August 27, 2008
Mitcham wins Olympic gold with ‘greatest dive ever’
Openly gay Australian diver Matthew Mitcham earned an impressive four perfect 10s on his last dive in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing Aug. 23, winning a gold medal.
“My cheeks hurt from smiling, my face hurts from the chlorine, my legs are sore from jumping up and down,” Mitcham said. “I’m in pain and I’m tired, but I’m so happy. I thought maybe I could have gotten the bronze or silver medal. In my wildest dreams, I got the gold medal.”
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Nation Report
Louisiana governor drops anti-bias policy
BATON ROUGE, La.—An anti-discrimination order put in place by former Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) four years ago wasn’t renewed by Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) when it expired Aug. 22. The order—enacted by Blanco on Dec. 6, 2004—barred state agencies and contractors from various sorts of harassment and discrimination by race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation or disabilities... Full Story
Oregon tribe allows gay and lesbian marriage
uthern Oregon coast, recently adopted a law recognizing same-sex marriage, with its first such wedding set for next spring. Oregon voters amended the state constitution in 2004 to prohibit gay marriage. But as a federally recognized sovereign nation the tribe is not bound by the Oregon Constitution. Native Americans are “sensitive to discrimination of any kind,” said Ken Tanner, chief of the Coquilles... Full Story
Opponents plan challenge to anti-gay measure
LITTLE ROCK—Opponents of a proposal that would ban unmarried couples living together from adopting or fostering children said Aug. 19 they plan to challenge the measure in court if it’s approved for the fall general election ballot. Debbie Willhite, lead consultant for Arkansas Families First, said the campaign against the proposed initiated act is already preparing... Full Story
Huge donations fuel California campaign
SAN FRANCISCO—The campaigns for and against a November ballot measure that would outlaw same-sex marriage in California are picking up financial steam. The sponsors of Proposition 8 announced Aug. 19 that they have received their largest campaign contribution to date: A $1-million donation from the Knights of Columbus... Full Story
Judge orders compliance in lesbian custody case
WINCHESTER, Va.—A judge has dismissed the latest attempt by a woman to deny visitation rights to her former lesbian partner. On Aug. 18 Frederick County Circuit Judge John Prosser dismissed Lisa Miller’s request to halt efforts to enforce a Vermont court’s orders granting Janet Jenkins visitation with the daughter born to her and Miller in April 2002. Prosser agreed with lawyers... Full Story
Teens charged with killing suspected gay friend
BALTIMORE—Two Baltimore-area teens were charged with first-degree murder last week for killing an 18-year-old fellow gang member because they suspected he was gay. Steven Hollis III, 18, and Juan Flythe, 17, were ordered held without bail Aug. 18 in the slaying of Steven Parrish, whose body was found May 29 in a wooded area near his parents’ home in Baltimore... Full Story
Adkisson charged in Tennessee shooting
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—The man accused in a fatal church shooting that left two people dead and six wounded was indicted on murder charges Aug. 20. A Knox County grand jury indicted Jim D. Adkisson on two charges of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted first-degree murder. The 58-year-old Powell man is being held on $1 million bond... Full Story
Editorial
With this issue the Chicago Free Press begins our 10th year of publication. Every week—save at Christmas—for the past nine years, this newspaper has provided GLBT Chicagoans with local, national and international news, opinions by award-winning writers, arts, entertainment and dining interviews and reviews and features on homes, cars and travel... Full Story
When the Windy City Rodeo was happening I remembered a quote by Oscar Wilde, who wrote that “while sympathy with joy intensifies the sum of joy in the world, sympathy with pain does not really diminish the amount of pain. It may make man better able to endure evil, but the evil remains.” The Windy City Rodeo is a member of the International Gay Rodeo Association. The IGRA makes it clear on its website that it trusts its bylaws to... Full Story
Opinion
“So ... How come you’re not married?” a heterosexual friend asked me some time back. Since he knows I am gay, obviously “married” meant something like “in a partnered relationship.” And, of course, now that two states, including the most populous U.S. state, formally permit gay marriage, not just civil unions or domestic partnerships... Full Story
Pragmatism has a name, and it’s Joe Biden. When Barack Obama announced his running mate late last week via text message, I nodded.
