Man alleges abuse by cops

A south suburban resident has a filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Markham and three of its police officers, alleging that he was subjected to anti-gay harassment when his home was raided by police Memorial Day weekend. Full Story

Opinion

According to tradition, our Pilgrim ancestors celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 to give thanks for their survival to the god they came to America to worship freely. They prepared a small feast of native game and... Full Story

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
There’s no gift exchange. There’s no Easter Egg hunting. There’s no fireworks to wait outside for, greeting cards to remember to buy and no forced celebration of the military... Full Story

Nation Report

SEA CLIFF, N.Y.—Two women have been arrested in an anti-gay attack on a former “Top Chef” reality show contestant and her friends, police said. Nassau County police... Full Story

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—A Kentucky doctor nominated by President Bush to be U.S. surgeon general has resigned as a board member of Asbury Theological Seminary... Full Story

TOLEDO, Ohio—The Toledo City Council approved an ordinance Nov. 13 to allow gay or other unmarried couples to register their domestic partnerships as proof of eligibility for benefits such as health care... Full Story

OKLAHOMA CITY—A 62-year-old man whose body was found in a McClain County, Okla., ditch earlier this month may have been the victim of a hate crime, according to... Full Story

HAYWARD, Calif.—The Hayward Police Department is facing accusations of creating a hostile work environment for women and lesbians in a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen women... Full Story

SAN FRANCISCO—The city of San Francisco has tentatively approved a program to provide identification cards to illegal immigrants, transgender people and other residents who may be unable... Full Story

PHOENIX—A Scottsdale, Ariz., bar owner and a transgendered woman have agreed to a settlement in a yearlong battle over use of the saloon’s bathroom... Full Story

NEW YORK—Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force announced last week that they have received a $500,000 grant from the Arcus Gay and Lesbian Fund to support a joint national... Full Story

HARRISBURG, Pa.—An expansion of Pennsylvania’s hate-crimes law to cover gays and the disabled has been nullified by a state court, which found that the Pennsylvania Legislature unlawfully used an agricultural-crime bill... Full Story

Freestyle: arts, entertainment & lifestyle

Reggie’s Rock Club, 2109 S. State St., welcomes Buck 65, with Bernard Dolan and Yea Big and Kid Static, at 9 p.m. Call (312) 949-0125. More

Twenty years ago, gay filmmaker Todd Haynes revolutionized the biopic industry with his acclaimed but controversial short film “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.” With “I’m Not There”... Full Story

In theaters: “Beowulf” (Paramount/Warner Brothers)—Based on the epic poem “Beowulf,” there is nothing poetic about Robert Zemeckis’s big-screen adaptation, although it does approach being an epic... Full Story

Art

In 1955, 25-year-old Jasper Johns seemed to burst onto the New York art scene with something shocking: a painting of an American flag. The painting was a direct challenge to... Full Story

Home

Going green for the holidays

For many eco-conscious shoppers, this year’s holiday wish list includes an earth-friendly Christmas tree. Figuring out what that is, however, isn’t easy... Full Story

Dining

Find good, traditional Italian fare at Sabatino’s

With “The Sopranos” off the air, I really miss getting my weekly dose of Italian stereotypes. So we headed out west on Irving Park Road to a place that’s been around for more than 25 years... Full Story

Music

It’s been a little more than a year since Bob Dylan put out his acclaimed “Modern Times” disc but he is still very much in the public consciousness... Full Story

More News

FreeForm

OK—could someone please explain to me which religious beliefs or notions of morality are violated by a video game in which, for a brief moment, a female human and a female alien share a passionate kiss? Full Story

Advocates urge calls to state reps to support unions bill

Officials and community activists met Nov. 13 for a community update on the progress of Illinois House Bill 1826, the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, which would allow civil unions in Illinois. Full Story

Davis, state reps and advocates celebrate AIDS scratch-off

Elected officials, activists and community members gathered for a reception at Garfield Park Conservatory Nov. 17 to celebrate last month’s passage of the Quality of Life legislation... Full Story

