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Study finds overrepresentation of LGBTQ+ youth in Midwest Foster Care System
--From a U of Maryland School of Social Work press release
The study outlined here is one of the first of its kind to be conducted in a Midwestern state, where available data on LGBTQ+ youth is extremely limited. It follows similar studies in New York City ...
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Dept. of Education: Title IX also protects LGBTQ students
The Department of Education will interpret Title IX—a federal law that protects students from sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools—to protect LGBTQ students from discrimination, according to a federal notice ...
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Back 2 School Illinois Build-A-Kit event
Oct. 22, 2021 at Center on Halsted
--From a press release
We are excited to announce that after a long COVID delay, we will be holding our Back 2 School Illinois Build-A-Kit Event on Oct. 22, 2021. The day-long event, in partnership with the LGBT Chamber of ...
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New Broadway Youth Center being readied for 2021 opening
Work continues on Howard Brown Health's (Howard Brown) new 20,000 square-foot Broadway Youth Center (BYC) facility at 1053 W. Irving Park Rd. BYC has spent years looking for a permanent home. After launching in Lake View, ...
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Steppenwolf announces The Loft, youth art competition
--From a press release
CHICAGO (May 19, 2021)—Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is excited to announce initial programming details for The Loft, its first-ever dedicated education space that encompasses the ...
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Trevor Project releases 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
--From a press release
WASHINGTON, DC — May 19, 2021 — The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people ...
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Chicago Public Schools CEO stepping down
On May 4, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Janice Jackson announced that she's leaving her post at the end of June, CBS 2 Chicago reported. She confirmed her departure in a message to the CPS staff, ...
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Warrant issued for Joliet teacher accused of inappropriate communication with teen boy [UPDATE]
Joliet police issued an arrest warrant for a former Catholic school teacher accused of inappropriately communicating with a teenage boy, a. Fox32Chicago.com item reported. Jeremy M. Hylka is facing charges of traveling to meet a child ...
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Advocates join to strengthen bill on K-12 health, safety education
--From a press release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Advocates for the Responsible Education for Adolescent and Children's Health Act (REACH Act), led by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) and Equality Illinois (EI), worked with the ...
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SAIC hosts 'Debunking Conversion Therapy' virtual panel
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) hosted a virtual panel, "Debunking Conversion Therapy," on April 23 that focused on how people have been negatively impacted by conversion therapy, what the Bible says and ...
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GLAAD responds to increase in suicide attempts among trans youth in Arkansas
--From a press release
(New York, NY - April 19, 2021) — GLAAD is responding to reports of an increase in suicide attempts among transgender youth in Arkansas, which on April 6 became the first U.S. state to outlaw gender-affirming ...
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Students speak out after Pride flag removal at Indiana school [UPDATE]
Students spoke out April 12 against the removal of Pride flags at a middle school in northwest Indiana, according to CBS Chicago. According to ABC7Chicago.com, a Black Lives Matter poster was also removed. LGBTQ students addressed ...
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Trans, non-binary youth influencers launch book collection with "A Kids Book About"
--From a press release
Chicago, IL - April 12, 2021 - While many teens took e-learning as an opportunity to level-up their gaming skills, a group of young people chose instead to write a collection of books about their lives. ...
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Study: 30% of young LGBQ people have attempted suicide in their lifetimes
--From a press release
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds younger LGBQ adults experience greater psychological distress and suicidal behavior than older LGBQ people. Researchers examined a representative sample of LGBQ people in ...
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LGBTQ students sue U.S. Department of Education
More than 30 LGBTQ students are suing the U.S. Department of Education in a class-action lawsuit filed March 29, NBC News reported. The students allege that they dealt with discrimination at 25 federally funded Christian colleges ...
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New Equality Map: Bans on transgender youth participation in sports
(March 29, 2021) — Across the country, state legislatures have introduced bills that would ban transgender youth from participating in K-12 school sports, and in some cases in college as well. This year alone, at least ...
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LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project connects youth, elders in conversation
A chance encounter in 2019 has blossomed into an intergenerational dialogue project that brings together younger and older LGBTQ folks. Adam Greteman, a gay philosopher and School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) faculty member, ...
