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May December film blossoms on Netflix
The Netflix feature film May December, directed by Todd Haynes, takes the craft of character study to a whole new level. The plot is inspired by the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau, an elementary school ...
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Jussie Smollett loses appeal, might head back to jail
Embattled out gay actor Jussie Smollett could soon be back behind bars after an Illinois appeals court backed the ex-Empire actor's disorderly conduct convictions stemming from a faked 2019 hate crime and lying to Chicago cops, ...
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Santos voted out of Congress
Now-former U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-New York) was voted out of Congress on Dec. 1. Santos is the sixth House member in U.S. history to be booted from Congress, and the third since the Civil War, ...
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GLAAD marks World AIDS Day with launch of global resource hub, new HIV report
--From a press release
New York, New York — Friday, Dec. 1 — GLAAD marked World AIDS Day this year by sharing the results of its fourth annual State of HIV Stigma Report, a national survey among U.S. adults measuring ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Bodyshop,' Beyonce, Ani DiFranco, Billie Jean King
The Breaking Glass Pictures film Bodyshop will be out on digital on Dec. 5, per a press release. The plot is described thusly: "The ghost of a young soldier sexually assaulted by his lieutenant says goodbye ...
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NATIONAL Tenn. law, banned books, rainbow complex, journalists quit
Under pressure from a lawsuit over an anti-LGBTQ+ city ordinance, officials in Murfreesboro, Tennessee removed language that banned homosexuality in public, MSNBC noted. Passed in June, Murfreesboro's "public decency" ordinance ...
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WORLD Queer teen dies, trans activist honored, HIV drugs, mpox, British lesbian
In India, queer makeup artist Pranshu reportedly died by suicide—at age 16—after being subjected to relentless attacks online, PinkNews noted. On social media, LGBTQIA+-rights advocacy collective Yes, We Exist claimed ...
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Govs. Newsom and DeSantis debate LGBTQ+ rights, other issues
In a somewhat unusual face-off, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis debated various topics in a Nov. 30 event that Fox News' Sean Hannity moderated, CBS News noted. "The Great Red ...
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'She was here...and she is here': Street to be renamed after Elise Malary
By Alec Karam
The memory of the late activist Elise Malary will soon become a permanent part of Andersonville's Catalpa Avenue. The renamed "Elise Malary Way" will encompass the Catalpa Plaza area, a planned pedestrian plaza between Ashland Avenue ...
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SAVOR REVIEW The Florentine
The contemporary Italian restaurant The Florentine has been around for a decade—and like many restaurants, it's gone through some changes. Yes, the warm woods and the library-study atmosphere are still there, as well as the friendly, ...
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Russia court classifies LGBTQ+ activists as 'extremists'
On Nov. 30, Russia's Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ+-rights activists should be classified as extremists—a move that representatives of queer people fear will lead to arrests and prosecutions, Reuters reported. The court approved a request from ...
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LGBTQ+ couple the first in South Asia to have marriage recognized
Transgender woman Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey became the first LGBTQ+ couple to have their marriage legally recognized in South Asia after they received a legal certificate in Nepal's Lamjung district on Nov. 29, The Guardian ...
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George Santos defiant ahead of another expulsion vote
Embattled gay U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-New York) has remained defiant ahead of a second expulsion vote scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1, according to CNN. Santos has repeatedly said that he will not resign, but momentum ...
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Martina Navratilova continues anti-trans comments
Lesbian tennis legend Martina Navratilova has been in the news lately for anti-trans comments, although she has been making them for quite some time. She recently sparked controversy with her remarks on a tribute by UK ...
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Wrightwood 659 to present 'Daniel Goldstein: The Marks We Leave Behind' on World AIDS Day
(CHICAGO, Nov. 29, 2023) —Alphawood Exhibitions will present Daniel Goldstein: The Marks We Leave Behind, an exhibition of works from the San Francisco-based artist & HIV/AIDS activist's iconic "Icarian Series," ...
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Fla. students walk out after school board's anti-trans actions
In Florida, hundreds of students at Coconut Creek's Monarch High School held a walkout on Nov. 28 after their principal and several other school officials were reportedly reassigned over a transgender student's participation on the girls ...