Vigil, gala mark annual Day of Remembrance

Community members braved cold winds Nov. 18 on the roof deck of the Center on Halsted to observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorating people who... Full Story

Local HRC officials draw heat at packed meeting

Members of the Human Rights Campaign’s Chicago steering committee faced an angry crowd upset with HRC’s endorsement of a non-gender-inclusive version of the proposed Employment... Full Story

Windy City Black Pride founder fights ‘coup’

A group’s effort to take ownership over Windy City Black Pride has led to legal action by WCBP founder and president Charles Nelson aimed at his retaining leadership... Full Story

Organ recipients get HIV from donor

A woman in her 30s who is one of the four organ transplant patients in Chicago infected with HIV and hepatitis was not told that the infected donor was high risk, and had previously rejected... Full Story

Lakeview Lutheran church ordains lesbian minister

Lakeview’s Resurrection Lutheran Church, citing a tradition that goes back to Martin Luther, ordained the Rev. Jen Rude to the ministry Nov. 7 despite her refusal to take a... Full Story

Lutheran bishops in Norway OK gay ministers with partners

OSLO, Norway—Norway’s state Lutheran church lifted an outright ban Nov. 16 on allowing those living in gay and lesbian partnerships to serve in... Full Story

Gay mayor touts Ferndale’s changes

FERNDALE, Mich.—Craig Covey thinks Ferndale is setting a positive example by being so accepting of the sizable gay population in the city and its growing role in government... Full Story

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah—Salt Lake City’s mayoral race is over with Democrat Ralph Becker’s landslide triumph. But the buzz of a “gayborhood” unfolding in the Marmalade area west of Capitol Hill is still ringing...Full Story

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—Thousands of Argentines waving rainbow flags marched in the annual Gay Pride Parade Nov. 17 in Buenos Aires, where some said they still face discrimination in one of the most gay-friendly cities in Latin... Full Story

Theater Reviews

It’s not fair, really, to judge John Patrick Shanley’s new play, “Defiance,” by the yard stick of his 2005 Pulitzer and Tony winner, “Doubt.” Yet comparisons are probably unavoidable... Full Story

Recycling classical stories into a modern movie musical, writers David Landay and Lawrence Kasha combined the legend of the Romans’ “rape” of the Sabine women (who, after being kidnapped... Full Story

Joe Orton loved to poke his fingers squarely in society’s eyes. The British gay playwright’s output in the 1960s—full of rampant sexuality of all stripes, plus incest and violence—both scandalized and titillated... Full Story

Editorial

No, it hasn’t really seemed like it yet, what with relatively balmy weather for most of the fall, at least by Chicago standards, but the holiday season is in full swing, with all the parties, dinner traditions... Full Story

As we approach the 20th anniversary of Mayor Harold Washington’s sudden and tragic death while in office, it is encouraging to see the GLBT community recalling the man... Full Story

Freetime

Midlife Crisis No. 189: Oh Pooh!!

I wasn’t surprised when Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling announced at Carnegie Hall that Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, was gay, as there’s... Full Story

Back in the day: November 21-27

1968: The Inner Circle, 1844 N. Wells, presents “Slash Your Wrists,” described as “an incisive exploration of our Gay whirl in the form of an intimate musical.” The bar was... Full Story

A mighty wind

“A Mighty Heart” (Paramount Vantage/Paramount Home Entertainment)—Angelina Jolie’s questionable acting abilities are put to the test in her pet project, based on... Full Story

Dance Vibes: Why Britney isn’t M.I.A.

A world without Britney would be a glorious and safer place, y’all. Just think about it. No more studio enhanced vocals. No more zombie dance moves. Perhaps even a few less dented bumpers... Full Story

Horoscopes: Go ask Alice: November 21-27

They say that eyes are the windows to the soul, which means that vaginas and buttholes are telescopes into the subconscious and toes are the piglets of our inner essence... Full Story

Shopping

Oh, it was about 10 years ago now that I attended my first GLBT gala in Chicago. I shined up my pair of brown “dress” shoes, pulled my best interview suit out of the closet... Full Story