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BOOKS Precious Brady-Davis has arrived
Recently honored by Mayor Lightfoot and the LGBTQ Advisory Council as a community leader who has "helped build the foundation for a more welcoming, equitable and inclusive Chicago," Precious Brady-Davis wants to do it all. She ...
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"Chicago: Where comics came to life (1880-1960)" at Chicago Cultural Center
--From a press release
"Chicago: Where comics came to life (1880-1960)" opens Saturday, June 19 at Chicago Cultural Center. The new exhibition celebrates Chicago as the comics capital of the world. Current exhibitions include ...
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New book sets the record straight on Act Up New York
Novelist, playwright, nonfiction writer, journalist, screenwriter, LGBTQ+-rights activist and AIDS historian Sarah Schuman preserves the power of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) while laying everything out about ...
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Lambda Literary Award winners announced
On June 1, Lambda Literary announced the winners of its 33rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards. The winners were selected by a panel of more than 60 literary professionals from more than 1,000 book submissions from more ...
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Temple Beth-El to offer 'Drag Queen Story Time' on June 5
Temple Beth-El, a Reform Jewish synagogue in Northbrook, will hold "Drag Queen Story Time" on Saturday, June 5, 4-4:45 p.m., on Zoom. The all-ages event will feature Merriam Levkowitz, described on a flyer as "Chicago's premier ...
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An Evening with Fran Lebowitz at the Auditorium Theatre on April 15, 2022
--From a press release
Chicago, IL May 24, 2021 — An Evening with Fran Lebowitz on Friday, April 15th at Auditorium Theatre located at 50 E. Congress Pkwy Chicago, IL. This show is all ages and begins at 7:30 PM ...
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Little library honoring John Pennycuff is unveiled
Chicago's Unity Park Advisory Council (UPAC) held "Park Day" May 22 at the site, 2636 N. Kimball Ave.—and one of the events involved the unveiling of a custom-designed little library that honors late LGBTQ-rights activist John ...
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'Real Housewives' expert Brian Moylan keeps it real in new tell-all book
Bravo's Real Housewives franchise, which has been stirring the pot for more than 15 years, has launched 31 books and a cocktail line; featured two jail sentences and a couple of supermodel daughters; made Andy Cohen ...
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Women and Children First hosts 'Documenting LGBTQ+ Histories' virtual panel
To celebrate the release of Diana Souhami's book No Modernism Without Lesbians, Women and Children First hosted a "Documenting LGBTQ+ Histories" virtual panel May 16. Gerber/Hart Library and Archives volunteer ...
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BOOKS Lesbian author Amanda Kabak to release hate-crime novel July 20
Lesbian author Amanda Kabak—a Chicago native who now resides in Lakeland, Florida—is releasing the novel Upended on July 20. In Upended, Maddie, a driven entrepreneur, finds her world thrown into disarray when she survives a hate ...
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'An Evening with Fran Lebowitz' in April 2022 in NYC
Legendary author, journalist and social observer Fran Lebowitz is slated to return to The Town Hall stage in New York City for two live, in conversation events on April 6-7, 2022. Lebowitz is coming off her ...
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Stephanie Battaglino, New York Life's first transgender officer, releases memoir
--From a press release
May 11, 2021… Educator and motivational speaker Stephanie Battaglino today officially released her memoir, Reflections from Both Sides of the Glass Ceiling: Finding My True Self in Corporate America, from L'Oste Vineyard Press. After many years ...
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Gerber/Hart holding large book sale/exhibit viewing June 6
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, 6500 N. Clark St., is holding a one-day book sale is returning on Sunday, June 6, 12-4 p.m., in the library reading room. Extra tables will be set up to significantly increase ...
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Jonathan Ned Katz talks new book, LGBTQ history, state of the world
Author, historian and activist Jonathan Ned Katz will come out with a new book, The Daring Life and Dangerous Times of Eve Adams, on May 18. The biography is centered on the life of Adams, a Jewish lesbian immigrant, and also ...
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BOOKS
Lambda Literary Awards to take place June 1
The 33rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards—which celebrates LGBTQ+ books and authors—will take place Tuesday, June 1, 6-8 p.m. Typically held in person in New York City, this year's Lammys will be presented virtually for the first ...
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1971: The Chicago Daughters of Bilitis
Excerpt from Chicago After Stonewall: Gay Lib to Gay Life
An excerpt from Chicago After Stonewall: Gay Lib to Gay Life, a new book by St Sukie de la Croix. You can buy the book from Amazon.com, all good bookstores, and for a signed copy, rattlinggoodyarns.com ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Master of None,' children's book, Kristen Stewart, expectant couple
Master of None is coming back—but this time, the series will focus on Lena Waithe's character, Denise, out.com noted. Master of None, created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang for Netflix, starred Ansari for the first ...
