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COVID Four more states removed from Chicago's travel advisory
On Oct. 26, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) removed four states from its weekly COVID-19 Travel Advisory. The advisory now includes 41 states and two territories following the removal of Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland and ...
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Ronn Harris: Evanston resident's initiative rewards good deeds
"You've got to accentuate the positive/ Eliminate the negative/ Latch on to the affirmative/ Don't mess with Mister In-Between" The lyrics above may be from the Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters song "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," ...
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Howard Brown Health unveils new Broadway Youth Center
--From a press release
Howard Brown Health recently unveiled the new permanent home for Broadway Youth Center, its program for LGBTQ people ages 12-24 and young people experiencing homelessness. Located at 1023 W. Irving Park Road, the new space has ...
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Twitter suspends Indiana politician for misgendering trans official
Twitter suspended the account of U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., after he intentionally misgendered Health and Human Services official, Dr. Rachel Levine—the first transgender person to hold an office that ...
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WORLD Indian commission, queer royals, MTV, Putin, attack in Jamaica
India's National Medical Commission has ordered publishers and medical schools to edit their textbooks and curricula to exclude discriminatory and unscientific portrayals of LGBTI people, according to Human Rights Watch. ...
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Gov. Pritzker announces campaign to increase COVID-19 booster rates among older Illinoisans
--From a press release
CHICAGO — With 1.5 million Illinoisans currently eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination booster shot and millions more set to become eligible in the coming weeks, Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) ...
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COVID Two more states and D.C. removed from Chicago's travel advisory
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) removed two states and the District of Columbia from its weekly COVID-19 travel advisory on Oct. 19. The advisory now includes 45 states and two territories following the removal ...
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Ald. Maria Hadden encourages community to be active participants
By Cris Villalonga-Vivoni
AIt was Chicago Ald. Maria Hadden's friends who convinced her to run for city council as the 49th Ward's alderperson. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Hadden moved to Rogers Park 20 years ago after graduating from The ...
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Colorado becomes first state to require trans care as essential health benefit
Colorado has become the first state in the country to include transition-related care for transgender people as part of the requirements for essential healthcare in the state, The Washington Blade reported. As part of the change, ...
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NATIONAL Foster-parent case, stars speak out, Texas youth, 'Queer Eye,' HIV
Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Lambda Legal, together with the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), along ...
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Black Incubator and Accelerator (BIA) program to offer support for Black-led organizations
A new program—Black Incubator and Accelerator (BIA)—is offering funding and resources to Black-led organizations that primarily serve Black communities on the South and West Sides. BIA is new this year and run by University of Chicago ...
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Howard Brown's 'Big Orange Ball' on Oct. 23
Howard Brown Health will hold its annual Big Orange Ball virtually Saturday, Oct. 23, 8-9 p.m. The event will then be shown On-Demand through Sunday, Oct. 31, at midnight. This year, people can kick off Halloween ...
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PHIMC to present second Mary F. Morten Award on Nov. 7
Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) announced Chicago Freedom School as the 2021 recipient of the Mary F. Morten Award for Justice. According to a release, "Chicago Freedom School is being recognized for its vital ...
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HHS awards $2.21B in FY2021 for HIV care, support services, medication
--From a press release
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced approximately $2.21 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding for cities, counties, states, and local community-based organizations in fiscal year ...
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AMA panel examines the role of critical race theory in contemporary healthcare
An Oct. 4 online forum hosted by the Chicago-based American Medical Association (AMA) addressed critical race theory (CRT) and its applications for equity in healthcare settings. CRT has achieved notoriety ...
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Illinois HIV Care Connect launches HIV Innovation campaign
On Oct. 5, Illinois HIV Care Connect launched its HIV Innovation web and social-media campaign, showcasing several Illinois HIV initiatives that are helping to prevent or treat HIV more effectively. Articles about five initiatives so far ...
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COVID Connecticut removed from Chicago travel advisory
On Oct. 5, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) removed one state—Connecticut—from its weekly COVID-19 travel advisory. The advisory now stands at 47 states and three territories. Although the ...
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Report: Older LGBTQs lack access to healthcare, financial security, caregiving
--From a press release
Chicago — LGBTQ older adults across Illinois are struggling to get the healthcare, financial security and caregiving support they desperately need, according to a new report from AARP Illinois and SAGE released today. The disparities, outlined ...
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Out state Sen. Mike Simmons aims to 'prioritize people' in economic, healthcare equity fight
Each week, Illinois state Sen. Mike Simmons' constituents pile into his office to share ideas about how to improve their lives. Through conversations with single mothers raising young children in poverty, residents facing displacement and teenagers ...
