Weekly news from the GLBT world http://www.windycitytimes.com/windycitytimes.html 2008-07-09T07:14:27-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://www.windycitytimes.com/images/publications/wct/2008-07-02/current.jpg text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Bob Roehr http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18814 The first-ever federal hearing on workplace protection from transgender persons took place June 26 before the education and labor subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Yasmin Nair http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18817 According to the Illinois Department of Public Health ; IDPH ; , the latest statistics on HIV indicate that the populations at greatest risk for new infections are African-American men who have sex with men, and African-American women. This is a marked shift from the early years of the epidemic, when HIV/AIDS was perceivedand stigmatizedas a white gay men';s disease. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Amy Wooten http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18818 Medical students and AIDS activists rallied outside the Chicago offices of Sens. Barack Obama and Dick Durbin June 26 in order to pressure them to help bring a stalled global health bill to a vote. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Amy Wooten http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18801 A rather unique Pride Parade made history as it welcomed John Pennycuff and Robert Castillo ; pictured ; , who married in San Francisco last Friday. Photo by Kat Fitzgerald. See many more by Tracy Baim, Robb Olson, Amy Wooten and Kat Fitzgerald at text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Jonathan Abarbanel, Theater Editor http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18813 Hard to believe it';s Independence Day already. Jonny still hasn';t quite caught up with the summer season, which is too bad ‘cause there';s just so dang much going on. For instance, July will see a return to Chicago by performance artist and activist Tim Miller, who will be here the very same week that Milly';s Orchid Show celebrates its 21st anniversary. What';s a gossip columnist to do? If you were Jonnyof course, you';re not Jonny; how could anyone be Jonny?which would be your lead story? text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com MARK CORECE http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18815 Due to conflict and disputes, 2007 was an unstable year for Windy City Black Pride. After a successful pride celebration with former president Charles Nelson, the then-9-year-old organization began to wilt when accusations of Nelson being incompetent and an overzealous leader bothered board members. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18816 By JOHN LENDMAN text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18819 View the photo gallery at www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com/photos/BacklotBash2008-KatFitzgerald text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Rex Wockner http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18822 Police stop first text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Amy Wooten http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18826 The U.S. Army';s Criminal Investigation Command has ruled lesbian Army National Guard Corporal Ciara Durkin';s death a suicide. Durkin was found dead in Afghanistan last fall from a gunshot wound to the head. Durkin';s family had publicly voiced concern over her death because she told family members that she was concerned about her safety. One family member also thought that Durkin may have been targeted because of her sexuality, although no evidence supported that speculation. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18836 The annual Windy City Times 30 Under 30 Awards ceremony was held June 20 at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted. All but two of the honorees were able to make the event, and many brought fans, parents, family and partners. The awards were co-sponsored by Howard Brown Health Center, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Chicago House, Center on Halsted and Windy City Media Group. Windy City Media Group';s Amy Matheny and Season of Concern';s Stephen Rader were the co-hosts. Photos were taken by Kat Fitzgerald. See the June 25 edition of Windy City Times for biographies and fun facts about this year';s winners: text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Richard Knight, Jr. http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18838 Thirty years after receiving international acclaim for the gory, sensual and visually stunning horror film Suspiria, Italian filmmaker Dario Argento has, at last, completed the third part of his supernatural horror trilogy with The Mother of Tears. The three films ; of which part two, Inferno, was released in 1980 ; are the loosely connected stories of three ancient witchesThe Three Motherswho use their black magic to rain death and destruction upon the world. The films are all shot in the giallo style and Argento is often described as the father of the genre. Giallo is the Italian word used to describe a genre of horror filmmaking that incorporates graphic, extended murder sequences with tons of bloodletting ; usually of women ; , stylish camerawork, baroque settings, and highly theatrical music scores. By that definition, Argento';s The Mother of Tears is the mother of giallo movies. It';s also an incomprehensible messat turns campy, sexy, silly, overtly gory and, for fleeting seconds here and there, even scary. In short, it is a very entertaining fiasco. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Amy Wooten http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18792 Cook County commissioners just approved a measure that changes a county ordinance to benefit same-sex couples that get married in another state. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18802 Pridefest 2008 photos by Kat Fitzgerald. Many more photos at www.windycitymediagroup.com/photos/PRIDEFEST2008-KatFitzgerald and at www.MysticImagesPhotography.com. