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VIEWS Dignity/Chicago celebrates 50 years of ministry
It was 1972 and it was dangerous to be gay or lesbian. One could be arrested, publicly humiliated or fired from one's job. Even finding safety in the emerging bar scene was hazardous. Added to that ...
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VIEWS Biden, Democrats must end Title 42 now
The Biden Administration should honor its commitment to immediately end Title 42 restrictions which were imposed by former President Donald Trump, to deny asylum seekers their basic, protected rights. It would be a mistake for Democrats ...
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VIEWS The closing of civil society: Russia and the U.S., or fear the queer!
Putin's invasion of Ukraine has made manifest the fragility of civil society in Russia and the strength of civil society in Ukraine. It has also once again focused an intense spotlight on our own civil society. ...
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LETTERS A difference in opinion about Vatican document
I am responding to DignityUSA Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burks, who issued a press release that Windy City Times published. A newly released document from the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education could trigger a new wave of ...
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VIEWPOINT Mixed reactions to Will Smith's slap
By now, everyone has seen or heard about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars for making a tasteless and misogynistic joke about his wife's short hair resembling Demi Moore's buzzcut in the 1997 movie ...
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VIEWPOINT On A Scale of 1 to 10: Sex, Religion, Power, Politics--A Public Meditation
QUESTION: "On a scale of one to 10, how faithful would you say you are, in terms of religion?"—U.S Sen. Lindsey Graham (R), South Carolina RESPONSE: "… there's no religious test in the Constitution under Article ...
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VIEWPOINT For Elise, I promise to advocate to ban the trans/gay panic defense
Elise is dead. We don't yet know how or why. But Elise is dead, and my heart is breaking. Trans activist Elise Malary was an inspiration for me. She was the driving force behind the legislation ...
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VIEWS Putin's war and anti-queer Christian nationalism
—'Don't Say Gay' bill clears Florida Senate awaiting signature of Governor Ron De Santis (March 08, 2022). —Texas attorney general Ken Paxton issues legal opinion classifying gender-affirming medical care for ...
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VIEWS Bannon, the Catholic vote and our democracy
"I don't want anybody to take their eye off the ball for what we do every day... We're taking down the Biden regime." Stephen K. Bannon speaking to reporters as he turned himself over to federal ...
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LETTER Love is the road to healing
I am writing this letter to the editor in response to the press release that was printed in the present online issue of Windy City Times. The press release ("Program for LGBTQ people/families pushed by Archdiocese ...
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VIEWPOINT: FDA must lift discriminatory blood-donor policy
With the nation's blood supply at its lowest point in a decade, and the American Red Cross declaring its first-ever national blood crisis earlier this month, it is time for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...
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VIEWPOINT Who is my neighbor?
The notion of functioning as a Good Samaritan is one that transcends any particular faith tradition. The idea of humans treating humans in a humane way sounds so simple, yet history and modernity are replete with ...
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Failure to enact Freedom to Vote is a blow to vulnerable groups
-- From a press release
From Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund: "The failure to enact the Freedom to Vote, John R. Lewis Act is a profound blow to our Democracy. The inability to ensure ...
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VIEWS Trans women passing the torch
I am writing this letter to the editor to compliment Windy City Times on its recent article "Passing the torch: How generations of trans women approach activism, advocacy," by Max Lubbers. The article highlights how the ...
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Two join races for state office, Personal PAC comments on threats to reproductive rights
-- From a Personal PAC press release
Chicago, IL Today, following the news that anti-choice extremists Richard Irvin and Avery Bourne would run as Republicans for governor and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Personal PAC President and CEO Terry Cosgrove released the following ...
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VIEWS Hoarders
One TV program that I alternately love and hate is Hoarders. The producers send a team of psychologists, organizers and laborers into a person's home and they all work (and argue) about cleaning the place up ...
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VIEWPOINT For LGBTQ community, the movement behind Jan. 6 is an existential threat
The stakes could not be higher. The LGBTQ movement has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams in democratic societies worldwide. Where we have had access to freedom of speech and assembly, remarkable advances have followed. This is ...
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LETTER Continue the dialogue on racism
I am writing this letter to the editor about the article that appeared on the Windy City Times website titled "A look at Northalsted/Boystown bars since 2020 town hall on racism," written by Cris Villalonga-Vivoni. Also, ...