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BOOKS Lucas Hilderbrand reflects on gay history in 'The Bars Are Ours'
In The Bars Are Ours (via Duke University Press), Lucas Hilderbrand, a professor of film and media studies at the University of California-Irvine, takes readers on a historical journey of gay bars, showing how the venues ...
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Pope Francis's community of transwomen
It's a rare opportunity to meet the pope. It's even rarer if you're a transgender Catholic. However, on Nov. 19, in Torvaianica, Italy, a community of transwomen, many of them sex workers, were welcomed and seated ...
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PASSAGES Todd Vitale
Todd Louis Vitale, 60, a professional vocalist and Realtor who lived in Chicago's Sheridan Park neighborhood, passed away peacefully Nov. 15, after a long battle with ALS-Lou Gehrig's disease. Born in East St. Louis, Illinois, Todd ...
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'When Black queer people win, everybody wins': Foundation releases report to improve equity at community orgs
In November, Lighthouse Foundation released its 2023 update on its research project, the Black Queer Equity Index, providing a guide that non-profit leaders can use to improve the experiences of marginalized employees and clients. Since 2020, ...
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PERFORMANCE Teatro Zinzanni's Carisa Hendrix talks magic, queerness and Canada
One could call Teatro Zinzanni's newest production, "Love, Chaos, and Dinner," a meal and a show—but that would definitely shortchange this ongoing extravaganza. Taking place at the Loop's Cambria Hotel, there is not a bad seat ...
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Billy Masters: The Dolly Cowboy Cheerleaders
Whoever intended to dumb down the citizens of America have done a FANTASTIC job. We are dumb as shit!"—Patti LuPone in an interview with broadcaster Tom Power prior to her touring show Don't Monkey with Broadway ...
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'Sleeping with Beauty' serves up naughty holiday laughs
Seasonal British pantomimes have been securing the talents of such known performers as Henry Winkler, George Takei and Sir Ian McKellen for decades now. This inventive recounting of fairy tales, utilizing popular song, comedy and rowdy ...
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Jerry Mitchell bops into Boop!
Director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell is bringing black-and-white Boop! The Betty Boop Musical into a world of color at the CIBC Theatre this winter. It's a pre-Broadway world premiere for the musical starring Jasmine Amy Rogers ...
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BOOKS Owen Keehnen takes readers to an 'oasis of pleasure' in 'Man's Country'
In the book Man's Country: More Than a Bathhouse, Chicago historian Owen Keehnen takes a literary microscope to the venue that the late local icon Chuck Renslow opened in 1973. Over decades, until it was demolished ...
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Ghana cardinal: It's time to understand homosexuality
Ghana Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson told the BBC that being gay should not be considered illegal and that people should be helped to understand the issue of homosexuality better. Turkson's comments come as his country's ...
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SAVOR Cody's dog drive, 'Dandy Holiday' and Santa
New addition: Firewood BBQ, 1856 W. North Ave., has launched its newest weekend brunch item—the brisket pierogi Benedict. For a limited time only, Chef Art Wnorowski and wife/business partner Gosia Pieniazek are presenting this Benedict that ...
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Hell in a Handbag to present 'Peep Show: The Handbag 2023 Benefit'on Dec. 10
--From a press release
CHICAGO—Hell in a Handbag Productions will present its 2023 benefit: Peep Show—a peep through the curtains at the company's 2024 season—on Sunday, Dec. 10, 11:30 a.m. — 3:30 p.m. at The Center on Halsted's The Hoover-Leppen ...
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Trans women banned from playing cricket
Transgender women have been barred from playing in international women's matches under a new policy from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the BBC reported. Any player who has gone through male puberty will not be eligible ...
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SHOWBIZ Billy Porter, queer novel, 'Tammy Faye,' queer DJ, Bella Ramsey
Billy Porter released his long-awaited new album, Black Mona Lisa, via Island Records UK/Republic Records, and it's executive-produced by Justin Tranter, a press release noted. Porter said, "So many of the songs on my album have ...
