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Virtual OPALGA+ gala slated for Oct. 24
OPALGA+/Oak Park Area Lesbian & Gay Association will hold a virtual scholarship gala Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. The event will feature video clips from the organization's scholarship winners, the Founder's Award celebration and opportunities ...
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Holocaust Museum's virtual soiree Sept. 2
On Wed., Sept. 2, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center's Women's Leadership Committee will host its annual soirée virtually. The event will stream live from a studio with a star-studded line-up featuring a musical performance by ...
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American Blues kicks off reading series Aug. 7 with 'A Shot'
American Blues Theater ( ABT ), under the leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announced "The Room"—a brand-new reading series that brings original work, plays in development and new stories to Chicago audiences. "The Room" will ...
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Cerqua Rivera Dance unveils new schedule
After some restructuring, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre has announced its plans to develop work in this time, about this time. Cerqua Rivera's 2020 new work creatively responds to and utilizes social distancing. Work will be created ...
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Fellowship for local Black theater artists announced
The League of Chicago Theatres announced The Samuel G. Roberson Jr. Resident Fellowship, a grant to fund a residency for early to mid-career Black theater artists based in Chicago for a one-year partnership with a Chicago-area ...
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Local lesbian couple celebrate 50 years together
When Alice Cozad and Linda Young met each other as freshmen at the University of Iowa they knew almost instantly that they would be together as a couple for the rest of their lives. "The electricity ...
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Asha Ransby-Sporn talks building on the anti-racism movement's legacy
With anti-racism protests happening around the United States, in what some media outlets are saying is the largest movement in this country's history, demands to abolish the police have increasingly been a part of the rallying ...
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Restorative juvenile courts coming to Avondale, Englewood
The Circuit Court of Cook County is set to launch its latest effort to address nonviolent crime and prevent recidivism with the opening of new Restorative Justice Community Courts in Chicago's Avondale and Englewood neighborhoods, Chief ...
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WCPA names William Southerland as new artistic director
Local LGBTQ+ choral organization Windy City Performing Arts ( WCPA ) has named Dr. William Southerland as the artistic director of Windy City Gay Chorus and Windy City Treble Quire. Southerland joins WCPA following a seven-year ...
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People sought for LGBTQ South Side needs assessment survey
Pride Action Tank ( PAT ) is seeking input on people's needs, inspirations and preferences through an anonymous needs assessment survey. Completing the needs assessment will help PAT better advocate for individuals; strengthen partnerships with existing ...
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STREAMING
THEATER REVIEW Alas: A Monologue from Matei Visniec's Cabaret of Words
Playwright: Matei Visniec, translation by Daniela Silindean. At: Trap Door Theatre streaming online . Tickets: TrapDoorTheatre.com; $10 suggested donation. Runs through: Sept. 4 Romania's location amid the quasi-feudal Balkan states has endowed it with a history ...
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SPORTS Lindsay Frounfelkner takes over Chicago LGBTQ+ sports league
Lindsay Frounfelkner joined the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) in 2008 to play in the Open Sunday Softball League with one of her best friends, Brian Frazee, on the Just Us League team ( ...
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Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame announces 2020 inductees, virtual ceremony
--From a press release
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame was founded in 1991 to honor people and entities, nominated by the community, who have made significant contributions to the quality of life or well-being of the LGBT community in ...
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Sky end Mystics' undefeated season
On Aug. 1, the Chicago Sky ended the Washington Mystics' status as the WNBA's lone undefeated team by stopping them 88-86. Among other achievements, the Sky shot 48 percent from the three-point line, and Chicago's bench ...
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Ken Ilio, one of the first gay men to marry in Illinois, dies at 63
Keneth Yerro Ilio—who became one of the first gay men to wed in Illinois when he married Ron Dorfman in December 2013—has died in Chicago. He was 63. Windy City Times reported that on Dec. 16, ...
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SAVOR Chef James Sanders gets 'Dirty' with Southern cuisine
DISH Dining Guide
Chef James Sanders—after navigating everything from working for the Chicago Bears to living the quintessential corporate life—is reopening Dirty Birds Southern Kitchen on Friday, Aug. 4, at 8052 S. Racine Ave., in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood. ...
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Teen LGBTQ+ activist aims to inspire with Be You Tiful Initiative
Allison Frank is a 16-year-old lesbian activist from Lincolnshire's Stevenson High School who found her passion for activism and began the Be You Tiful Initiative. It all started when Frank was feeling overwhelmed in a makeup ...
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COVID-19: Lightfoot announces $6.2M for Together Now applicants
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced that the city is awarding $6.2 million in grant allocations to the Together Now fund applicants. The Together Now fund was launched last month—in partnership with Chicago Community Trust and One ...