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Howard Brown Health to receive $1M from Col. Jennifer Pritzker's TAWANI Foundation
--From a press release
(Sept. 28, 2021 - Chicago, IL) Howard Brown Health has received a commitment of $1 million from TAWANI Foundation, including a pledge of $500,000 and a challenge grant of $500,000 to support the expansion of LGBTQ+ ...
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COVID Chicago's latest travel advisory remains the same
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) did not add or remove any states from its weekly COVID-19 Travel Advisory on Sept. 28. The numbers of states and territories remain at 48 and three, respectively. California ...
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Defend Abortion Access marches/rallies planned across Illinois Oct. 2
--From a press release
CHICAGO — A coalition of more than 20 progressive organizations, supporters, and providers of reproductive health care are holding "Defend Abortion Access" events across Illinois on Saturday, October 2, in response to the Texas abortion ban ...
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Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition for Healthcare Funding Equity (BLACHFE) launches
--From a press release
CHICAGO IL — September 20, 2021 — Eleven African-American-led organizations have united to form the Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition for Healthcare Funding Equity (BLACHFE). The purpose of BLACHFE is to ...
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COVID California, Puerto Rico off Chicago's travel advisory list; others return
On Sept. 22, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) took one state and one territory—California and Puerto Rico—off its weekly COVID-19 Travel Advisory, while Connecticut and the District of Columbia returned to the advisory. The ...
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LGBTQ blood donation discrimination assessed, PULSE shootings cited
--From a press release
Chicago, Ill. — Last week, Reps. Mike Quigley (IL-05), Val B. Demings (FL-10), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Adam B. Schiff (CA-28), Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15) received a ...
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Patrick J. Kennedy to receive award from Trilogy at virtual gala
Chicago-based Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare will present its Partner in Recovery Award to The Kennedy Forum founder, mental-health advocate and former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy as a part of its virtual 50th-anniversary gala on Thursday, Oct. 21. ...
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HHS awards $48M to health centers to expand HIV prevention, treatment
On Sept. 16, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded more than $48 million to 271 HRSA-supported health centers across 26 states, Puerto Rico and ...
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National groups kick off #BiWeek to celebrate bisexuality+ visibility
Sept. 16 marks the start of #BiWeek, an annual digital campaign to accelerate acceptance for the bisexual+ (bi, pansexual, fluid, queer, unlabeled, etc.) community, according to a joint press release from the organizations The Bisexual Resource ...
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COVID Southern Illinois reports it has zero ICU beds available
Amid a COVID-19 surge, Illinois' southern region reported Sept. 13-14 that it ran out of intensive care unit (ICU) beds—which has delayed surgeries and resulted in longer waits for appropriate care, The Chicago Tribune reported. In ...
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Howard Brown hosting Midwest LGBTQ Health Symposium on Sept. 29-30
Howard Brown Health will host its 2021 Midwest LGBTQ Health Symposium in a virtual format Sept. 29-30. The conference, presented by the Howard Brown Health Center for Education, Research and ...
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COVID Connecticut, D.C., removed from Chicago's travel advisory
On Sept. 14, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) took one state—Connecticut—and the District of Columbia off its weekly COVID-19 travel advisory. The advisory now includes 48 states and three territories, as daily COVID case ...
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Men Having Babies surrogacy conference on Oct. 9
The Men Having Babies 2021 Midwest Surrogacy Conference & Expo will take place Saturday, Oct. 9, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. According to a press statement, more than 100 (vaccinated!) ...
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SAVOR Sunny Bowls
Looking for a comforting, healthful option for lunch? Then look no further than Sunny Bowls: Souper Food (theMart, #201.; https://sunnybowls.com/), which specializes in various soups? Part of the food court at theMART (which some also call ...
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COVID Chicago's travel advisory now includes all states outside Illinois
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), on Sept. 8, added one state—Vermont—to its weekly COVID-19 travel advisory. The advisory now includes every state and territory in the country, as COVID continues to surge across the ...
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New safety precautions announced for 30th annual AIDS Run & Walk Chicago Oct. 2
--From a press release
CHICAGO — AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) has announced proof of full vaccination or negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of event will be required for all in-person participants for the 30th annual AIDS Run & ...
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COVID Rev. Jackson's wife out of hospital
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.'s wife, Jacqueline, was released from the hospital Sept. 3 after being treated for symptoms of COVID-19 along with the minister, NBC Chicago reported. "Our mother is leaving the Northwestern Memorial Hospital and ...