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WORLD Thai marriage law, French bill, Miss Universe, IKEA, activist dies
Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the cabinet approved a draft law on marriage equality and that it would be brought to parliament during a session starting in December, Reuters reported. If the draft law ...
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NATIONAL Trevor Project, anti-trans crimes, priest sentenced, hate-crimes unit
The Trevor Project announced the extension of its partnership with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, reaffirming its commitment to providing specialized assistance to LGBTQ+ people who call 9-8-8, The Advocate reported. Interim Senior Vice President ...
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Sarah Siddons to produce 'Noor Inayat Khan: The Forgotten Spy'
In a first for the 71-year-old Sarah Siddons Society, it will produce a one-night performance of Noor Inayat Khan: The Forgotten Spy—a new one-woman play written and performed by Almanya Narula, a 2016 Siddons Scholarship recipient ...
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Openly gay OpenAI CEO back in charge of company
On Nov. 21, OpenAI said it had reinstated Sam Altman as its chief executive—the latest chapter in a saga that involved a boardroom coup and staff backlash. The company, which is behind ChatGPT, also said it ...
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OPINION For LGBTQ+ children, the holidays are often the most challenging time of the year
Holiday time for most of us is a time to spend more time with family and loved ones, but for many children, it is a harsh reminder of their non-acceptance and thus, is all the more difficult as well. ...
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Berlin Nightclub closes after nearly 40 years, following boycott
Decades of Photo Archives below
After nearly forty years, Berlin Nightclub, 954 W. Belmont Ave., officially closed its doors Nov. 19 following a months-long fight between its owners and unionized workers. Owners Jim Schuman and Jo Webster officially announced Berlin Nightclub's ...
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Disney exhibition chronicles a century of entertainment history
Disney100, a large-scale traveling exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, has opened at the Exhibition Hub Art Center, 2367 W. Logan Blvd., in Bucktown. Hundreds of props and artifacts from the company's ...
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Chicago Red Stars provide 2023 roster update
--From a press release
CHICAGO (November 20, 2023) — In accordance with the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) end-of-season process, the Chicago Red Stars announce the following roster updates. The club exercised the option ...
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Photographer Irene Young launches book with stellar concerts
"Something About the Women" was appropriately the closing song for two sold-out, stellar concerts at Berkeley's Freight & Salvage November 19, in celebration of the new book of the same name by Irene Young, the legendary ...
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Billy Masters: Was Kim Kardashian officiating your wedding worth it?
I'd hoped to never again type the word "Jada" again. But this week, it's inevitable. It is being alleged that actor Duane Martin (don't feel bad—I had to look him up as well) slept with Will ...
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SAVOR Fairmont Lodge, the MCA's newest sandwich and Krispy Kreme
Owning it: As I have mentioned, The Ramova Theatre will officially reopen this fall in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood, at 3520 S. Halsted St., as a live music venue, craft brewery, beer garden and grill. However, news ...
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SAVOR REVIEW Brunch at Costera Cocina Tulum
The source of the newest Chicago restaurant trend just might be Tulum, Mexico. Fifteen or so years ago, few people had heard of this town. However, tourism and the spot's population have skyrocketed—not to mention the ...
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YEPP 'rises' to occasion at fall fundraiser
Members and guests of Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP) gathered Nov. 17 at Chicago Theater Works, 1113 W. Belmont Ave., for the organization's fall fundraiser, Rise Up: Our Celebration of Resistance. The evening marked both the ...
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Chicagoans gather to mark the 2023 Trans Day of Remembrance
Brave Space Alliance, Chicago Therapy Collective and Life is Work joined forces to celebrate Trans Day of Remembrance under the banner New Era Together Nov. 19 at Venue West, 221 N. Paulina St., on the West ...
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Scotland announces five-year plan to help nonbinary people
Scotland's government has announced a five-year action plan to improve the lives of non-binary people, Yahoo! News reported. Among other things, the first-of-its-kind plan in the UK (and, quite possibly, in the world) includes actions to ...