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Pritzker announces new approach for juvenile justice
On July 31, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton announced the 21st Century Illinois Transformation Model—a new plan that aims to transform the state's juvenile-justice system over the next four years. The model ...
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MOVIES Reeling taking place virtually Sept. 24-Oct. 4
The 38th edition of Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival will be held as an online virtual event from Sept. 24-Oct. 4. Chicago Filmmakers, the presenting organization of Reeling, made the decision to go virtual ...
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Blackhawks ban Native American headdresses at games
The NHL team the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they are barring headdresses from their home games at the United Center as part of their pledge to honor the Native American community, according to USA Today. While ...
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Ald. Lopez's office vandalized again
Alderman Raymond Lopez said July 30 that his 15th Ward office in the Brighton Park neighborhood has been vandalized again, ABC7Chicago.com reported. He quoted Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a tweet that stated, "'We'll make sure ...
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Lollapalooza running virtually July 30-Aug. 2
The annual Chicago music event Lollapalooza is running virtually ( because of the COVID-19 pandemic ) July 30-Aug. 2 on its YouTube channel. Hosted by Perry and Etty Farrell, the free event will include more than ...
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Commissioners praise passage of 'Justice for Black Lives' resolution
Cook County commissioners Brandon Johnson and Kevin Morrison hailed the July 30 passage of the Justice for Black Lives Resolution by a near-unanimous vote of 15 to one (with one voting present). The resolution directs Cook ...
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Cicero student finds his voice
When Jorge Martinez-Arevalo was in eighth grade, he was elected president of an LGBTQ+ after-school club at Unity Junior High School, in Cicero. During his eighth-grade year, the club, which is known as NJAW ( short ...
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Wizard World postponed until June 24-27, 2021
Wizard Entertainment, Inc. announced that its Wizard World Chicago convention, originally scheduled for Aug. 20-23 at Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, has been postponed due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The revised dates for the ...
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SAVOR Surf's Up expands to Old Town
DISH Dining Guide
A new restaurant has opened in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood—and it's being welcomed with open arms. Having opened on Juneteenth ( June 19 ), the casual spot Surf's Up Old Town ( 1143 N. Wells St.; ...
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Lurie announces overhaul of pediatric intersex surgery policies
Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital announced July 28 that it will no longer perform irreversible genital surgical procedures on intersex patients until patients can participate in making the decision. The surgeries have long been controversial, ...
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About Face Theatre names new associate artistic director
About Face Theatre (AFT) welcomes Mikael Burke to its staff in the role of associate artistic director to lead AFT's education and new work development programs. Burke has been working with AFT since 2016, when he ...
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Greenhouse Theater stops creating shows
Greenhouse Theater Center co-owner William Spatz said July 27 that he no longer intends to produce theater at the multi-space Lincoln Park venue at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., formerly the home of the Victory Gardens Theater, ...
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COVID-19 Wisconsin added to Chicago's quarantine order
On July 27, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that Wisconsin will be the next state to join the 18 previously listed on the city's emergency travel order, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted. First enacted on July ...
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Steans calls for Madigan to resign
Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans is among those calling for Democratic Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan to step down from his post in the wake of his possible involvement in the ComEd bribery scandal. In a ...
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VIEWPOINT Coming-out letter
Mom, Starting this letter is by far one of the toughest things I have done in a long time, and trust me, I've done plenty of difficult things. First of all I want to note that ...
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Chicago Sky players to donate $10 to social justice for every point scored
--From a press release
CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky players will donate $10 for every point team scored, $100 for every win, and $50 for any loss throughout the 2020 WNBA season under a newly-unveiled social justice initiative called #SkyTakesAction, ...
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AgeOptions receives certification to serve older LGBTQ+ adults
Oak Park-based AgeOptions has received SAGECare Platinum certification, a distinction recognizing organizational competency to serve LGBT+ older adults, a press release noted. SAGECare is a division of SAGE—the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to ...
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Red Stars stopped in championship match
The Chicago Red Stars fell to the Houston Dash 2-0 in the NWSL ( National Women's Soccer League ) Challenge Cup Championship on July 26. The Red Stars played 27 players throughout the NWSL Challenge Cup—the ...
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Chicago Sky come back to down Vegas
On July 26, the Chicago Sky ( 1-0 ) staged a comeback to defeat the Las Vegas Aces ( 0-1 ) 88-86 in their joint WNBA opener. Chicago closed out the game on an 11-0 run, ...
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HBO to air 'Seeing America with Megan Rapinoe' Aug. 1
HBO Sports will air Seeing America with Megan Rapinoe—a conversation hosted by out women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe—on Saturday, Aug. 1, 9-9:30 p.m. CT, exclusively on HBO. Rapinoe will lead a conversation with U.S. Rep. Alexandria ...
