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Indiana pols propose anti-conversion therapy bill
Indiana Stonewall Democrats issued a press release lauding state Sen. JD Ford (District 39) and state Rep. Sue Errington (District 26) for introducing a new bill to effectively end so-called "conversion therapy" practices across the state ...
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11th Circuit urged to reverse decision allowing LGBTQ youth conversion therapy
--From a Born Perfect press release
ATLANTA, GA — The Born Perfect campaign submitted a friend-of-the-court brief on Friday urging reversal of a recent decision by a three-judge federal panel validating the dangerous unethical practice known ...
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Buffalo Grove LGBTQ+ teen named one of HRC's ambassadors
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced that Buffalo Grove teen Molly Pinta (she/her)—a 14-year-old who identifies as bisexual—has been named a member of the 2021 class of HRC Foundation Youth ...
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Feds investigating alleged anti-Semitic activity at Univ. of Illinois
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced it has opened a formal investigation into a complaint alleging Jewish students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) ...
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Same-sex parents are 7X more likely to raise adopted, foster children
--From a Williams Institute press release
A summary of data on same-sex parenting to inform reporting on Fulton v. City of Philadelphia On Nov. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The case will ...
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Inclusive curriculum tools offered to schools during LGBTQ History Month
--From a press release
October is LGBTQ History Month, and a coalition of LGBTQ organizations are celebrating by making tools available to school administrators, educators, youth, and families to help implement the state's new Inclusive Curriculum Law. The Illinois Inclusiv ...
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About Face Theatre announces 25th season of new work, digital performances
--From a press release
CHICAGO — About Face Theatre is excited to announce plans for its landmark 25th anniversary season. Featuring new and original works, the company will focus on using digital streaming and online tools for most of the ...
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WORLD French plan, 'gay panic' defense, trans youth case, Northern Triangle
The French government unveiled a national plan to combat hatred and discrimination against LGBTQ people, and the initiative emphasises the importance of inclusive education in stamping out homophobia, RFI.fr reported. The three-year plan aims to make ...
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Study shows young queer adults face high rates of discrimination
A new study from the progressive think tank the Center for American Progress (CAP) and the research group NORC at the University of Chicago reported that young queer adults face high rates of discrimination. The survey ...
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Campus Pride announces 2020 Best of the Best LGBTQ-friendly colleges, universities
--From a press release
Campus Pride commemorates LGBTQ History Month and National Coming Out Day by releasing its 2020 BEST OF THE BEST LGBTQ-Friendly listing of colleges and universities. The announcement features forty campuses ...
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Victory Gardens Theater announces StudentsFirst Virtual Showcase
--From a press release
Chicago, IL—Victory Gardens Theater announces the Voices of Tomorrow: Their World on Stagefundraising event on Dec. 9, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. The virtual event will showcase powerful and moving spoken word and artistic works created by ...
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$4M gift for IU McKinney School of Law focuses on LGBTQ rights, diversity
--From a press release
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law has announced a significant $4 million gift from IU alumnus Steve Tuchman and his husband, Reed Bobrick. The gift will support the creation of an ...
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Chicago Teachers Union on Breonna Taylor and the fight for racial justice
--From a press release
CHICAGO, September 23, 2020—Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement today in response to news that the Kentucky Attorney General will not charge the officer for the shots that killed Breonna Taylor. "For ...
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Alicia Keys joins After School Matters event
Grammy winner Alicia Keys joined teenagers and their families across Chicago Sept. 24 for a live virtual conversation about current racial and social justice events, as well as her life and music career, including her recently ...
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Champaign County holding virtual Pride event Sept. 25-27
Champaign County-Uniting Pride of Champaign County announced the theme for the 2020 Champaign County Pride Celebration, taking place virtually Sept. 25-27: "Staying Apart—Rising United." Some of the events include the ...
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Howard Brown breaks ground on new Broadway Youth Center location
Officials from the Howard Brown Health organization, public officials and community supporters gathered in Uptown Sept. 10 to break ground on a new Broadway Youth Center location. Projected for a 2021 opening, the five-story facility, at ...
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Looking at implementation of an LGBTQ+ curriculum in state public schools
On Aug. 9, 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Illinois House Bill 246 into law, amending the school code to include contributions of LGBTQ+ figures in public schools all over the state, effective as of July 1, ...
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MAP report: Religious exemptions in child welfare would harm millions
On Aug. 19, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released "The High Stakes in the Fulton Case: Undermining the Vital Role of Child Welfare Laws & Regulations in Protecting America's Children." This report highlights what is at ...