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Five Worth Finding: 'Swan Song,' mental-health event, Halloween items, artwork
Technically, there are six items here, but they're all highly recommended. —Swan Song: Throughout his long and storied career, German actor Udo Kier has taken on many roles—but probably none as indelible as former hairdresser Pat ...
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Chicago pro-choice activists outraged by SCOTUS' refusal to overturn Texas abortion ban
--From a multi-organization press release
Calling it a blow to women and all abortion rights supporters nationwide, coalition calls for reversal of the Texas Law SB8, and demands "No Abortion Bans Anywhere: Not Now; Not Ever! Defend Roe!" Several Chicago groups ...
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United Center to require COVID-19 vaccination or negative test to attend all events
--From a press release
The United Center will require all event attendees, including fans at Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks games, to present proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to gain access to the arena. The decision ...
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HIV AT 40: Global activist Phill Wilson talks Chicago, the '80s and vaccines
Phill Wilson is one of the best-known HIV/AIDS activists/educators around the globe. The Chicago native was the co-founder of the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum and the National Task Force on AIDS Prevention. He ...
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Chicago now has 48 states in travel advisory
On Aug. 31, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) added five states — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan and New Hampshire, as well as the District of Columbia and Guam—to its weekly COVID-19 travel advisory. Vermont ...
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Law banning abortions after six weeks is now set in Texas
Legislation banning abortions after about six weeks is now the law in Texas, effectively ending Roe v. Wade protections in the state, NPR reported. Late on Sept. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the law. ...
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Steamworks' general manager defends vaccine requirement
The general manager of Northalsted gay sauna/bathhouse Steamworks recently defended the venue's policy that only fully vaccinated individuals can enter the space. Someone who self-identified "as a former customer" wrote a letter to management saying, ...
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GLAAD releases '2021 State of HIV Stigma' study
GLAAD recently released its second annual State of HIV Stigma Study, a national survey among U.S. adults with the sample supplied by research firm Cint. The survey, funded by Gilead COMPASS Initiative, measures U.S. attitudes toward ...
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NATIONAL Marsha P. Johnson, Utah, five-year study, Pride fests cancelled
In New York City, visitors to Christopher Park have been greeted by the bust of the late trans activist Marsha P. Johnson, ActionNewsNow.com reported. The bust was erected on what would have been Jonhson's 76th birthday—and ...
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Mental health of Black and Latinx LGBQ people worsened after the 2016 presidential election
--From a Williams Institute press release
A new study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law finds that the mental health of Black and Latinx LGBQ people declined in the 17 months following the 2016 presidential election of Donald ...
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Pritzker announces COVID-19 vaccine requirement for some workers, statewide indoor mask mandate
--From a press release
CHICAGO — As COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates across the state continue to increase, particularly in downstate communities with the lowest vaccination rates, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and IDPH Director ...
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Chicago announces COVID-19 vaccination requirement for city employees
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced that, effective Oct. 15, the City of Chicago will require all city employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, joining many other major municipalities and government agencies in ...
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COVID Chicago adds four states to travel advisory
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) most recently added four states—Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska and South Dakota—to its weekly COVID-19 Travel Advisory. There are now 43 states and two territories ...
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COVID Rev. Jackson, wife hospitalized
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, 79, and wife, Jacqueline, 77, were admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, NBC Chicago reported. Anyone who has been around either person in the last five to six ...
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New Simmons-sponsored law gathers data on effect of COVID-19 in LBGTQ+ communities
--From a press release
CHICAGO — A new law sponsored by State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) requires hospitals and state agencies to gather more data in order to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has harmed LGBTQIA communities, older adults, ...
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Pritzker signs the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act
--From a press release
On Friday, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act, which creates age-appropriate learning standards for public schools that decide to teach comprehensive personal health and safety ...
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COVID Cook County institutes mandatory employee vaccination policy
Cook County will implement a mandatory employee vaccination policy, a press release announced. The county wishes "to ensure that members of the public who interact with county employees and our facilities are safe when doing so, ...
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Guidance on COVID-19 booster shots
--From a Howard Brown Health press release
At this time, most people do not qualify for a third COVID-19 shot. Recently the Biden Administration unveiled a plan for wider availability of a third COVID-19 vaccine regimen and the FDA updated the emergency use ...
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Chicago imposing indoor mask mandate Aug. 20; eight states added to advisory
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will re-institute a face mask mandate for all indoor public settings as the average number of new daily cases of COVID-19 in Chicago surpasses 400. All individuals aged 2 ...
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Report details healthcare disparities for North Carolina LGBTQs, especially Black, transgender
--From a press release
ASHEVILLE, NC — The Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) and Western North Carolina Community Health Services (WNCCHS) released a new report about LGBTQ health in North Carolina, as a supplement to The Report of the 2019 ...