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1970: The Police Murder of James Clay
Excerpt from Chicago After Stonewall: Gay Lib to Gay Life
" … One month after Finnie's Ball, a Chicago Defender headline read, 'Female Impersonator killed by cop in W. Side street brawl.' The Chicago Sun-Times headline read, 'Man slain fleeing police in bizarre W. Side clash.' ...
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'Documenting LGBTQ+ Histories' virtual talk on May 16
On Sunday, May 16, at 11 a.m. CT, Women and Children First will host the virtual panel discussion "Documenting LGBTQ+ Histories" on its Crowdcast Channel. Centering on the release of Diana Souhami's new book No Modernism ...
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Joan E. Biren aka JEB talks Portraits of Lesbians book journey and re-issue
In an era where lesbian visibility was almost non-existent, activist and photographer Joan E. Biren (or as she is also known, "JEB") self-financed and self-published a photography book called Eye To Eye: Portraits of Lesbians. Biren's ...
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Bechdel, Rannells among upcoming CHF guests
The Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) announced its line-up of virtual programs with award-winning writers, scholars and cultural icons in late April and throughout May. Among LGBTQ participants/guests will be Fun ...
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BOOKS Chicago After Stonewall available May 11
Chicago After Stonewall: Gay Lib to Gay Life—a detailed account of how LGBTQ's in Carl Sandburg's "City of the Big Shoulders" responded to the Stonewall Riots—will be available May 11. This book pulls together jigsaw pieces ...
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SHOWBIZ Brandi Carlile, 'Legendary,' children's book, film festival, Janet Mock
Lesbian musician Brandi Carlile memoir, Broken Horses, debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Sellers list, a press release announced. In addition to the hardback book, a very special audiobook edition of the ...
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Yvonne Zipter's historical novel 'Infraction' out June 1
The lesbian historical fiction work Infraction, by Chicagoan Yvonne Zipter, will be out June 1. The publisher is Rattling Good Yarns Press. Set in socially turbulent St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1875, the work follows Marya Zhukova, ...
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Newberry Library to honor Lonnie G. Bunch III on May 24
In a virtual event on Monday, May 24, at 6 p.m., the Newberry Library will honor Lonnie G. Bunch III for his contributions to the humanities. Bunch became secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in June 2019 ...
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Gerber/Hart celebrating Pearl Hart's birthday through April 7
--From a Gerber/Hart press release
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives is celebrating the April 7 birthday of Pearl Hart, the "heart" of Gerber/Hart, and raising funds to help Gerber/Hart continue its vital mission to preserve LGBTQ history in Chicago and the Midwest. ...
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Former soccer star Lohman on 'Raising Tomorrow's Champions'
Joanna Lohman and Paul Tukey had "really ambitious" goals for their book. They were planning to celebrate the legacy of female sports legends who overcame the challenges of gender, orientation and discrimination that paved the way ...
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Poetry = Life
"Writing these poems kept me alive." That sentence was spoken decades ago by Paul Monette about his book, Love Alone, Eighteen Elegies for Rog, which was published in 1986. Rog was Roger Hurwitz, Monette's partner who ...
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Author Rick Karlin speaks about Chicago memoir and local LGBTQ press
Author Rick Karlin was recently interviewed about his 2019 memoir, Paper Cuts, in a online discussion sponsored by Gerber-Hart Library and Archive. Karlin was interviewed by author and historian Owen Keehnen. They opened with a summary ...
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Author and educator Sarah Chadwick talks new book on female sexuality
Sarah Chadwick's debut book, The Sweetness of Venus: A History of the Clitoris, was the result of her desire to understand the status of female sexuality in the West from an historical perspective. During Chadwick's research, ...
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Writer on AIDS activism in the Black church honored
--From a press release
The LGBTQ Religious Archives Network (LGBTQ-RAN) honors Dr. Dan Royles with the 2020-21 LGBTQ Religious History Award. The review jury selected Royles' "There Is a Balm in Gilead: AIDS Activism in the Black Church" from among ...
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Five Worth Finding: LGBTQ authors, paczki, skin-care items, Keto Mylk
—Tempest, by Ryan Meyer (NothingPeak.com): In Tempest, young LGBTQ writer Meyer departs from the horror themes in his 2018 poetry collection, Haunt. Using fictional vignettes and surreal personal accounts, he ...
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BOOKS Ta-Nehisi Coates at Printers Row Lit Fest on Sept. 11-12
Printers Row Lit Fest—the largest free outdoor literary showcase in the Midwest—is slated to return for its 36th year with 100% free programming for book lovers Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 11-12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., in Chicago's historic Printers ...