Yep. Biden is a smart choice. A practical choice. But also an interesting choice. First, to the practical: Biden has broad and deep foreign policy experience, something Obama lacks. This is important in the America... Full Story
Freetime
I wasn’t surprised to read that the world-famous transvestite chef, Julia Child (real name Julian), was a spy for the U.S. in World War II—it didn’t take an Einstein to figure out her expertise as a covert killer, given her wrist twist when gutting a turkey. According to news... Full Story
GEMINI: MAY 21-JUNE 20: You aren’t sure where you stand with people. Getting the cold shoulder implies that something’s not quite right. The best strategy right now would be to back off. It looks like someone feels cramped by your desire to get too close. More
“The Life Before Her Eyes” (Magnolia Home Entertainment)—In this modern-day ghost story, Diana (Uma Thurman) is haunted by (or is she the one doing the haunting?) the memories of a Columbine-esque high school massacre that occurred 15 years earlier. Teenage Diana (Evan Rachel Wood) was a girl with a bad reputation who shared... Full Story
Back in the day: Moments in Chicago's GLBT history
1981: Vito Russo, author of “The Celluloid Closet,” a book about gays in film, is interviewed on the program “Horizons” on radio station WFYR, a weekly show exploring issues facing black, Hispanic, Asian and gay people... Full Story
CFP reviews 'Baby, It's You' & 'The Best of Jeremy Penn'. Full Story
News
I know Barack Obama hasn’t quite won the White House yet but since this is Chicago, after all, I figure it’s time for Freeform to start looking ahead to what comes after Obama’s presidency. The most obvious guess—at least to people familiar with Chicago politics—would be that President Obama resigns... Full Story
Street cameras to line Halsted
The Northalsted Area Merchants Association last week said it would install cameras along Halsted Street as extra security precautions on corners seeing a high volume of pedestrian traffic. The cameras, according to Jay Lyon, executive director of NAMA, are not all installed... Full Story
Senate President Emil Jones to retire
Illinois state Senate President Emil Jones Jr. (D-Chicago) announced Aug. 18 that he is stepping down from his post early next year and ending his 35-year career in Illinois politics. Jones has wielded a great deal of power in his tenure as Senate president. He has remained... Full Story
Task Force discusses engaging community
Members of the Chicago LGBT Task Force on Substance Use and Abuse met Aug. 20 to discuss the scope of their work and assess the reaction to the “Let’s Take a Glass Together” forum held July 23 at Sidetrack. Members of the group, formerly the Chicago Crystal Meth Task Force, this year decided... Full Story
Pro-gay marriage Mormons organize
SALT LAKE CITY—Prompted by their church’s support for a California initiative to ban gay marriage, some Mormons are voicing opposition to the proposed ban on the Internet—saying in cyberspace what they might not be able to express in church buildings... Full Story
Anti-gay forces go door to door in California
RESNO, Calif.—Michael Bumgarner says he’s never campaigned for a political cause before, but his strong opposition to same-sex marriage has prompted him to join thousands of volunteers going door-to-door in support of a ballot initiative that would ban gay nuptuals here. “I’ve never stumped before, but I want to be a part of this,” Bumgarner said. The retired insurance executive and... Full Story
Massachusetts referendum goes forward
BOSTON—Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley authorized a ballot question Aug. 25 that proposes reinstating a nearly century old law that until recently barred out-of-state gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts. The law, originally passed in 1913 to bar out-of-state interracial couples from marrying, was repealed by the Massachusetts Legislature in late June... Full Story
Biden has long record on GLBT issues
the Democratic nomination for vice president, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, has a long record on GLBT issues, having served in the U.S. Senate for 35 years. Biden has been a reliable vote to pass laws banning discrimination for years. He opposes the military’s ban on openly... Full Story
GLBT Democratic delegates meet in Denver
DENVER—Gay and lesbian Democrats gathered early last week to prepare a strategy for next week’s Democratic National Convention, and their marching orders are the same for all states: Make sure other delegates know who you are and what gay voters want this fall. The Stonewall Democrats held a four-day “boot camp... Full Story
Hallmark launches gay card line
PORTLAND, Ore.—Most states don’t recognize gay marriage—but now Hallmark does. The nation’s largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex wedding cards—featuring two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside. “Two hearts. One promise,” one says. Hallmark added the cards after California joined Massachusetts as the only U.S. states with... Full Story
Freestyle: arts, entertainment & lifestyle
Take flight: A collection of items for a quick trip
The Clark Street bus is late again.