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Wrightwood 659 showing Doshi exhibit Sept. 9-Dec. 12
Local art space Wrightwood 659, 659 W. Wrightwood Ave., will reopen with an exhibition devoted to the work of visionary Indian architect, urbanist and teacher Balkrishna Doshi. Recipient of the 2018 Pritzker Architecture Prize, Doshi ( ...
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Chicago Foundation for Women virtually holds 2020 Impact Awards
The Chicago Foundation for Women ( CFW ) virtually held the 2020 Impact Awards on July 23. CFW President/CEO Felicia Davis hosted the event and awarded the honorees. Davis began by explaining the importance of the ...
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NUNN ON ONE TV: Ashley Romans bites into juicy role on AMC series 'NOS4A2'
Based on Joe Hill's novel of the same name, the AMC series NOS4A2 spins a vampire's tale in unexpected directions. Out actor Zachary Quinto is the ominous Charlie Manx, who battles the gifted Vic McQueen, played ...
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Illinois Legislative Black Caucus mourns loss of two civil-rights leaders
Springfield, IL-July 22, 2020—The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus ( ILBC ) joins the country in mourning the loss of two heroes and iconic figures of the civil-rights movement: Congressman John Lewis and Rev. C.T. Vivian. These ...
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Oil Lamp Theater hosting drive-in premiere Aug. 7
Oil Lamp Theater Executive Director Jay Pastucha and Associate Artistic Director Stephen Smith announced Bad Dates, which will premiere Friday, Aug. 7, 6 and 8:30 p.m., in the parking lot of Our Lady of Perpetual Help ...
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VIEWPOINTS In support of the fair tax
Passage of the fair tax will improve the lives of the state's LGBTQ community. As CEO of Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer Illinoisans, I can attest that ...
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Columbus statues removed from Grant Park, Little Italy
Overnight on July 24, the city removed statues of Christopher Columbus statue from Grant Park and Little Italy, ABC 7 Chicago reported. The Grant Park statue started to come down at around 3:15 a.m.; the one ...
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Lawsuit filed to restrain surge of federal agents
A coalition of #BlackLivesMatter organizations, legal workers and journalists aligned with a consortium of civil-rights lawyers to file a federal civil-rights lawsuit seeking to restrain President Trump's promised surge of federal law-enforcement agents in Chicago. The ...
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg exhibit extended
The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center has extended the run of its exhibit "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. Based on the New York Times best-selling ...
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Preckwinkle announces $5M investment to help reduce violence
On July 24, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined ASIS Entertainment Network and several community-based organizations and street outreach workers to announce $5 million in new funding to reduce violence. Joining Preckwinkle were Vision of ...
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Red Stars reach championship
Bianca St. Georges, Rachel Hill and Savannah McCaskill score as the Chicago Red Stars advance to the NWSL Challenge Cup Final with a 3-2 victory over Sky Blue FC in the NWSL ( National Women's Soccer ...
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Racial and LGBT bias persists in ridesharing platforms, research shows
--From a Indiana University Kelley School of Business press release
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Despite efforts by ridesharing companies to eliminate or reduce discrimination, research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business finds that racial and LGBT bias persists. Platforms such as Uber, Lyft and Via ...
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How community organizations tackle diversity: Complete responses
Windy City Times surveyed a number of community organizations to see how they address diversity within their ranks, including board leadership, senior management and employees. In our questions, we were most interested in how advocates have ...
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Studio Responsibility Index reveals mix of high, low numbers
GLAAD released its eighth annual Studio Responsibility Index ( SRI )—a report that maps the quantity, quality and diversity of LGBTQ characters in films released by the eight film studios that had the highest theatrical grosses ...
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SAVOR Paulina Meat Market
DISH Dining Guide
There's no mistaking when you're in the vicinity of Paulina Meat Market ( 3501 N. Lincoln Ave.; PaulinaMarket.com ). The scent of various smoked meats is enough to make most people's mouths water ( including this ...
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New public artworks coming to Chicago Riverwalk
--From a Chicago Dep't, Cultural Affairs, Special Events press release
CHICAGO, IL — The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events ( DCASE ) in collaboration with the Department of Assets, Information and Services ( AIS ) today announced new public artworks on the Chicago Riverwalk ...
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VIEWPOINT Uncle Charley
I was 17 when I finally figured out that my Uncle Charley was queer. We didn't have the word "gay" in 1953—it just was not in our vocabulary. So, we said "queer" or "fairy" or sometimes ...
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La Cage aux FUN, opening weekend at A-ville's The Bird Cage
Photos by Joseph Stevens Photography ...