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CDC establishes school-reopening guidelines
On Feb. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that teachers and students should return to the classroom and can do so safely—even in areas with high rates of viral transmission—if certain mitigation ...
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ACLU of Illinois reacts to Auditor General's report on LGBTQ youth in DCFS care
In response to the Auditor General's report on LGBTQ youth in DCFS care, Ghirlandi Guidetti, Staff Attorney with the ACLU of Illinois made the following statement: "Today's Auditor General's report reveals a sad but unsurprising truth: ...
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Indianapolis council condemns conversion therapy; Indiana Stonewall Dems celebrate
Indiana Stonewall Democrats celebrated the Indianapolis City-County Council and its LGBTQ councillors for passing a proclamation on Feb. 1 that formally condemns "conversion therapy" and the long-term health complications it ...
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Book helps families with kids discuss gender roles, same gender attraction
--From a press release
A new book, Pepito Has a Doll, is centered on the experience of a shy young boy who lives with his grandmother. Pepito has only one friend, his doll Lola, until Miguel appears and they begin a joyful adventure together. Bilingual ...
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Indiana to open first home for LGBTQ+ homeless youths
Indiana's first dedicated residential facility for LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness is slated to open this year in Indianapolis, according to WLFI.com. This home was years in the making. Trinity ...
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Groups sue to overturn Dept. of Ed regulation that forces funding of anti-LGBTQ groups
--From a press release
Washington, D.C.—January 19, 2021—Today, the national civil rights organizations American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance and a California ...
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Indiana pols propose anti-conversion therapy bill
Indiana Stonewall Democrats issued a press release lauding state Sen. JD Ford (District 39) and state Rep. Sue Errington (District 26) for introducing a new bill to effectively end so-called "conversion therapy" practices across the state ...
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City officials send letter to Lightfoot regarding schools reopening
On Jan. 3, more than 30 members of the 50-member Chicago City Council sent a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson regarding concerns about Chicago Public Schools' reopening plans amidst ...
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11th Circuit urged to reverse decision allowing LGBTQ youth conversion therapy
--From a Born Perfect press release
ATLANTA, GA — The Born Perfect campaign submitted a friend-of-the-court brief on Friday urging reversal of a recent decision by a three-judge federal panel validating the dangerous unethical practice known ...
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Buffalo Grove LGBTQ+ teen named one of HRC's ambassadors
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced that Buffalo Grove teen Molly Pinta (she/her)—a 14-year-old who identifies as bisexual—has been named a member of the 2021 class of HRC Foundation Youth ...
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Feds investigating alleged anti-Semitic activity at Univ. of Illinois
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced it has opened a formal investigation into a complaint alleging Jewish students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) ...
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Same-sex parents are 7X more likely to raise adopted, foster children
--From a Williams Institute press release
A summary of data on same-sex parenting to inform reporting on Fulton v. City of Philadelphia On Nov. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The case will ...
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Inclusive curriculum tools offered to schools during LGBTQ History Month
--From a press release
October is LGBTQ History Month, and a coalition of LGBTQ organizations are celebrating by making tools available to school administrators, educators, youth, and families to help implement the state's new Inclusive Curriculum Law. The Illinois Inclusiv ...
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About Face Theatre announces 25th season of new work, digital performances
--From a press release
CHICAGO — About Face Theatre is excited to announce plans for its landmark 25th anniversary season. Featuring new and original works, the company will focus on using digital streaming and online tools for most of the ...
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WORLD French plan, 'gay panic' defense, trans youth case, Northern Triangle
The French government unveiled a national plan to combat hatred and discrimination against LGBTQ people, and the initiative emphasises the importance of inclusive education in stamping out homophobia, RFI.fr reported. The three-year plan aims to make ...
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Study shows young queer adults face high rates of discrimination
A new study from the progressive think tank the Center for American Progress (CAP) and the research group NORC at the University of Chicago reported that young queer adults face high rates of discrimination. The survey ...
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Campus Pride announces 2020 Best of the Best LGBTQ-friendly colleges, universities
--From a press release
Campus Pride commemorates LGBTQ History Month and National Coming Out Day by releasing its 2020 BEST OF THE BEST LGBTQ-Friendly listing of colleges and universities. The announcement features forty campuses ...