The weekend forecast shows rain and cooler temperatures by the lake. The roommate has cancelled plans to head out of town and the neighbor has announced plans to host a party—but you are not invited. Time to take flight. Time for a quick, weekend getaway... Full Story
Portland: the Jewel of the Northwest
Portland is a city of contradictions and well-kept secrets.
It offers most of the scenic, cultural and recreational amenities of the other big cities in the Pacific Northwest—Seattle and Vancouver—but at a fraction of the cost. It’s a city largely made up of people from someplace else, folks from all walks... Full Story
Aug. 28: At 6:30 p.m. Sonny Rollins performs in concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Call (312) 742-7638. More
When all is said and done, 2008 may very well be remembered, in musical terms, as the year of the duo, with numerous combos making triumphant returns. In the returning category, Sugarland went straight to the top of the charts with its third album “Love on the Inside” (Mercury). Originally a trio... Full Story
One of the lyrics from the musical “Sweet Charity” is, “I don’t pop my cork for every guy I see.” That’s true for me when it comes to champagne. You see, I used to think I didn’t like champagne, then after visiting the original Pops for Champagne on Sheffield in Lakeview, on Sheffield 20-plus years ago, I discovered that I didn’t like cheap champagne... Full Story
Forget the old, big Lincoln Town Car. Remember three letters instead: MKS. New for 2009, the MKS is Lincoln’s full-size sedan flagship, and it’s way different from the tired, long-lived Town Car. The four-door, five-passenger MKS has a roomy back seat and the largest rear-door openings of its class, but it’s not a big boat of a car. Its suspension and chassis... Full Story
Chevrolet to build Cruze in Ohio
LORDSTOWN, Ohio—General Motors Corp. said Aug. 21 it will invest more than $500 million in the U.S. to build a new compact car that will compete in an era of high gasoline prices. Company Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced the size of the investment at the Lordstown factory near... Full Story
Packing up your worldly possessions and moving them to a new home can be difficult even under the best of circumstances. An estimated 40 million Americans move each year, with August being high season. One of the first decisions to make is whether to hire a moving company... Full Story
Theater
What you get here is a new adaptation of a 1938 Broadway musical based on an early comedy by Shakespeare that’s drawn from a Roman comedy that satirizes ancient Greece. Not surprisingly, the jokes point in all directions. Retaining the reliable plot of two sets of separated twins (both with the same name!) and the mistaken identities result... Full Story
With tabloid coverage and magazine headlines, it’s hard for the common person to place celebrity musicians in a humanistic light. Even for Chicagoans who have witnessed the rapid ascent of local sensations Fall Out Boy, they can often seem otherworldly and bigger than life. Open Eye Productions’ brilliant “Trust” valiantly puts these artists... Full Story
1968 didn’t just give us the “summer of hate,” the King and Kennedy assassinations and our homegrown police riot. Out of this clamor for change came “Weekend,” a pop from the past. Stalwartly staged at the excellent TimeLine Theatre, Gore Vidal’s nearly forgotten, seldom seen... Full Story