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LETTER Remembering Archbishop Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu passed away in Cape Town, South Africa, on Dec. 26 at the age of 90. In 1984, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his efforts to bring about a peaceful transition to a society with ...
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VIEWS Remembering our sister-friend bell hooks
bell hooks died on Dec. 15, 2021, at 69, in Kentucky. As a Black Appalachian, bell hooks was inarguably one of the nation's prominent feminist scholars and authors, and a friend to everyone she met. Last ...
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VIEWS Will Smollett's hoax affect public perception of hate crimes?
Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett was recently found guilty on five of the six counts of felony disorderly conduct for concocting an elaborate racist and homophobic assault against himself. Each Class 4 felony count can land ...
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Thanksgiving is a time to reflect
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for a God that created us and loves us. The sins of racism, sexism, ageism and classicism are neoclassic examples of how we have fallen short. We have come ...
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VIEWS Young people need to listen to LGBTQ elders' intergenerational experiences
For one of my first Windy City Times assignments, I was lucky enough to spend nearly three hours interviewing longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist Michael O'Connor. As queer individuals living in Chicago in 2021, we had plenty in ...
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VIEWS Reporting on queers of color needs to investigate absence as much as presence
Earlier this month, I pitched a Windy City Times article that sought to explore how role playing games (RPGs), such as Dungeons & Dragons, enable queer people of color (QPOC) to explore their gender and sexuality ...
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VIEWS In defense of the word 'lesbian'
When I decided to come out to my mom, I wanted to wait until I could say the word "lesbian" out loud. But as I sat her down, I tripped over the long string of letters. "Mom, I'm gay," I blurted ...
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VIEWS Google and Chicago's segregated LGBTQ+ community
I was a little baby queer when I moved to Chicago last year. I come from a traditional, cookie-cutter Connecticut town where Vineyard Vines and Sunday school were the standards. So, for a LatinX queer person who ...
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OP-ED The Black church was one of R. Kelly's enablers
The long-awaited justice for R. Kelly's survivors finally came last month when a New York federal jury found him guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. For nearly 30 years, underage Black girls and their families have ...
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VIEWS Finding the Crossroads
By Martha Miller
The first time I saw a psychic, I was 19 and my friend Sandy and I drove to Jacksonville to see an old woman who read cards. We were young and it was fun going to her old house where a ...
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Opinion: The parade must go on
I am responding to the letter from Tim Frye, the current 2021 coordinator of Chicago's Pride Parade, about the cancellation of the event that was scheduled for Oct. 3. I agree that this decision takes in ...
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VIEWS U.S. Senators: It's time to act against anti-LGBTQ discrimination
Georgia has had the eyes of the nation on it for some time now. It's just over five years since people across Georgia braced themselves as lawmakers sent sweeping anti-LGBTQ legislation to the desk of then-Governor ...
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OP-ED Foreign drug pricing puts America's most vulnerable patients last
By Guy Anthony
It's no coincidence that American companies led the charge to develop COVID-19 vaccines. Numerous policies from strong patent protections to a welcoming immigration system help ensure that the world's smartest scientists can ...
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Op-Ed: Elevating 'T' in LGBTQ: State government, transgender equity in 21st century
By Illinois state Sen. Sara Feigenholtz
In recent decades, our laws, pop culture and morality have shifted dramatically for same-sex couples. Our LGBTQ+ neighbors are interwoven into the fabric of our communities now more than ever. We celebrate this recognition and indeed ...
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VIEWPOINT Pride at work
Pride Month is a chance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people to be proud and visible in a world that tells us not to be. Pride Month is a chance to celebrate and ...
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LETTER: Pride, a time for hope
Pride is so much more than a parade, a march or even a demonstration for the LGBTQAI community. In other words, this is an opportunity for us to celebrate our diversity among our various communities, and ...
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VIEWPOINT Tulsa Race Massacre reparations would begin the healing
When HBO's 2019 Watchmen series opened with the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and HBO's 2020 Lovecraft Country series closed with scenes from the riots, most Americans had never heard of the event—even Tulsans. On May 19, ...