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Victory Gardens Theater announces StudentsFirst Virtual Showcase
--From a press release
Chicago, IL—Victory Gardens Theater announces the Voices of Tomorrow: Their World on Stagefundraising event on Dec. 9, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. The virtual event will showcase powerful and moving spoken word and artistic works created by ...
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$4M gift for IU McKinney School of Law focuses on LGBTQ rights, diversity
--From a press release
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law has announced a significant $4 million gift from IU alumnus Steve Tuchman and his husband, Reed Bobrick. The gift will support the creation of an ...
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Chicago Teachers Union on Breonna Taylor and the fight for racial justice
--From a press release
CHICAGO, September 23, 2020—Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement today in response to news that the Kentucky Attorney General will not charge the officer for the shots that killed Breonna Taylor. "For ...
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Alicia Keys joins After School Matters event
Grammy winner Alicia Keys joined teenagers and their families across Chicago Sept. 24 for a live virtual conversation about current racial and social justice events, as well as her life and music career, including her recently ...
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Champaign County holding virtual Pride event Sept. 25-27
Champaign County-Uniting Pride of Champaign County announced the theme for the 2020 Champaign County Pride Celebration, taking place virtually Sept. 25-27: "Staying Apart—Rising United." Some of the events include the ...
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Howard Brown breaks ground on new Broadway Youth Center location
Officials from the Howard Brown Health organization, public officials and community supporters gathered in Uptown Sept. 10 to break ground on a new Broadway Youth Center location. Projected for a 2021 opening, the five-story facility, at ...
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Looking at implementation of an LGBTQ+ curriculum in state public schools
On Aug. 9, 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Illinois House Bill 246 into law, amending the school code to include contributions of LGBTQ+ figures in public schools all over the state, effective as of July 1, ...
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MAP report: Religious exemptions in child welfare would harm millions
On Aug. 19, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released "The High Stakes in the Fulton Case: Undermining the Vital Role of Child Welfare Laws & Regulations in Protecting America's Children." This report highlights what is at ...
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30 Under 30 postponed until June 2021
Windy City Times has made the difficult decision to postpone its annual 30 Under 30 Awards until next June, citing the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place Wed., June 24, at Polo ...
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A peek inside The Crib's new location
The Night Ministry is now operating The Crib in a new location at 1735 N. Ashland Ave. The previous location in the basement of Lakeview Lutheran Church only included 900 square feet of space—a prime reason ...
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WERQ! LGBTQ Job Fair on Sept. 18
EDITOR'S NOTE: Information on this event has changed. See updated information at http://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/WERQ-LGBTQ-Job-Fair-now-online-Sept-17-18-/69098.html . Center on Halsted and Brave Space Alliance will hold the annual ...
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Virtual OPALGA+ scholarship 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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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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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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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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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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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 for ...
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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 this letter is not intended ...
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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 ...
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The Crib, Night Ministry move to Bucktown
Nine years after it began operations in the basement of Lakeview Lutheran Church, The Crib—The Night Ministry's overnight shelter for young adults—has reopened in a larger, enhanced space on the first floor of 1735 N. Ashland ...
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SCOTUS provides exemption for religious schools from bias lawsuits
On July 8, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled seven to two in favor of two California religious schools that argued for exemption from employment-discrimination lawsuits that teachers bring. Only justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader ...
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Australian, Irish consulates host LGBTQ+ advocacy panel
By Emily Reilly
Sarah Keating, the vice consul general of Chicago's Consulate General of Ireland; and Amanda Slone, the office services manager at the Australian Consulate of Chicago hosted a panel June 30 in honor of the marriage-equality campaigns ...
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E. Patrick Johnson, a man of firsts
E. Patrick Johnson is a man often associated with the word "first." He was the first in his family to go to college, and the first Black native of Hickory, North Carolina, to receive a Ph.D., ...
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Advocates celebrate LGBTQ Inclusive Curriculum Law, in effect July 1
Students in Illinois public schools will learn about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people in state and national history because of the Inclusive Curriculum Law, which takes effect on July 1, 2020 for ...
