April 23, 2008
Nation Report
New York Rangers team
agrees to target gay taunts
NEW YORK—Representatives of the New York Rangers professional hockey team and Madison Square Garden met with gay advocates and openly lesbian New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn April 16 and agreed to take action to lessen anti-gay slurs in the stands at the team’s games... Full Story
Man pleads guilty after hate crime charge is dropped
FARMINGTON, N.M.—A man accused in the attack of another man believed to be gay pleaded no contest April 15 to reduced charges that dropped a one-year hate crime sentencing enhancement.
Jerry Paul, 40, pleaded no contest to a felony count of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor... Full Story
Judge dismisses hate crime charges in Yale singers case
SAN FRANCISCO—A judge has dismissed felony charges against two men accused of attacking Yale University singers in a New Year’s Eve brawl.
Judge Kathleen Kelly dropped the felony charges against 20-year-olds Brian Dwyer and Richard Aicardi April 16, saying prosecutors lacked evidence... Full Story
Two women first to register
as partners in Salt Lake City
SALT LAKE CITY—Two women registered as unmarried domestic partners April 17, the first under a Salt Lake City ordinance.
The city’s registry is promoted as a way for employers to voluntarily extend health care and other benefits to people with domestic partners. They could be gay couples, siblings, long-term roommates and parents... Full Story
Personnel book with ban on anti-gay bias disappears
RALEIGH, N.C.—North Carolina’s state government personnel office has removed from its website a personnel handbook that banned anti-gay discrimination.
The prohibition was in one of two copies of the handbook posted online. The removal came after North... Full Story
Battle over ‘Joy of Sex’
books goes on in Idaho
MERIDIAN, Idaho—The battle over whether two sex education books belong on the shelves of the Nampa (Idaho) Public Library is far from over.
The library board says it needs more time to determine whether copies of “The New Joy of Sex” and “The Joy of Gay Sex” should... Full Story
Number of gay and lesbian couples rises in New Mexico
SANTA FE—The number of same-sex couples in New Mexico has increased about 35 percent between 2000 and 2005, a study released recently showed.
Researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles School of Law found New Mexico in 2005 was home... Full Story
Rights advocates outline opposition to Maine referendum
AUGUSTA, Maine—Gay rights advocates are protesting a proposed referendum question submitted last week aimed at banning gay marriage and repealing Maine’s gay rights law. Full Story
Editorial
There’s an important election coming up in November, one that could shape our lives for decades, and almost no one is talking about it. No, we’re not talking about the presidential race—most of our readers, we hope, are well aware of what’s at stake in that election... Full Story
On April 9 Equality Illinois and hundreds of volunteers came to the Capitol in Springfield to lobby legislators to pass the Civil Union Act introduced by State Rep. Greg Harris. I want to extend my support and appreciation for this mission. Let’s.. Full Story
Opinion
Rain had snarled Nairobi’s traffic, so after waiting at a standstill for almost two hours, our driver Daniel roared over the divider, faced the oncoming traffic for a harrowing few seconds and pulled into a side road... Full Story
Dear Answer Guy: I am so excited about the “tax rebate” the government is sending to us as part of its economic stimulus package. But I want to spend it on something really nifty. What do you suggest? (signed) J.H... Full Story
Freetime
Midlife Crisis No. 207: No driving while fisting
Peter Hayes, a Canadian pagan who is into BDSM (Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Masochism, for you guys and dolls in Vanilla Land) is taking Vancouver police to court for discrimination after they refused to issue him a chauffeur’s license because he’s a freak... Full Story
TAURUS: APRIL 21-MAY 20: Putting the cart before the horse never works. You’re so busy thinking about what’s next you can’t see that there’s a ton of old business getting in the way. Back up and deal with it. Your big plans will go nowhere if you don’t... More
Back in the day: Moments in Chicago's GLBT history
2000: It’s Twilight Tales at the Red Lion Pub, 2446 N. Lincoln, with host Mark Zubro reading from his new novel “One Dead Drag Queen.” More
“Steel City” (Peace Arch Home Entertainment)—Before she became gay America’s sweetheart through her portrayal of Betty Sanchez in the popular TV series “Ugly Betty,” actress America Ferrara was making a name for herself in gritty... Full Story
CFP reviews "The Best of Mike Branson" & "Two Handfuls". Full Story
Theater
For a play about a co-dependent romance addict, “Nine” is curiously devoid of feeling. That’s one of several major problems with this musical based on Federico Fellini’s autobiographical film “8½.” The central character—the... Full Story
Reversing expectations implied by the pitch-black activities occurring in Shakespeare’s well-paced “Macbeth,” Greasy Joan and Co.’s current production of “the Scottish play” takes place in a brightly lit corridor reminiscent of a hospital... Full Story
It’s unfortunate when the best thing a play has going for it is its title—although, to be fair, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is a killer. With an appellation like that, you’d be forgiven for expecting Sarah Ruhl’s new work to be a thriller... Full Story
News
OK—Freeform has something useful for you this week. First, read this out loud, “I don’t recall going to that party.” Go ahead—say it two or three times. Now, say, “If I met Mr. Rezko, I don’t remember it. I meet a lot of people.” Good, good—now just for good measure, say, “No such conversation like that took... Full Story
AIDS Marathon experience changes lives forever