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30 Under 30 postponed until June 2021
Windy City Times has made the difficult decision to postpone its annual 30 Under 30 Awards until next June, citing the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place Wed., June 24, at Polo ...
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A peek inside The Crib's new location
The Night Ministry is now operating The Crib in a new location at 1735 N. Ashland Ave. The previous location in the basement of Lakeview Lutheran Church only included 900 square feet of space—a prime reason ...
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WERQ! LGBTQ Job Fair on Sept. 18
EDITOR'S NOTE: Information on this event has changed. See updated information at http://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/WERQ-LGBTQ-Job-Fair-now-online-Sept-17-18-/69098.html . Center on Halsted and Brave Space Alliance will hold the annual ...
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Virtual OPALGA+ scholarship gala slated for Oct. 24
OPALGA+/Oak Park Area Lesbian & Gay Association will hold a virtual scholarship gala Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. The event will feature video clips from the organization's scholarship winners, the Founder's Award celebration and opportunities ...
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Restorative juvenile courts coming to Avondale, Englewood
The Circuit Court of Cook County is set to launch its latest effort to address nonviolent crime and prevent recidivism with the opening of new Restorative Justice Community Courts in Chicago's Avondale and Englewood neighborhoods, Chief ...
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Pritzker announces new approach for juvenile justice
On July 31, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton announced the 21st Century Illinois Transformation Model—a new plan that aims to transform the state's juvenile-justice system over the next four years. The model ...
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Teen LGBTQ+ activist aims to inspire with Be You Tiful Initiative
Allison Frank is a 16-year-old lesbian activist from Lincolnshire's Stevenson High School who found her passion for activism and began the Be You Tiful Initiative. It all started when Frank was feeling overwhelmed in a makeup ...
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Lurie announces overhaul of pediatric intersex surgery policies
Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital announced July 28 that it will no longer perform irreversible genital surgical procedures on intersex patients until patients can participate in making the decision. The surgeries have long been controversial, ...
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Cicero student finds his voice
When Jorge Martinez-Arevalo was in eighth grade, he was elected president of an LGBTQ+ after-school club at Unity Junior High School, in Cicero. During his eighth-grade year, the club, which is known as NJAW (short for ...
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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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Goodman reimagines summer education
Free programming for participants "aged eight to 80" is underway online, as Goodman Theatre's popular Education and Engagement summer offerings for multigenerational learners go virtual, a press release noted. In ...
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The Crib, Night Ministry move to Bucktown
Nine years after it began operations in the basement of Lakeview Lutheran Church, The Crib—The Night Ministry's overnight shelter for young adults—has reopened in a larger, enhanced space on the first floor of 1735 N. Ashland ...
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SCOTUS provides exemption for religious schools from bias lawsuits
On July 8, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled seven to two in favor of two California religious schools that argued for exemption from employment-discrimination lawsuits that teachers bring. Only justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader ...
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Australian, Irish consulates host LGBTQ+ advocacy panel
By Emily Reilly
Sarah Keating, the vice consul general of Chicago's Consulate General of Ireland; and Amanda Slone, the office services manager at the Australian Consulate of Chicago hosted a panel June 30 in honor of the marriage-equality campaigns ...
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E. Patrick Johnson, a man of firsts
E. Patrick Johnson is a man often associated with the word "first." He was the first in his family to go to college, and the first Black native of Hickory, North Carolina, to receive a Ph.D., ...
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Advocates celebrate LGBTQ Inclusive Curriculum Law, in effect July 1
Students in Illinois public schools will learn about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people in state and national history because of the Inclusive Curriculum Law, which takes effect on July 1, 2020 for ...
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GLAAD unveils inaugural 20 Under 20 list
GLAAD revealed its inaugural Rising Stars 20 Under 20 list. The list spotlights 20 young LGBTQ people, ages 20 and younger, who are accelerating acceptance of LGBTQ people while shaping the future of media and activism. ...
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UIC named Illinois' best college for LGBTQ students
Diversity and inclusion are cornerstones of the University of Illinois at Chicago's mission and its latest recognition gives the campus community more to be proud about during Pride Month. UIC has been named Illinois' best college ...
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Supreme Court refuses to end DACA protections
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 18 that the Trump administration cannot dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has offered protections to hundreds of thousands of people who both are undocumented ...
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'Plenty O'Cookies' benefit/class June 25
On Thursday, June 25, 7-8 p.m., La Casa Norte's (LCN's) Next Generation Board will host the Zoom event "Plenty O'Cookies for a Cause," featuring drag personality Plenty O'Smiles. O'Smiles will guide bakers as they make and ...