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CDC confirms COVID boosters for immunocompromised people [UPDATE]
On Aug. 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave final approval to start administering COVID-19 booster shots to Pfizer and Moderna vaccine recipients. ...
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CDPH seeking proposals from groups to connect the HIV-vulnerable to services
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Today, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued five Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for qualified smaller organizations to implement screening and support services to help accelerate efforts ...
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Report: 92% of LGBTQ people have been vaccinated against COVID
CMI's (Community Marketing & Insights') 15th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey results have been released—and there are some intriguing results. The report, released in July, focused on the data for 15,042 ...
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COVID Chicago adds 12 states to travel advisory
Chicago added 12 states to its travel advisory on Aug. 10, recommending that unvaccinated people entering the city from those areas test negative for COVID-19 or quarantine upon arrival, according to NBC Chicago. The 12 new ...
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Filmmakers debut Latinx-centered pandemic documentary
Community members gathered at Chicago History Museum (CHM) July 22 for the debut of the locally produced documentary Seguimos Aqui: Pride, Pandemic and Perseverance as well as a conversation with that film's primary collaborators. Seguimos Aqu ...
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Cook County exceeds 11,000 COVID-19 deaths
--From a press release
President Preckwinkle joined representatives from the County's Medical Examiner's Office (MEO), Cook County Health (CCH) and the County's Department of Public Health (CCDPH) this morning to mark a grim pandemic ...
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COVID Pritzker: Masks required for pre-K-12 schools, long-term care facilities
As COVID-19 infection rates across the state continue to increase and with a number of school districts not yet adopting CDC guidance on masking, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced masks ...
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Dr. Ezike meets with Black coalition about HIV/AIDS act
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike recently met with members of the Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition For Healthcare Funding Equity (BLACHFE) in Chicago. The meeting took ...
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Chicago adds five states, Puerto Rico to COVID travel advisory
On Aug. 3, Chicago added five states and Puerto Rico to its travel advisory, recommending that unvaccinated people entering the city from those areas test negative for COVID-19 or quarantine upon arrival, according to NBC Chicago. ...
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HEALTH Face masks recommended indoors throughout Chicago
Chicago now recommends that everyone older than 2 should wear a mask when indoors as the delta variant spreads and the city passes 200 new COVID-19 cases a day, The Chicago Tribune reported. The move, announced ...
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Passenger claims rainbow mask was banned; airline responds
On his flight out of Los Angeles International Airport earlier this month for a 46th birthday vacation in Greece, gay West Hollywood resident Scott Schmidt donned a rainbow-colored surgical mask in order to adhere to the ...
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Howard Brown Health calls on businesses, LGBTQ events to re-implement COVID restrictions
--From a Howard Brown press release
(Chicago, IL, July 28, 2021) — Howard Brown Health, the Midwest's largest LGBTQ healthcare organization, is imploring local businesses and public event producers to implement strict COVID-19 safety and prevention ...
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Pritzker signs bill decriminalizing HIV transmission, other pro-LGBTQ measures
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a legislative package on July 27 at Center on Halsted that, effective immediately ends the decades-long law criminalizing HIV transmission in Illinois. Illinois is now the second such state to repeal ...
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CDC: Some vaccinated people should wear masks indoors
To prevent further spread of the Delta variant, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on July 27 to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors when in areas with ...
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Lightfoot: Mask mandates may return to Chicago
People may not want to toss those face masks. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told The New York Times she will consider reinstating a mask mandate and other restrictions if the city starts to consistently record more ...
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PrEP pills to be free for insured people
The U.S. government has stated that nearly all health insurers must cover the entire cost of HIV prevention treatments, according to U.S. News & World Report. That includes the two approved pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs Truvada ...
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Federal judge blocks Arkansas anti-trans healthcare law
Judge James M. Moody Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas temporarily blocked an Arkansas law that would have banned physicians in the state from providing transition-related healthcare—e.g., hormones and puberty ...
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Howard Brown Health announces new leader for The Center for Education, Research, and Advocacy
--From a press release
(July 21, 2021— Chicago, IL) Howard Brown Health is pleased announce Brandon Hill, PhD (he/him/his) as Howard Brown Health's new executive director for the Center for Education, Research, and Advocacy ...
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Soapbox travels to Chicago to raise hand-hygiene awareness
Clean beauty company Soapbox unveiled the world's biggest bottle of soap in New York City's Times Square on July 15, marking the launch of a multi-city tour aimed at raising awareness for the importance of hand ...
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