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NUNN ON ONE PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Bussian focuses on New York's trans community
Peter Bussian is a visual artist who continually promotes international themes in his work. He's been published in The New York Times, LA Times, Paris Match and O: The Oprah Magazine, among others. Several galleries in ...
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LETTER Taking a stand
Dear community: We must stand opposed to racism, whatever the cost. The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis was not just a case of excessive force or brutality. It was a murder—plain and simple. Police officer ...
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VIEWPOINTS 'All Boys Aren't Blue' is the audacious memoir of a Black queer man
George M. Johnson could not have known about this moment in history when he wrote his memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue, but for this white male reader, the sounds of courageous protestors in our streets were ...
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Buff Carmichael talks downstate activism
Windy City Times has been featuring remembrances by longtime Springfield-based activist Buff Carmichael, who is also the former publisher of the Prairie Flame newspaper. In this final segment, Carmichael discusses why he was attracted to death ...
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Five Worth Finding: Bill T. Jones book, Music Box thriller and more
—Story/Time: The Life of an Idea: This book came out in 2014, but this is an excellent time to appreciate this tome. In it, out gay African American dancer, choreographer and director Bill T. Jones reflects ...
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Survey open for potential Boystown name change
Northalsted Business Alliance is asking for the public to weigh in on the "Boystown" moniker. The Alliance has published a survey asking community members' opinions on the Lake View neighborhood, which was officially designated an "LGBTQ+ ...
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Goodman reimagines summer education
Free programming for participants "aged eight to 80" is underway online, as Goodman Theatre's popular Education and Engagement summer offerings for multigenerational learners go virtual, a press release noted. In addition to expanding its established programs ...
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'Christmas Bingo: Summer Edition' online through July
Christmas Bingo: Summer Edition—written by Vicki Quade, one of the creators of the hit comedy Late Nite Catechism—is streaming through Friday, July 31. A portion of every ticket sold will go to help the Daughters of ...
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STREAMING THEATER REVIEW Groups of Ten or More People
Playwright: Gaby Labotka and Zach Barr At: Littlebrain Theatre streaming online. Tickets: Facebook.com/LittlebrainTheatre/ . Runs through: Open run The forays into digital playmaking, Zoom-grid scenic design and headshot acting engendered by the global stage freeze ( ...
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Reports: Lopez's Brighton Park office vandalized
The Brighton Park office of openly gay Ald. Raymond Lopez ( 15th Ward ) was vandalized in the late evening on July 19, according to ABC 7. Suspects reportedly threw bricks through the windows at about ...
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COVID-19 Lightfoot to re-tighten restrictions
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Public Health ( CDPH ) and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection ( BACP ) announced a re-tightening of COVID-19 restrictions for bars, restaurants, gyms and ...
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Former state National Guard enlistee alleges anti-trans discrimination
Former Illinois Army National Guard enlistee Liam Papworth has filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights ( IDHR ) against Dr. Lawrence Gottlieb and UChicago Medicine, alleging anti-trans medical discrimination. Papworth told this ...
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MWRD passes policies that include LGBTs, people with disabilities
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District ( MWRD ) Board of Commissioners unanimously approved policies to assist LGBT-owned and -operated business enterprises ( LGBTBE ) as well as those owned and operated by persons with disabilities ( ...
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Concert for Cuba July 18-19
--From a press release
July 15, 2020—( Chicago, IL ) — With a final program set, more than 60 renowned musicians from around the globe, from Dionne Warwick to Arturo O'Farrill, to Dayramir Gonzalez to Tom Morello will perform and ...
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PASSAGES Josef Nicholas Zumstein
Josef Nicholas Zumstein—a longtime service professional at Chicago's Mid-America Club, formerly of Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood—passed away peacefully at his home at Liberty Court Assisted Living in Dixon, Illinois. He was 82. Born and raised in Lungern, ...
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ComEd to pay $200M in bribery scheme; Madigan possibly involved
The U.S. Attorney's Office said that ComEd will pay a $200-million criminal fine as part of a federal investigation into a "years-long bribery scheme" involving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of Illinois House Speaker Michael ...
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Fellowship for local Black theater artists announced
The League of Chicago Theatres announced The Samuel G. Roberson Jr. Resident Fellowship, a grant to fund a residency for early to mid-career Black theater artists based in Chicago for a one-year partnership with a Chicago-area ...
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MCA reopening July 24
The Museum of Contemporary Art ( MCA ) Chicago announced it is planning to reopen to the public Friday, July 24, after several months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. With support from Northern Trust, ...
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Affinity ED steps down shortly after being named
Effective July 9, Affinity Executive Director McKensie Mack is no longer with the organization, a press release stated. In June, Mack was named as the new leader of Affinity, a social-justice organization serving the needs of ...
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