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Yasmin Nair http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18803 This year, Dyke March moved to Pilsen, and attracted over a thousand people, according to organizersthe largest contingent in its history. In the weeks beforehand, several questions were raised, including one often voiced anonymously: Are there any queers in Pilsen? text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18804 Joe La Pat, an Army veteran and a longtime supporter of Chicago charities, died suddenly and unexpectedly in his home Sun., June 29. La Pat and his partner of 39 years, Dick Uyvari, were frequent backers of numerous gay organizations, including the Center on Halsted and Gay Games VII in Chicago. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18805 Robert Castillo, 40, and John Pennycuff, 44, remarried at San Francisco';s City Hall June 27. In 2004, the couple went to San Francisco and got married. However, a subsequent decision by the state';s supreme court nullified their marriage. This past Sunday, they celebrated with tens of thousands of people at Chicago';s 39th Annual Pride Parade. Photo courtesy of Castillo and Pennycuff text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com JOHN LENDMAN http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18806 With the dust settling on the Great California gay-marriage rush, state legislators in Illinois are working on passing the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act ; House Bill 1826 ; as a model for the rest of the Nation to follow. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Rev. Irene Monroe http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18807 What started out in Washington, D.C., as the only Black Gay Pride event in the country in 1990 has grown to more than 35 gatherings nationwide? text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18808 Dance hall days text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18809 Tickets for the popular 17th annual Dance for Life benefit are now on sale. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18810 The Family Equality Council, co-sponsored by the Center on Halsted and Orgullo en Accion, will focus on Chicago LGBT families when it brings two of its groundbreaking programs to Center on Halsted for a one-day event. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18811 GenderPAC will stir up some fun at its Chicago Celebrity Cook-Off on July 26. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18812 $160 million to the Department of Defense for developing a device that can jam gaydar. Now I don';t know if this is anti-gay or pro-gay or if such a device would even work. But I do know this: Jamming gaydar is not a federal responsibility. That';s something that';s best left to state and local governments. John McCain talking about pork-barrel spending on TV';s Saturday Night Live, May 17. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Richard Knight, Jr. http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18820 Legendary Broadway ; �Candide,� �The Music Man,� �She Loves Me� ; and cabaret performer Barbra Cook has beguiled audiences for over half a century. Her crystalline soprano continues to astound and shows little sign of wear and tear and at 80, the dynamic singer shows no sign of slowing down. A longtime favorite of gay audiences, Cook returns to Ravinia Sun., July 6, and Mon., July 7, for a program focusing on love songs. Cook had just returned from performance dates in London when she spoke with Windy City Times. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com JIM EDMINSTER http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18823 From the Just-Wait-There';ll-Be-a-Monument-to-Everything file, the Chicago Sun-Times ; June 24 ; reports a fact that may be of interest to a certain segment of the gay community. A new tourist attraction is available to them in Zheleznovdsk, Russia: It is an ... 800-pound bronze syringe bulb held aloft by angels. The putti ; baby angels ; and the bulb celebrate, yes, the enema. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Andrew Davis http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18824 Out Chicago-based photographer/painter Matt Lew has literally put a global spin on his works, thanks to everything from his three years living in Spain to the water ; from such sources as the Caribbean and Hawaii';s Kauai waterfalls ; that he uses in his images. Now, CB2 ; the Crate and Barrel offshoot ; is bringing Lew';s unique artistic insight to the world by launching an exclusive collection, Everything Urban, Mon., July 7, in stores and online. Lew talked with Windy City times in his North Side home about his artistic roots and future. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18825 Edited by Michael T. Luongo text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Yasmin Nair http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18827 Chicago';s annual Pride Parade is a popular spectacle for queer Chicagoans and their straight allies. But even its most ardent supporters often wonder if Pride, meant to commemorate Stonewall, has retained its insurgent and activist roots. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18828 At: United Center, 1901 W. Madison, text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18829 Playwright: Sam Shepard text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18830 STUDENT ONE-ACT SERIES text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18833 Playwright: Charlotte Thompson text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18834 Playwright: Victor Bumbalo text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com Scott C. Morgan http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18835 Noel Coward';s 1925 comedy Hay Fever is a trifle. Practically nothing happens plot-wise, nor is there any major character development. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18837 On June 28, the Chicago Frontrunners/Frontwalkers held its annual Proud to Run races. Over 800 individuals pre-registered for the event, according to the organizations'; Web site. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18839 View the photo gallery at www.windycitymediagroup.com/photos/QUEERPROM2008-KatFitzgerald text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18841 Former North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helmswho opposed gays and liberals during his three-decade run in the U.S. Congressdied on the Fourth of July, according to the Associated Press. He was 86. text/html 2008-07-02T05:00:00-06:00 http://www.windycitytimes.com http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18842 Thomas Beatie, 34, the transman who made headlines when he announced he was pregnant in The Advocate, gave birth July 3 to a healthy daughter, according to ABC News.