the University of Illinois-Chicago gathered March 12 for the Lavender Research Forum, a conference presenting research pertaining to GLBTs in a variety of academic disciplines... Full Story
Results from major CDC/CDPH HIV survey revealed
Results from the first project measuring population-based estimates of demographic, social and behavioral characteristics associated with HIV infection and testing services in Chicago were unveiled March 17 at the monthly meeting of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s Policy and Advocacy Committee... Full Story
Gay advisor to Obama quits after uproar over email
A prominent gay advisor to Sen. Barack Obama resigned from his presidential campaign March 11 after an uproar arose over an email he sent out March 6 slamming Obama’s rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and invoking her husband’s affair with Monica Lewinsky... Full Story
McGreeveys fight gets nastier over sex allegations
TRENTON, N.J.—A former aide to New Jersey ex-Gov. Jim McGreevey claims he had sexual trysts with McGreevey and his now-estranged wife while they dated before the governor took office. Theodore Pedersen detailed multiple trysts in interviews March 16 with The Star-Ledger of Newark and the New York Post... Full Story
U.S. syphilis rates climb for seventh year in a row
The U.S. syphilis rate climbed for the seventh consecutive year, according to data released last week at the 2008 National STD Prevention Conference held at the Chicago Hilton and Towers. The number of new cases is relatively low—11,181 in 2007—but the increasing numbers worry public health officials... Full Story
OSLO, Norway—The Norwegian government proposed a marriage law March 14 that would give gay couples the same rights as heterosexuals, including church weddings, adoption and assisted pregnancies. The new legislation would replace a 1993 law that granted gays the right... Full Story
Britain grants reprieve to Iranian gay seeking asylum
LONDON—The British government is reconsidering its decision to deny asylum to a gay Iranian teenager who claims his life would be at risk in his homeland. The fate of 19-year-old Mehdi Kazemi was put in Britain’s hands after he was refused asylum in the Netherlands. Full Story
Freestyle: arts, entertainment & lifestyle
Lifestyle: Artful Wear: Dressing for the gallery reception
Salvador Dali wrote in 1953, “Every morning upon awakening, I experience a supreme pleasure: that of being Salvador Dali, and I ask myself, wonderstruck, what prodigious thing will he do today, this Salvador Dali.”... Full Story
Chicago’s spring art season begins in early April and hits high intensity with the annual city-wide “Artropolis” festivities, April 25-28, highlighted by the “Art Chicago” exhibition on the 12th floor of the Merchandise Mart... Full Story
The best‘revenge’: an interview with out musician Kaki King
Calling from a roadside café in Arkansas on her way to Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest Festival, acclaimed guitarist Kaki King was in a terrific mood. At one point she apologized for laughing during the interview as she watched out the window as her band... Full Story
Theater: The Trip to Bountiful
The kindness of strangers is usually contrasted to the cruelty of kin, seldom more so than in this still-glowing 1953 gem by 94-year-old Texas playwright Horton Foote. Its very principal character is Carrie Watts, a hymn-singing... Full Story
By now, Court Theatre—the Hyde Park company dedicated to the classics—is well-known for an artistic venture it began several years ago to reinterpret classic musical theater. On the theater’s intimate stage, director Charles Newell and his collaborator, musical... Full Story
If “M. Butterfly” weren’t based on a real-life story, you’d laugh it off the stage: David Henry Hwang’s 1988 Tony-anointed best play unveils a French diplomat’s 20-year affair with a Chinese actress—an affair that ends horribly when his lover is revealed not only to be a Communist... Full Story
“Paranoid Park” (IFC Films)—Gay filmmaker Gus Van Sant continues his fascination with teen culture in “Paranoid Park,” his big-screen adaptation of the Blake Nelson novel... Full Story
Bell X1 plays Schuba’s, 3159 N. Southport, at 9 p.m. Call (773) 525-2508. More
Shelby Lynne is part of a growing trend of country divas exploring musical opportunities outside of their genre. Suzy Bogguss did it in 2007 with “Sweet Danger” and now Lynne has moved in a similar direction. “Just A Little... Full Story
It was one of those days. I overslept and was running late for work. I hit every red light and, of course, it was the one day that I had a morning meeting scheduled. I tried running out the agenda and my printer jammed after the first copy, so I dashed over to the copier and... Full Story
Flat-screens mean new options for TV placement
Kim Shaver’s not ready to eulogize the armoire. “The demise of the armoire is greatly overstated,” says the spokeswoman for Hooker Furniture, which specializes in entertainment units. “It’s one of—if not the most—classic pieces of furniture. I don’t think it’s going to go away.” Full Story