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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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Author to hold talk about Chicago LGBTQ press on Feb. 9
Rick Karlin—author of Paper Cuts: My Life in Chicago's Volatile LGBTQ Press—will discuss his experiences in the Chicago LGBTQ press as presented in the book on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 p.m. via a video conference. ...
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BOOKS Author examines James Beard's life in
'The Man Who Ate Too Much'
Any established person in the food/restaurant industry or true foodie has surely heard of James Beard (1903-85), who many feel revolutionized cuisine in the United States more than any other individual. In The Man Who Ate ...
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Research shows racial bias denied social reformer Ada S. McKinley her due in history
--From a press release
(Jan. 19, 2021; Chicago, Ill.) Newly released scholarly research about Chicago social reformer Ada S. McKinley indicates her contributions to Chicago and to the field of human services have been ignored and marginalized due to her ...
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'Mombian Database' released
Mombian columnist Dana Rudolph has released the Mombian Database of LGBTQ Family Books, Media, and More, with more than 500 books, music albums, movies, games and toys for and about LGBTQ families. The site offers multiple ...
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Five Worth Finding: Workout gear, $2 subs, LGBTQ book
1. Lived Experience: Reflections on LGBTQ Life: "Lived Experience," in this case, refers to 60 LGBTQ people in this country who are older than 50—those who especially have so much to offer. This is a generation ...
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BOOKS: The best of 2020
You've got a little extra time this month, and you don't want to waste it. You want to read something good, the possibilities are endless, and the best place to begin is with these Best Books ...
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American Writers Museum launches virtual American Voices exhibit
--From a press release
(CHICAGO - December 7, 2020) - The American Writers Museum (AWM) today announced the launch of a new website NationofWriters.org, an online resource featuring a virtual American Voices exhibit, educational ...
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BOOKS/ART Local man releases sketches by famous artist uncle
Cuban American painter Gustavo Ojeda (1958—89) is best known for lush and meditative urban nightscapes that brought him recognition in the 1980s downtown New York art scene. He exhibited works alongside artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, ...
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Artist Riva Lehrer talks new memoir, career, state of the world
In queer artist, writer and curator Riva Lehrer's recently released memoir Golem Girl, she takes readers on a journey through her life via the lens of her being born with spina bifida and the way that ...
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SHOWBIZ Wentworth Miller, Whitney, lesbian author, Mark Wahlberg
Out actor Wentworth Miller said he doesn't want to be involved in a new season of the TV show Prison Break if it happens, according to Deadline. On Instagram, he thanked fans for his support and ...
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WORLD Church leaders, Amnesty International, students
Pope Francis included a U.S. archbishop who has made several strong, positive statements about LGBTQ people in the group of 13 church leaders named cardinals; there are also a bishop from the island nation of Malta ...
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BOOKS Former Warner Brothers head Alan Shayne reflects on a pivotal summer
Many things happened in 1941—Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Wonder Woman comic began publication and Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for his third term as U.S. president. It was also a pivotal year for Alan ...
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Booksellers launch "Boxed Out" campaign, a look at consumer choices
--From a press release
(New York, New York) 20% of independent bookstores across the country are in danger of closing. Today, theAmerican Booksellers Association launched the "Boxed Out" campaign to draw attention to the high stakes indie bookstores face this ...
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BOOK REVIEW Gay Like Me: A Father Writes to His Son
By Richie Jackson $24.99; Harper; 163 pages Like father, like son. When you were small, people said you looked just like your dad. As you grew up, they said you had his sense of humor or his temper, you laughed alike, ...
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BOOKS Max Fox takes on late friend's work, 'Sexual Hegemony'
The late Christopher Chitty started a dissertation titled "Sexual Hegemony: Statecraft, Sodomy, and Capital in the Rise of the World System" while he was a PhD candidate. Writer, editor and friend Max Fox took on Chitty's ...
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Author/academic John D'Emilio on new book, future endeavors
Queer Legacies: Stories from Chicago's LGBTQ Archives is a new book by Gerber/Hart Library and Archives President and University of Illinois at Chicago History and Women's and Gender Studies Professor Emeritus John ...
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NATIONAL Lambda Litfest, #BiWeek, whistleblower, Equality Awards, Blade
The 4th annual Lambda Litfest (Oct. 5-9) has been transformed into a specially curated, virtual event celebrating Black LGBTQIA+ excellence and abundance, a press release noted. The opening night will set the stage by bringing panelists ...
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Gerber/Hart reveals future plans
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, 6500 N. Clark St., hosted several relatively informal, socially distanced gatherings the weekend of Sept. 12-13 to let community supporters know about its plans for the next few years. The various sessions—which ...
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Submissions sought for Lambda Literary Awards
Submissions are now being sought for the 33rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards, which honors the best of LGBTQ+ literature. Due to COVID-19, the organization has implemented an entirely digital submission process using Submittable. Submissions are judged ...
