Lighting up the Hancock for Pride
Chris Cowling is coordinating a project for Equality Illinois, which has requested that the Hancock Building be lighted in the Rainbow Flag colors in recognition of Gay & Lesbian Pride Week. Contact the Hancock’s management: Cindy Testa, Shorenstein Company, 555 California Street, 49th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104, 415-772-7000; 415-772-7140 (Fax) ; ctestamccullagh@shorenstein.com.
Hall of Fame nominations open
The Chicago Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for this year’s induction ceremonies. The 9th Buddies’ Country Supper Buffet benefit for the Hall of Fame is Monday, June 19, 6-9 p.m., $10, 3301 N. Clark.
Call (773) 281-5095 vm #2 or (312) 744-7911 for Hall of Fame info.
Gay school debated
Church of the Open Door on Chicago’s Southwest Side is hosting a forum about the possibility of creating an alternative high school for GLBT youth. Those interested in planning such a school are invited to a forum Sat., June 10, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at 5954 S. Albany, two blocks east of Kedzie, (773) 778-3030.
Chamber ‘Pride Thing’ June 15
The Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with more than a dozen gay and lesbian business and professional groups, will host its 4th annual business networking program, “It’s A Pride Thing IV” Thursday, June 15, 5 to 8 p.m., at Circuit, 3641 N. Halsted, (773) 871-4190.
Gay stutterers gather
Passing Twice, an organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered stutterers and their allies, will gather in Chicago June 22-25. Their meeting will coincide with the annual convention of the National Stuttering Association, a 5,000-member self-help organization for people who stutter. The Passing Twice workshop will be Friday, June 23, at 8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m., in the O’Haneda Int’l Room at the Holiday Inn O’Hare International Hotel, 5440 N. River Rd., Rosemont. Several other informal queer events will take place that weekend.
See www.geocities.com/passing-twice; email passing_twice@hotmail.com.; 1-800-364-1677, nsastutter@aol.com
Ecumenical gathering in DeKalb Aug. 3-6
More than 1,000 people are expected to assemble for the largest ecumenical gathering of welcoming churches and individuals ever held; Witness our Welcome 2000: God’s Promise Is for You (WOW2000). This event will be Aug. 3-6 in DeKalb, Ill., at Northern Illinois University just outside Chicago, proclaiming that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people “are made in God’s image, and are part of the goodness of God’s diverse Creation.”
Among the speakers are Rev. Janie Spahr, an openly lesbian Presbyterian minister and founder of “That All May Freely Serve”; Rev. Jimmy Creech, who was defrocked by the United Methodist Church for performing a union ceremony for two men; Rev. John Selders, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and coordinator for the Urban Leadership Project of The Night Ministry of Chicago; and Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, the chief ecumenical officer for Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches.
See www.wow2k.org, or call 800-318-5581.
Briefly …
Lorrainne Sade Baskerville of Transgenesis announced last week that her organization has received a $5,000 grant from the Broadway CARES, Equity Fights AIDS organization. The funds will be used for her T-Pass outreach program for transgendered youth of color. Baskerville is profiled in the new BLACKlines.
Womyn 4 Womyn is a new Internet dating service opening this summer in Chicago. They are not a nationwide dating service—they are exclusive to Chicago and the suburbs. “Our intent is to provide a safe, private, convenient method for women to meet women,” the founders, Sandy Shelton and Lisa Scalamonti, said. Their website is womyn4womyn.com for information and dates and times when they will be accepting applications in person (for safety purposes). Call (847) 803-0114.
The Lesbian and Gay Bar Assoc. of Chicago hosts a panel on “Bringing Vermont Civil Union Back to Illinois: Bumps to Expect on the Road to Equality.” Speakers at the Monday, June 19 event include Pat Logue of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; Lauren Raphael of the ACLU; Professor Katharine Baker of IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law; and local practitioner Don Gottesman of Gottesman & Storm. It starts at 7 p.m., Chicago Public Library, 644 W. Belmont, RSVP for child care (312) 347-7917.
Queer kids in the suburbs could get a little help paying for college next year thanks to Chicago DJ Psycho Bitch and the DuPage Questioning Youth Center. There’s an all-ages dance benefit June 12. The party benefits QYC and a portion of the proceeds will be used to form a scholarship fund in the DJ’s name. The concert happens in the large ballroom of the New England Congregational Church in Aurora. Tickets are available at the door for $10 with student ID and $20 without student ID. Call (630) 415-2053, or email jonn@dupageqyc.com.
The Lesbian Community Cancer Project has extended its candidate search for executive director to June 30. Resumes and cover letters should be sent to: Personnel Committee, LCCP, 4753 N. Broadway, #602, Chicago, 60640.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Foundation will hosts its Midwestern regional leadership training July 13-16 in Chicago. The foundation’s Victory Training Institute is seeking applicants and expects participants from throughout the country, especially from the Midwest. State Rep. Larry McKeon, the only openly gay or lesbian state legislator in Illinois, will be among the featured speakers. Call (202) 628-9151; training@victoryfund.org.