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Out professor named NU school dean
E. Patrick Johnson has been named dean of Northwestern University's School of Communication, Interim Provost Kathleen Hagerty announced. Johnson—the Carlos Montezuma Professor of African American Studies and Performance Studies at ...
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Lawrence Hall recognized by Human Rights Campaign Foundation for LGBTQ-inclusion
CHICAGO — Today, Lawrence Hall, a nonprofit organization focusing on trauma-informed healing and resilience building in youth, families, and communities in the Chicago area, proudly announced that it is being ...
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Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois recognized by HRC Foundation for LGBTQ-inclusion
Oakbrook Terrace, IL — Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois (LCFS), the second largest community-based provider of child welfare services in Illinois, including foster care and adoption, proudly announced ...
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BAMtheatre starting virtual classes
In response to the stay-at-home and social distancing orders implemented by the COVID-19 pandemic, BAMtheatre has reimagined its musical theatre-focused programming through a host of virtual master classes, workshops, choirs ...
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Trevor Project releases report on mental health of trans, non-binary youth
The Trevor Project's research team has published a new peer-reviewed article titled "Understanding the Mental Health of Transgender and Nonbinary Youth" in the Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH). Among the ...
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WORLD Violence in Mexico, rainbow drawings, youth survey, Israeli Pride events
Mexico is seeing a surge of extreme violence toward LGBT+ people in its deadliest year in half a decade, rights group Letra S. said, citing cases of victims brutally stabbed and brazenly killed in public, Reuters ...
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Golden Apple surprises out teacher with award
On May 15, Golden Apple—an Illinois nonprofit committed to preparing, honoring and supporting exemplary educators who advance educational opportunities for students—surprised Jenine Wehbeh, a seventh and eighth-grade teacher at John ...
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NCLR denounces Dept. of Education rule making LGBTQ students less safe at school
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Center for Lesbian Rights strongly condemns the United States Department of Education for releasing a new rule that weakens Title IX protections, making schools less safe — particularly for LGBTQ students. ...
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Town hall addresses youths' needs during pandemic
Advocates focused on ensuring that LGBT youth have access both to resources and straightforward facts during the COVID-19 pandemic presented during Equality Illinois' April 28 online town hall meeting. As the pandemic processes, numerous LGBT youth ...
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Actors Gym to stream original production Isolated
Actors Gym to stream original production 'Isolated' Actors Gym has announced Isolated, its annual spring youth circus that, this year, has been devised through an innovative online rehearsal process. It features 28 of its top youth ...
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COVID-19 Lightfoot, Oprah to be part of virtual commencement
In an effort to celebrate the city's high school seniors who will not have a traditional graduation this spring because of the COVID-10 pandemic, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, in partnership with Citadel, announced she will ...
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COVID-19 Pritzker: Schools closed through end of academic year
On April 17, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced that in-person learning in schools will not resume during the 2019-20 school year, with remote learning days to continue for all pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Illinois will receive ...
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Idaho anti-trans law challenged
A lawsuit was filed April 15 challenging Idaho's recently passed law that bans women and girls who are transgender as well as many women and girls who are intersex from participating in school sports, according to ...
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NATIONAL Coronavirus deaths, the CARES Act, Ritchie Torres, trans-youth study
Lorena Borjas—a transgender Latina activist who fought for immigrants and sex workers—died of COVID-19 at age 59 at Coney Island Hospital, CNN.com reported. Her passing inspired tributes from countless activists ...
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Pritzker announces help for emergency child-care centers
Building on the state's response to support families of essential workers and child-care providers throughout Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. JB Pritzker announced an expansion of eligibility to support ...
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PFLAG to launch TransKids, SoFierce social media campaign on March 31
WASHINGTON, DC—Beginning Tuesday, March 31, PFLAG invites allies, family, and friends of transgender kids (trans kids) to join a an uplifting social media campaign called #TransKids ...
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'Around Broadway' to honor high-school musical-theater students
Broadway In Chicago has announced its new social-media program, "Around Broadway in 80 Days." In the wake of the cancellation of The Jimmy Awards (the national program) and the Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards (IHSMTA, ...
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NATIONAL Curriculum law, N.Y. trans rule, Andrew Gillum, LGBT Health Week, COVID-19
The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina entered a consent decree that declares South Carolina's 1988 discriminatory anti-LGBTQ curriculum law unconstitutional and bars its enforcement, according to a joint ...
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South Side LGBTQ Center Brave Space Alliance expands staff, office
CHICAGO — Brave Space Alliance has doubled its staff by hiring Zahara Bassett as Director of Development and External Relations, and Brittney Thomas as Director of Programs. The two new hires bring further vibrancy, skills, and ...