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Illinois Holocaust Museum makes statement on anti-Semitic attacks
--From a press release
Dear Museum Community, At Illinois Holocaust Museum, we are appalled at the recent rise in worldwide anti-Semitic incidences. We cannot stand by while Jews and synagogues are violently attacked, including in Skokie, New York, Los Angeles, ...
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LETTER A matter of race
I applaud Mayor Lori Lightfoot's courageous statement on only giving one-on-one interviews to journalists of color. She obviously wants to see a public dialogue on this matter. White privilege is a topic we must look at ...
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The Amazon Trail Notes from a Homebody
's finally here. The end of total lockdown. Am I ready? Absolutely not. I like my burrow. I don't wanna play with others. We've fashioned a comfortable little routine. Week days, work. Evenings, spend time alone ...
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Illinois Latino Agenda issues statement on shooting of Adam Toledo
--From a press release
On March 29, 2021, 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer. Since the shooting, there have been different narratives formed of who Adam Toledo was. Various media have made allegations saying ...
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Pastor Donnie McClurkin's struggle with sexuality mirrors the Black church's
The most significant factor that keeps the Black church on the down low are closeted, homophobic ministers. Pastor Donnie McClurkin—a three-time Gospel Grammy winner and the former poster boy for ...
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The Amazon Trail, How to Write a Book
I'm not giving away any secrets here. Not saying it's simple or that anyone can do it if they send $25.00 to Post Office Box 1,2,3. Nope, it's a personal journey and every story has a story. Here's mine, about the ...
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OP-ED The closet doors are opening
(NOTE: The International Transgender Day of Visibility is March 31.) I recently learned that according to a new report, the number of people in this country who identify as LGBTQ has increased by 60% since 2012. ...
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OP-ED: An AAPI hate crime we dare not say
On March 16, Robert Aaron Long killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent. Long's action has not yet been classified as a hate crime because the motive, he stated, was his sex ...
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LETTER The Vatican's words and actions do not echo love
The LGBTQA community is responding with shock, anger and frustration at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith statement concerning same-sex unions. Many in our community can't understand why Pope Francis would allow such a ...
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The Amazon Trail Covid 19 Pioneer
Now that President Biden and Vice President Harris are in office, I've been able to have my first Covid 19 vaccine shot. It was no big deal. I went to our county fairgrounds expecting to be injected through my car window, ...
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LETTER Federal anti-discrimination protection? Inevitable
=The astute can predict the future with more than a modicum of confidence by examining history. Nate Silver did this last year at fivethirtyeight.com, as did Vegas oddsmakers, in predicting the victory of President Joe Biden over der ...
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OP-ED Gorman's inauguration poem has Black women talking
Amanda Gorman mesmerized a nation with her inauguration poem "The Hill We Climb." The beauty of her presence and the power of her words captured a country battle-scarred and looking for a lifeline. "After four years ...
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Letter: Greed overrides common sense
Jeffrey Sanker, founder of the White Party concept decades ago, is now at the center of brewing online civil war in the gay community. It was reported by some online LGBTQ media news outlets such as ...
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LETTER: Unnecessary legislation
To the Editor: At a time when Illinois lawmakers should be supporting healthcare heroes who are working tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic, we instead receive unwelcome new legislation that will drive up the costs of practicing ...
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OP-ED: New Year's Eve circuit parties go on despite COVID-19 travel concerns
This past New Year's Eve, thousands of gay men flocked to Mexico to attend a New Year's eve "White Party" hosted by long time party promoter Jeffrey Sanker the host of the annual white party in Palm ...
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OPINION Where do we go from here (redux)?
The year 2020 has been a stressful one. With George Floyd's death as an inflection point about race and racism in America, an unprecedented presidential election and social unrest during an ongoing pandemic with a rising ...
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VIEWS Taking care of your mental health during a COVID holiday season
By Adam Ouanes
This holiday season is unlike any before, and it leaves many people feeling unsure about how to get into the holiday spirit. It's not unusual for many people to find this time of year overwhelming, but ...
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The Amazon Trail: Rats fleeing a sinking ship
I've heard the idiom "like rats fleeing a sinking ship" often lately, and while the metaphor is apt for what's going on in the United States, at our house it's even more befitting. Merriam Webster notes, ...
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VIEWPOINT Harris stands on shoulders of giants
The struggle to get President-elect Joe Biden to the finish line first with 270 electoral college votes was unquestionably an epic battle. However, Biden's battle wasn't a century-long one like women finally winning the right to ...