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PASSAGES: Mexico's first out nonbinary magistrate Jesus Ociel Baena Saucedo
On Nov. 13, Mexico's first out nonbinary magistrate and LGBTQ+ activist Jesus Ociel Baena Saucedo was found dead in their state of Aguascalientes home alongside their partner Dorian Herrera. They were 38. According to state prosecutor ...
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Victory Fund celebrates Midwest LGBTQ+ activists and officials
On Nov. 15, the Victory Fund Midwest Chapter held its annual fundraiser and gala, "Victory in the Midwest," at Venue West. 221 N. Paulina St. The event honored Jim Bennett (formerly Lambda Legal's Chicago office manager ...
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Out sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson receives multiple honors
Over the past few weeks, LGBTQ+ sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson has received several honors. The city of Dallas honored LGBTQ+ sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson—twice, according to LGBTQ Nation. Her former high school named the track where she ran ...
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SCOTUS Hamburger Mary's decision: small victory, big concerns
In a surprise move, a 6-3 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court did something good for LGBTQ+ people: It rejected Florida's request for a stay against a lower court decision—a stay that would have enabled the ...
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PASSAGES Ashley Marie McClure-Wolfson
Ashley Marie McClure-Wolfson, "Ash," pharmacist, BCACP, AAHIVP, passed away suddenly Nov. 11. She was 35 and a resident of the Andersonville neighborhood. Born in Burnsville, Minnesota, Ashley graduated from Burnsville High School and completed a six-year ...
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PASSAGES Best-selling author, labor lawyer, feminist, LGBTQ ally Linda Hirshman
Best-selling author, renowned pro-union labor lawyer, Brandeis University professor, feminist and LGBTQ ally Linda Hirshman died Oct. 31 in Burlington, Vermont of cancer. She was 79. Hirshman was born April 26, 1944, in Cleveland where she ...
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PASSAGES James Taylor Bannen
James Taylor Bannen, 61, of Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, passed away Nov. 11 after an unexpected cardiac event. James was born in Rockford and grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, the son of Howard James Bannen, ...
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WORLD Latvia, nonbinary magistrate, Gay Games end, Israel soldiers
Latvia's parliament voted to allow same-sex couples to establish civil unions, Reuters reported. Said couples now have legal recognition—but fewer rights than married couples. The new legislation, slated to take effect in the middle of next ...
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NATIONAL Bishop removed, business news, Jezebel shutting down, MAP head
Pope Francis removed the bishop of Tyler, Texas—a conservative prelate active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff, PBS reported. A one-line statement from the Vatican said the pope had "relieved" ...
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SHOWBIZ Music awards, military film, Tom of Finland, Yo-Yo Ma, 'Harley Quinn'
Video below
Brothers Osborne—a duo that includes gay brother TJ Osborne—won Vocal Duo of the Year for the sixth time at the recent CMA Awards, per a media release. Backstage, TJ told reporters, "I did not expect us ...
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Rustin film puts a gay pioneer into the spotlight
The story of activist Bayard Rustin is one that should be told in classrooms everywhere. Instead, because Rustin was an openly same-gender-loving man, his legacy has gone relatively unnoticed outside of LGBTQ+-focused history books. Netflix hopes ...
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Howard Brown Health Workers United members gather for post-strike rally
Howard Brown Health (HBH) Workers United members held an evening post-Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) strike rally Nov. 15 in front of the new multi-story HBH Halsted clinic. It was the conclusion of their two-day strike that ...
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Equality Illinois mourns the death of Magistrate Dr. Jesus Ociel Baena Saucedo
--From a press release
Statement by Mony Ruiz-Velasco, Deputy Director at Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for LGBTQ+ people, regarding the death of Dr Jesus Ociel Baena Saucedo: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of ...
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Illinois attorney general part of effort against Oklahoma anti-trans youth law
--From a press release
Chicago — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is opposing a state law in Oklahoma that severely limits the ability of transgender youth to access critical, lifesaving gender-affirming care. Raoul, along with a coalition of attorneys general, ...
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Santos not seeking re-election after wrongdoing evidence is revealed
On Nov. 16, the House Ethics Committee found "substantial evidence" that U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) violated federal law, setting the stage for another push to expel the embattled gay first-term Congressman and prompting him to ...