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GLAAD unveils inaugural 20 Under 20 list
GLAAD revealed its inaugural Rising Stars 20 Under 20 list. The list spotlights 20 young LGBTQ people, ages 20 and younger, who are accelerating acceptance of LGBTQ people while shaping the future of media and activism. ...
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UIC named Illinois' best college for LGBTQ students
Diversity and inclusion are cornerstones of the University of Illinois at Chicago's mission and its latest recognition gives the campus community more to be proud about during Pride Month. UIC has been named Illinois' best college ...
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Supreme Court refuses to end DACA protections
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 18 that the Trump administration cannot dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has offered protections to hundreds of thousands of people who both are undocumented ...
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'Plenty O'Cookies' benefit/class June 25
On Thursday, June 25, 7-8 p.m., La Casa Norte's (LCN's) Next Generation Board will host the Zoom event "Plenty O'Cookies for a Cause," featuring drag personality Plenty O'Smiles. O'Smiles will guide bakers as they make and ...
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Out professor named NU school dean
E. Patrick Johnson has been named dean of Northwestern University's School of Communication, Interim Provost Kathleen Hagerty announced. Johnson—the Carlos Montezuma Professor of African American Studies and Performance Studies at ...
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Lawrence Hall recognized by Human Rights Campaign Foundation for LGBTQ-inclusion
CHICAGO — Today, Lawrence Hall, a nonprofit organization focusing on trauma-informed healing and resilience building in youth, families, and communities in the Chicago area, proudly announced that it is being ...
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Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois recognized by HRC Foundation for LGBTQ-inclusion
Oakbrook Terrace, IL — Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois (LCFS), the second largest community-based provider of child welfare services in Illinois, including foster care and adoption, proudly announced ...
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BAMtheatre starting virtual classes
In response to the stay-at-home and social distancing orders implemented by the COVID-19 pandemic, BAMtheatre has reimagined its musical theatre-focused programming through a host of virtual master classes, workshops, choirs ...
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Trevor Project releases report on mental health of trans, non-binary youth
The Trevor Project's research team has published a new peer-reviewed article titled "Understanding the Mental Health of Transgender and Nonbinary Youth" in the Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH). Among the ...
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WORLD Violence in Mexico, rainbow drawings, youth survey, Israeli Pride events
Mexico is seeing a surge of extreme violence toward LGBT+ people in its deadliest year in half a decade, rights group Letra S. said, citing cases of victims brutally stabbed and brazenly killed in public, Reuters ...
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Golden Apple surprises out teacher with award
On May 15, Golden Apple—an Illinois nonprofit committed to preparing, honoring and supporting exemplary educators who advance educational opportunities for students—surprised Jenine Wehbeh, a seventh and eighth-grade teacher at John ...
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NCLR denounces Dept. of Education rule making LGBTQ students less safe at school
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Center for Lesbian Rights strongly condemns the United States Department of Education for releasing a new rule that weakens Title IX protections, making schools less safe — particularly for LGBTQ students. ...
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Town hall addresses youths' needs during pandemic
Advocates focused on ensuring that LGBT youth have access both to resources and straightforward facts during the COVID-19 pandemic presented during Equality Illinois' April 28 online town hall meeting. As the pandemic processes, numerous LGBT youth ...
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Actors Gym to stream original production Isolated
Actors Gym to stream original production 'Isolated' Actors Gym has announced Isolated, its annual spring youth circus that, this year, has been devised through an innovative online rehearsal process. It features 28 of its top youth ...
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COVID-19 Lightfoot, Oprah to be part of virtual commencement
In an effort to celebrate the city's high school seniors who will not have a traditional graduation this spring because of the COVID-10 pandemic, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, in partnership with Citadel, announced she will ...
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COVID-19 Pritzker: Schools closed through end of academic year
On April 17, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced that in-person learning in schools will not resume during the 2019-20 school year, with remote learning days to continue for all pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Illinois will receive ...
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Idaho anti-trans law challenged
A lawsuit was filed April 15 challenging Idaho's recently passed law that bans women and girls who are transgender as well as many women and girls who are intersex from participating in school sports, according to ...
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