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LGBTQ group Rainbow Youth Connections to participate in South Side Irish Parade
Rainbow Youth Connections—a writing and arts oriented LGBTQ youth group centered in Beverly—will march in this year's South Side Irish parade on Sunday, March 15. [NOTE: As for March 11, the parade had been cancelled because ...
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MOMBIAN Needing more than a moment: LGBTQ representation in children's media
The Academy Award-winning songwriters behind Disney's Frozen, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and husband Bobby Lopez, announced recently that they are working on Universal Pictures' movie musical adaptation of The Prince and the ...
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Advocates support health-education bill for public schools
At a press conference, Wednesday, Feb. 26, a group of advocates announce their support for the Responsible Education for Adolescent and Children's Health (REACH) Act, which mandates comprehensive, inclusive and ...
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The Illinois 60 by 25 Network to hosts 7th annual conference
CHICAGO, IL — Advance Illinois, Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) are pleased to host the seventh annual Illinois 60 by 25 ...
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Suburban district settles anti-trans lawsuit
After more than four years, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 settled a lawsuit brought by transgender former student Nova Maday, who alleged discrimination. The Daily Herald reported that the district decided to pay Maday and her ...
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30 Under 30 Awards to be held June 24
Windy City Times will again mark Pride Month with its annual 30 Under 30 Awards. The ceremony will take pace Wed, June 24. There will be a 5:30 p.m. reception, with the program being 6-7:30 p.m. ...
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About Face Theatre to host Wonka Ball: Silver and Gold May 30 UPDATE
UPDATE Postponed. See http://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/Wonka-Ball-postponed-/68302.html . CHICAGO (February 10, 2020) — Dress up to get down at Wonka Ball, About Face Theatre's annual benefit gala and Chicago's most glamorous party. ...
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High-school seniors can pursue journalism award
The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association (NINA) will award a $1,000 scholarship this spring to the high school senior picked by the association as the 2020 Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year. NINA President Margarita ...
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MOMBIAN Parenting on 'The L Word: Generation Q'
The L Word: Generation Q, the sequel to the groundbreaking queer television drama The L Word, just ended its first season on Showtime. There is much to praise about the new show, including more varied representation ...
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Queer Valentine's Day event at MCA
"Odd Pleasures: A Queer Valentine's Day Event" will take place Friday, Feb. 14, 7-8:30 p.m., at the Museum for Contemporary Art (MCA), 200 E. Chicago Ave. Chicago drag queen/comedian Aunty Chan will host the variety show, ...
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'Love Out Loud' ball Feb. 8
In Demand Entertainment and CSU Royal Court are presenting the Love Out Loud Ball on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2-10 p.m., at Chicago State University's Student Union Building, 9501 S. King Dr. The ball-approved event is offering ...
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VIEWS College for LGBTQ students
Finding yourself and becoming comfortable with your identity is something that people within the LGBTQ community struggle with every day. There is coming to terms with your sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and how you choose ...
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Young Playwrights Festival running through Jan. 25
Pegasus Theatre Chicago is presenting the 33rd Young Playwrights Festival through Saturday, Jan. 25, at The Courtyard Theatre in The Getz Theater Center at Columbia College Chicago, 72 E. 11th St. The Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) ...
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LGBTQ+ nonfiction writing class starts Feb. 13
StoryStudio Chicago, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave., is offering a new course on writing stories from a queer perspective. Conceived by author Jeremy Owens, this class focuses on LGBTQ+ nonfiction writing, and it starts Thursday, Feb. 13, ...
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Young Playwrights Festival running through Jan. 25
Pegasus Theatre Chicago is presenting the 33rd Young Playwrights Festival through Saturday, Jan. 25, at The Courtyard Theatre in The Getz Theater Center at Columbia College Chicago, 72 E. 11th St. The Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) ...
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Trans, undocumented students can now access college aid
Undocumented and some transgender students can now access state college aid, now that a loophole preventing them from doing so has closed, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. The new statute—called the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity ...
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MOMBIAN Holiday gift guide for LGBTQ children's books
It's time for my annual gift guide to some of the year's best LGBTQ-inclusive children's picture books! There were happily more books published this year than I can include here, so please visit Mombian.com for a ...
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School official dismisses trans-related suicides
In Evansville, Indiana, a school board member seemingly dismissed activists' concerns about safety for LGBTQ kids and trans-related suicides, Advocate.com reported. Members of the Tri-State Alliance—a social service and educational ...
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