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LGBTQ+ organizations to host Transgender Day of Remembrance: A New Era Together 2.0
--From a press release
Chicago, IL — On Sunday, Nov. 11, Brave Space Alliance, Chicago Therapy Collective, and Life is Work will host Transgender Day of Remembrance: A New Era Together 2.0, an event dedicated to honoring the memory of ...
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HRC's 2023 survey of cities, towns shows record support for LGBTQ+ residents; Chicago scores 100
--From a press release
WASHINGTON—Te Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), in partnership with the Equality Federation, an advocacy accelerator rooted in social justice that builds power in a network of state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations ...
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Karen Leetzow named Chicago Red Stars president
--From a press release
CHICAGO (Nov. 15, 2023) — The Chicago Red Stars have appointed sports executive and attorney Karen Leetzow as the club's new president. Leetzow joins the Red Stars after serving as the chief legal officer of the ...
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GLAAD to receive Television Academy's Governors Award
The Television Academy announced LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD as the 2023 Governors Award recipient. Founded in 1985 by Vito Russo, author of The Celluloid Closet, and other LGBTQ advocates, GLAAD works with leaders in television, film, ...
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THEATER Queer actor Chloe Baldwin talks 'POTUS,' identity and Shakespeare
In the Steppenwolf farce POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, queer actor Chloe Baldwin portrays the president's mistress Dusty, acting alongside a formidable group that includes Caroline Neff ...
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Eye-opening LGBTQ+ women's survey shatters myths and spotlights challenges
The realities, ambitions and hardships of queer women aren't often given deep analysis by researchers. Mainstream socio-political conversations, research data and legislative choices frequently center individuals whose lives are marked ...
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SAVOR Thanksgiving restaurant options, including ethnic and vegan choices
In case you didn't realize it, Thanksgiving is right around the corner—Nov. 23, if you're not aware. (Normally, we'd then be deluged with Christmas commercials and specials but they now start in October, if not earlier.) ...
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Rainbow Wave: 238 LGBTQ+ candidates win public office in 2023, all time high for an odd year election
--From a press release
Washington, DC — 238 out LGBTQ+ candidates have won elections in 2023, as of 3 p.m. ET, surpassing the record 185 who won in 2021 — the last odd-year election. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is awaiting final ...
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'Jersey Boys' stars reunite as Midtown Men on Dec. 2 in Glen Ellyn
The original stars of the Broadway hit Jersey Boys—Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer—will reunite as Midtown Men on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. at McAninch Arts Center's Belushi Performance Hall ...
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Billy Masters: The times Streisand failed to make a splash
"Fame is a hollow trophy. No matter who you are, you can only eat one pastrami sandwich at a time."—Wise words from Barbra Streisand. You all know that Barbra Streisand's book is out. And I ...
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Mayor Johnson names new CPDH commissioner
Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the appointment of esteemed public health leader Dr. Olusimbo "Simbo" Ige, MD, MS, MPH to serve as commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). The announcement took place days after ...
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IDHS head Dulce Quintero reflects on making history, being an advocate
Dulce Quintero has always believed in helping people—and decades of doing so has resulted in an especially noteworthy achievement. Recently, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Quintero, a member of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, as ...
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Anti-LGBTQ+ GOP presidential candidate Tim Scott leaves race
In a Nov. 12 announcement that surprised his own staff, Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott decided to suspend his presidential campaign, Politico reported. ...
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AVER celebrates LGBTQ+ veterans at annual Veterans Day dinner
Writer and historian Owen Keehnen was keynote speaker at the the American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) Chicago Chapter's 32nd annual LGBTQ Veterans Day Banquet held on Veterans Day at Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont. Keehnen ...
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Hell in a Handbag Productions presents world premiere of The Golden Girls Save Xmas, A Lost Episodes Parody
--From a press release
CHICAGO (November 10, 2023) — Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to kick off its 2023/24 season this November with The Golden Girls Save Xmas — A Lost Episodes Parody, featuring an all-new holiday tale ...
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