In 2007, Jason Taylor’s physician noticed that Taylor, who is HIV-positive, was getting healthier. His viral load was down and his T-cell count was up. “Every time I went to the doctor, my numbers kept getting better,” Taylor said. His doctor told him to keep doing... Full Story
Harris ‘very disappointed’ by defeat of benefits bill
The Illinois House on April 15 voted down 67-43 a bill that would have extended pension survivor benefits to same-sex partners of Illinois teachers. HB 4731, sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), was introduced at the request of the... Full Story
GLBT students plan Night of Noise April 25 downtown
Community activists and organizations join together in support of GLBT youth at the James R. Thompson Center downtown April 25 for the 2008 Night of Noise rally. The Night of Noise brings to a close the Chicago-area observance of the national Day of... Full Story
Amigas Latinas, Orgullo En Acción, the Association of Latin Men for Action and the Gay Liberation Network are leading a GLBT contingent for the immigrant rights march in Chicago May 1... Full Story
MONTEVIDEO—A gay couple celebrated Uruguay’s first civil union April 17, tying the knot in a brief ceremony in a courtroom in Montevideo... Full Story
Forum looks at sexuality and representations of gays
Community members and activists gathered at the Center on Halsted April 17 for a discussion on how gay male sexuality is represented in both medical circles and popular culture and by gay men themselves... Full Story
Lab finds HIV virus replicates much faster than believed
LOS ALAMOS, N.M.—Studies by Los Alamos National Laboratory suggest HIV spreads more quickly than previously thought, making the infection tougher to fight... Full Story
Iowa court hears response to pro-marriage arguments
DES MOINES, Iowa—The Polk County (Iowa) attorney’s office has filed a response to legal documents opposing the state’s ban on same-sex marriage... Full Story
Lance Bass makes ad for GLBT students
NEW YORK—Lance Bass doesn’t want others to stay silent as he did. So he’s made a public service announcement for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. The spot, which was distributed over the Internet... Full Story
CNN’s Quest busted on meth charge
NEW YORK—A gay CNN reporter was arrested April 18 in Central Park with a small amount of methamphetamine in his pocket, but he avoided jail time by agreeing to undergo drug counseling and therapy... Full Story
Freestyle: arts, entertainment & lifestyle
Toronto pride is a parade and more
Folks looking to celebrate GLBT Pride should go to Toronto for Pride Week at least once in their lives. It just might be the best celebration of Pride in North America. In terms of size, Toronto’s annual Pride Parade rivals the biggies—New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago—but in Toronto Pride is much more than a parade... Full Story
Sample Toronto’s exciting cuisine
Want a getaway that’s filled with excitement, surprise and passion? Then it’s time to take off for Toronto to sample some of the best dining in North America. Canada’s largest, most diverse city has become a popular vacation destination in recent decades for a number of reasons: It boasts a vibrant gay... Full Story
Toronto’s gay village is world-class
As in Chicago and elsewhere, Toronto’s GLBT nightlife is no longer confined to the city’s famous Gay Village. There are gay bars sprinkled throughout the metro area and in many neighborhoods GLBT residents mix with straights in nightspots of all sizes and stripes... Full Story
Check Out Toronto’s Hottest Tickets
There are plenty of reasons to go to Toronto anytime and visitors never have a problem finding something to see or do. But like any big city, Toronto’s events calendar is full of cultural celebrations and festivals year-round. Here are a few of the best events coming up this year... Full Story
Finding the right hotel in Toronto
Toronto offers a wide range of hotels and B&Bs. With the city’s excellent public transportation system, no matter where you stay, most popular destinations are a quick subway, streetcar or bus ride away... Full Story
Pretty as a postcard: products for traveling shutterbugs
Jonathan Richman sings a catchy little tune about Vincent Van Gogh: “He loved he loved he loved life so bad/His paintings had twice the color other paintings had/So bad so bad that the world had to know/The man loved color and he let it show.”... Full Story
“My Blueberry Nights” (Weinstein Company)—You’re going to wish you had a slice of warm blueberry pie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to give you a little sugar buzz after sitting through Wong Kar Wai’s drowsy English language debut “My Blueberry Nights.”... Full Story
Living in the past: Music from the 1950s & 1960s
With a Chess Records biopic in the works, starring Adrien Brody as record label founder Leonard Chess, it’s never too soon to get in a good rock music history lesson. The four-disc Chuck Berry compilation “Johnny B. Goode: His... Full Story
Simon says: An interview with Carly Simon
With “This Kind of Love” (Hear Music), Carly Simon has created a whole new chapter in her musical career. That’s saying something for someone who has made her mark in folk, pop, standards, film scores and more. The music on the “This... Full Story
Fri., April 25: Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark, presents The Juan MacLean, Mister Wolf and Onefiftyone at 10 p.m. Call (773) 549-4140. More
It’s finally happened, following record-breaking snow and what has been considered a very long winter—restaurants around the city are finally breaking out their outdoor tables and chairs as they prepare for an exciting spring season. After... Full Story
L.A. could lose Hollywood icon
LOS ANGELES—The world-famous HOLLYWOOD sign that has been used by TV and movie directors in more scene-setting shots than a film student could ever count was first erected in 1923 to promote... Full Story