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NATIONAL Marsha P. Johnson, Anchorage, electoral items, gay author dies
Marsha P. Johnson—the iconic transgender activist who was a central figure in New York City's LGBTQ+-liberation movement—will get a monument in her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, CNN.com reported. Throughout ...
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E. Patrick Johnson's 'Sweet Tea' book released
Northwestern University Press announced the release of the book Sweet Tea, by E. Patrick Johnson, with a foreword by Jane M. Saks. This book is the stage version of Johnson's Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of ...
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New psychology handbook focuses on sexual, gender minority mental health
A comprehensive new psychology book, The Oxford Handbook of Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health, was recently released—and it features essays from dozens of academics across multiple countries addressing a variety of issues specific to this ...
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Nigerian LGBTQ+ refugee-turned-activist on importance of compassion
Edafe Okporo came to the United States from Nigeria in 2016. Now, he's the founder of New York's first full-time LGBTQ+ refugee shelter. Along the way, he has gained insight to how one can make a ...
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Trans advocate Jamison Green talks about increasing visibility
Jamison Green would really like to go hiking again. He last went on a serious hike three years ago, before he and his wife left the Bay Area. He's been an outdoorsman his whole life and he lives in an area ...
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DANK Haus hosts 'Gay Berlin' forum with author
Chicago's DANK Haus German American Cultural Center hosted a virtual discussion event with Dr. Robert Beachy, author of the Randy Shilts Award-winning book Gay Berlin: Birthplace of a Modern Identity, on Aug. 6. The event began ...
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Ally opens Diverse Little Free Library in Norridge
Former elementary school teacher and healthcare non-profit education manager Lauren Erbach Barnfield is on a mission to bring diverse children's books to her Norridge neighborhood—with a Diverse Little Free Library located in ...
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BOOK REVIEW Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlaw
By Charles Leerhsen $28; Simon & Schuster; 304 pages That man there? He's just a nice guy. Kind and generous, respectful and friendly, he's a true gentleman, and he's never judgmental. He loves children and animals, ...
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'One Poem: A Protest Reading in Support of Black Lives' Aug. 18
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m., the Poetry Coalition—a network of 25+ literary organizations that includes Lambda Literary and Young Chicago Authors—will present "One Poem: A Protest Reading in Support of Black Lives." In this ...
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Gerber/Hart fall benefit Sept. 12-13
The Gerber/Hart Library and Archives fall benefit—"Saving LGBTQ History: Archives in a Time of Activism"—will take place Sept. 12-13 at the venue, 6500 N. Clark St. On those days, there will be a series of 90-minute ...
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BOOKS Yvonne Zipter: Looking at Chicagoan's life, poetry collection
Writer Yvonne Zipter nurtures nature and other ideas in her new book of poetry Kissing the Long Face of the Greyhound. Zipter grew up in Milwaukee and lived there until she was 24. She earned a ...
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BOOKS In fashion: Jay Manuel dishes on 'The Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown'
Jay Manuel has been many things, including an make-up artist and a creative director—and he is probably best known as taking on the latter role for several years on the reality-competition show America's Next Top Model. ...
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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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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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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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BOOK REVIEW Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man
By Mary L. Trump, Ph.D. $28; Simon and Schuster; 227 pages. You hadn't seen that container in ages. You really can't remember when you put it on the shelf. Sometime this year, six years ago, when ...
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BOOKS Local activist Wanda B. tells her life story in 'Leader by Fault'
Founder of Stud 4 Life, Lawanda Green—or Wanda B.—is no stranger to giving back. Her organization has marched to stop the violence and does cancer walks in honor of her late mother, Dorothy Jean Green. And ...
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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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BOOKS Joey Skladany entertains, instructs in 'Basic Bitchen'
With Basic Bitchen, Joey Skladany has probably put together one of the most entertaining cookbooks one might come across. With recipes for items such as Antidepressant Red Velvet Cake Pops and entertaining stories, Skladany aims to ...
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Printers Row Lit Fest officially cancelled
For the first time in its 36-year history, Chicago's Printers Row Lit Fest has been officially canceled. Organizers said the current city and state restrictions around large public gatherings due to COVID-19 made it impossible for ...
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Library board president leaves post over anti-LGBTQ statements
Cook Memorial Public Library District Board President Bonnie Quirke has now resigned from her post, The Daily Herald reported. Quirke, 80, of Libertyville, had served on the board since 2005 and had been its president since ...
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BOOKS Skokie native writes about creating an LGBTQ family
Steve Disselhorst dreamed of being a parent since he was a kid growing up in Skokie. On June 16, his first book, Determined To Be Dad, was released, and it details his journey to fulfill that ...
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