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Lilly Wachowski: Refuse Fascism, at the Ballot Box and in the Street
Video below
In a rare, public and political statement, filmmaker Lilly Wachowski (co-creator of The Matrix trilogy, V for Vendetta, Sense8) published this personal essay on the literary website, LitHub.com, calling on people to "Refuse Fascism, at the ...
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VIEWPOINT Is Pope Francis' support of civil unions just lip service?
Pope Francis has expressed support for civil unions in the Catholic Church. Once again, the pontiff has sent shockwaves across the globe to 1.3 billion of his followers with another LGBTQ- affirming statement. However, this one ...
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LETTER Pope Francis appoints America's first African American cardinal
Pope Francis has appointed 13 new cardinals world wide. Archbishop Gregory is listed as elevated to cardinal by his Holiness. The archbishop served in Chicago for 10 years under Cardinal Joseph Bernadine, being transferred to Atlanta ...
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LETTER Thank you, Pope Francis
I never thought I would live to see the day when a pope would endorse civil rights for LGBTQ couples. Praise God for His Grace. Also, the many Roman Catholic individuals and organizations who worked so ...
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett
Women-Church Convergence, a coalition of Catholic-rooted organizations including DignityUSA, deplores the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. We have serious concerns about the judgment of any nominee ...
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Lambda Legal responds to nomination of Judge Barrett
--From a press release
Lambda Legal sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging its members to oppose Judge Amy Coney Barrett. The rushed confirmation hearings began today for President Trump's nominee to fill the seat of the late ...
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LETTER Vote
President Trump, you have had almost four years to lead the United States and have failed us by your own choosing. Whether it be in foreign policy and domestic policy you have not protected the United States ...
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VIEWPOINT As a gay bipolar man, I've learned to live with suicidal thoughts
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 20. LGBTQ+ youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth. In addition, LGBTQ+ youth are almost five ...
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LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH My Notorious RBG moment
In the 1990s, the U.S. Senate was attempting in every possible way to censor this new thing called the internet. The senators soon came up with an idea to stop information that might be objectionable to ...
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OP-ED: Ruth Bader Ginsburg bent the moral arc toward justice
Like so many Americans across the country, I, too, am mourning the news that U.S. Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died due to complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was 87. As a soft-spoken firebrand ...
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LETTER Culture and diversity
Dear editor: I want to respond to the Windy City Times article of Aug. 19 titled "Organization leaders discuss board diversity strategies," which was itself a reaction to the survey in the July 22 issue concerning ...
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MOMBIAN True stories, trans tales and more in new picture books
New books can be a delightful relief in these days of quarantine. Here are some of the many new LGBTQ-inclusive picture books that just came out last month. (See Mombian.com for even more.) The Fighting Infantryman, ...
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VIEWPOINTS Get involved in Michigan now
You probably feel anxious and frustrated by the political climate and the risk that the Republicans will cheat their way to victory or the Democrats will bumble their way to defeat. The best thing you can ...
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VIEWPOINT The common thread of LGBTQ+ stigma and mental health
The relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and mental health has always varied from country to country. But when religion enters the conversation, a whole new aspect escalates the stigma. Countries all over the world have high ...
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Wear a mask
Dear editor: Wear a mask. Illinois made great strides fighting COVID-19, but it will take sustained effort and discipline to keep the virus under control. Illinois doctors are asking everyone to take two simple actions when ...
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My case for being in Congress
By Dani Brzozowski
"I already told my family that if I catch this virus — God forbid — I'm not going to the hospital. I'll pop myself or cut myself rather than die in the hospital, miserable and alone." ...
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR A word, please...
Dear editor: We just finished reading your WCT's interview with Jay Manuel (in the Aug. 5 issue), and we have an important question. Did you ask or even challenge him about the book's title, and the ...
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LETTER What's in a name? And striving for racial equality
What's in a name? Dear community: The growing debate over the name change of Boystown is reflective of a broader cultural tectonic shift on race, gender, sexual orientation and trans issues that take place in many ...
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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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VIEWPOINTS In support of the fair tax
Passage of the fair tax will improve the lives of the state's LGBTQ community. As CEO of Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer Illinoisans, I can attest that ...
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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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