November 19, 2009
Largest gay newspaper publisher in US closes
The nation’s largest publisher of newspapers serving the gay and lesbian community has shut down. Laura Douglas-Brown, editor of Southern Voice newspaper in Atlanta, said she arrived at work Monday to find the locks changed... Full Story / Comment
Freestyle
Like a fine whine: an interview with Jackie Hoffman
I considered myself lucky when I got the chance to interview comedic genius, actress and singer Jackie Hoffman earlier this year for her hysterically funny “Live at Joe’s Pub” (PS Classics) CD. She was as witty, wicked and wonderful as I’d imagined... Full Story / Comment
Holiday Stuffing: Dining Tips for December and New Year’s
By the time you’ve finished digesting that turkey dinner it will be time to start planning for the subsequent holidays, and there is no shortage of them—Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Day and Kwanzaa, to name just a few. Whether you’re cooking at home, heading to a party or dining out, this is the one of those times of the year when you must plan ahead... Full Story / Comment
Check out this week's live performance listings from CFP... Full Story / Comment
Reel advice: movie reviews and calendar
“The Messenger” (Oscilliscope): Like Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker,” one of the best and most effective films of 2009, “The Messenger” is a nontraditional war movie... Full Story / Comment
CFP reviews ‘High Holidays’, ‘When She Danced’, ‘Little Women’ & ‘The Audacity of Nope’... Full Story / Comment
Music: Somewhere between Lady Gaga and Owl City
The ubiquitous Lady Gaga and the swiftly gaining Owl City represent the opposite ends of the electro/dance music spectrum in 2009. As might be expected they have inspired others to follow them... Full Story / Comment
Editorial
Most of us in the GLBT media were stunned this week by the sudden demise of Window Media LLC, the company behind a number of GLBT papers, including the Houston Voice, South Florida Blade and the Washington Blade... Full Story / Comment
in Tucson to block a move to strip domestic partner benefits from gay and lesbian state employees. Arizona lawmakers included a provision stripping domestic partner health benefits from state employees as part of a last–minute budget deal... Full Story / Comment
Opinion
I came out in the 1990s at the tail of the glory days of gay culture. There were gay bookstores then in most major cities, and a mix of gay social clubs, where you could gather to bowl, two step, play cards or organize for GLBT rights... Full Story / Comment
Marketplace
Trains in gardens a particular hit at holiday time
At holiday time, trains whiz through Richard Kloewer’s yard, past the lighted evergreen trees, dolls, teddy bears, even a miniature Harley Davidson display. “I don’t want to disappoint anybody,” said Kloewer of Englewood, Colo... Full Story / Comment
Freetime
Midlife Crisis No. 289: Toilet Love
I was intrigued to read that a 28-year-old male clerk in a Christian bookstore in Simi Valley, Calif., was arrested for putting a video camera in the restroom—presumably to get footage of people pissing and pooping, no doubt to be used for some future private self-gratification ritual. It doesn’t surprise... Full Story / Comment
Breaking News
Goodbye, Washington Blade…Hello, DC Agenda
Friday Nov. 20, 3:01pm
This past week saw the demise of the Washington Blade and many other GLBT publications across the country when their corporate owner, Atlanta-based Window Media quickly folded Monday morning. But seventeen former employees vowed not to miss this week’s deadline, so, this morning, the first issue of the DC Agenda, hit the streets... Full Story / Comment
Gay activists to protest at police board meeting
Friday Nov. 20, 12:00pm
GLBT activists plan to protest Thursday’s police board meeting and demand that the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office fire a cop accused of falsifying DUI arrests and targeting gays and lesbians. Gay Liberation Network announced that the protest will take place outside the Nov. 19 board meeting at CPD headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave., at 7 p.m. The actual meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. on the first floor... Full Story / Comment
Another phony Boystown arrest caught on tape
This police dash cam video, distributed by attorney Jon Erickson, shows Chicago police officer Richard Fiorito’s video surveillance of a motorist he later pulled over and arrested for a DUI in the Boystown area. While the video shows the driver signaling and slowing for speed bumps while searching for a parking space, Fiorito wrote in his report that the motorist was driving “recklessly” and “swerving side to side of its lane of travel, almost striking multiple parked vehicles.” Several people have filed suit against the officer, claiming that he falsified DUI records, perjured himself in court and frequently used anti-gay language during arrests. Twenty-one people have filed suit against Fiorito. Erickson Thursday announced that he requested to add an addition 16 plaintiffs to a federal civil rights lawsuit against the cop. If allowed, that would increase the number of plaintiffs to 37. Read the full story here.
News
The American Medical Association, which is headquartered in Chicago, adopted a policy that calls gay marriage bans harmful to the health of GLBT families and voted to oppose the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell polic... Full Story / Comment
Maddox memorial to be held Nov. 28
Robert “Bob” Maddox, co-founder of the legendary Male Hide Leathers, Inc. passed away suddenly on Sunday, Oct. 25, at the age of 74. Bob, with his lover and partner, Frank Goley, began making leather attire for friends at their kitchen table before opening their... Full Story / Comment
Attorney asks to add 16 more to lawsuit against alleged anti-gay cop
On Nov. 12, attorneys representing several people who allege that a 23rd District police officer falsified police reports, perjured himself in court and used anti-gay language during arrests, requested to add an additional 16 plaintiffs to a federal civil rights lawsuit... Full Story / Comment
Or Chadash welcomes author Lev Raphael
Congregation Or Chadash, 5959 N. Sheridan Rd., will hold a Shabbaton (education program) with author-in-residence Lev Raphael Dec. 4-5. Noted mainly for his books on survivors... Full Story / Comment
Clinton discusses HIV, homelessness
Nearly 1,000 gathered at Chicago House’s inaugural Speaker Series luncheon to hear former President Bill Clinton discuss HIV, homelessness and health care reform. The luncheon, which raised nearly... Full Story / Comment
AFC: Public health budget cuts looming
The city of Chicago, along with nearly every city in the U.S., is faced with making painful budget cuts this year, and among them is a $4.6 million reduction in funding for the Chicago Department of Public Health... Full Story / Comment
World AIDS Day is coming up on Tuesday, Dec. 1. A number of local organizations have special events planned... Full Story / Comment
Talking about sex and going beyond risk
There was only one ground rule laid out before an audience that had come together to talk about sex at Center on Halsted Nov. 11: Participants were not allowed to mention risk or disease... Full Story / Comment
Center aims to increase transgender awareness
In celebration of Transgender Awareness Month, Center on Halsted unveiled several exciting changes to its transgender program’s staff and events earlier this month, with the hopes of fostering an even more trans-inclusive environment at the community center... Full Story / Comment
Hall of Fame celebrates 13 individuals, one organization
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ Advisory Council on LGBT Issues celebrated the accomplishments of the 13 individuals and one local organization by inducting them into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame Nov. 12 at the Chicago Cultural Center... Full Story / Comment
Lawmakers defy church pressure on DC gay marriage
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington wants the city to change its proposal to legalize same-sex marriages to exempt the church from the law, but so far city council members aren’t budging... Full Story / Comment
