July 9, 2008
How are gays and lesbians getting married? Any way they want
WEST HOLLYWOOD, California—Who may now kiss the bride when there are two grooms? Since the state of California began issuing marriage certificates to same-sex couples earlier this month, questions about wedding rituals and etiquette—not just politics—have grown faster than a wedding... Full Story
Nation Report
Rep’s stepdaughter changes his mind on marriage
TRENTON, N.J.—Congressman Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) says a member of his own family persuaded him to change his position on same-sex marriage. The Bergen County Democrat says he now supports gay and lesbian couples’ right to marry, and has become a member of the U.S. House Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender... Full Story
Arkansas group files petitions for adoption vote
LITTLE ROCK—Supporters of a ballot measure targeting illegal immigrants and another aimed at banning gays and lesbians from adopting or fostering children said July 2 they’re ready to submit petitions to place their measures on the Arkansas ballot this November... Full Story
Michigan school student alleges anti-gay attack
WAYLAND, Mich.—Two female high school students from western Michigan who were videotaped attacking a classmate, allegedly because of the victim’s sexual orientation, were charged with aggravated assault July 2... Full Story
Anti-gay cop sues LAPD over bias charges
LOS ANGELES—A sergeant disciplined for anti-gay remarks during off-duty hours as a pastor has sued the Los Angeles Police Department alleging religious discrimination. Sgt. Eric Holyfield, dressed in black clergy attire... Full Story
Anti-gay group aids appeal on human rights charge
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—A Christian organization has appealed a ruling that a professional photographer who refused to take pictures of a gay couple’s commitment ceremony violated New Mexico’s discrimination law... Full Story
California cop gets big settlement for anti-gay bias
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—A Huntington Beach police officer received a settlement from the city that could top $2 million to drop a lawsuit that alleged his peers repeatedly harassed him because he is gay. Adam Bereki received a $150,000 lump payment and... Full Story
Couple won’t be charged in marriage involving trans
RICHMOND, Va.—A couple who obtained a Virginia state marriage license and had a ceremony before officials realized one of them might not legally be female will not face charges... Full Story
Teacher sues over harassment stemming from play
EAVERTON, Ore.—A school district in Oregon is facing a $125,000 lawsuit from a former music, drama and language arts teacher. Wade Willis says he had no choice but to resign after he proposed staging a controversial play at Southridge... Full Story
Opinion
In the worldview of evolutionary biology, if genes and behaviors aren’t useful, they die out. If you’re gay, you are less likely to produce biological children (or were, before IVF and the gayby boom). So why does gayness still exist? I can think up a hundred answers to that question: An omnivorous sexuality that seems... Full Story
I don’t know, maybe it’s just because last week I reviewed an art exhibit focusing on post-leather kinky sex and then this week wrote a long review of a book (which I had to read through several times) called “The Big Penis Book” (see review elsewhere in this issue), but for some reason I’ve been thinking a lot about sex lately... Full Story
Freetime
Researchers at Britain’s London University College have used magnetic resonance imaging to look at the brains of men and women, and they’ve discovered that lesbians have male-like brains that are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails and gay men... Full Story
CANCER: If you could say what you mean and let others do the same, things would be easier. Too much pussyfooting around creates confusion. Telling the truth may upset a few people but not telling it will keep everyone stuck in neutral. More
Back in the day: Moments in Chicago's GLBT history
1979: Mother Carol celebrates her birthday over three days with Day 1) A Birthday Boat Cruise; Day 2) A Birthday Champagne Party at Carol’s Speakeasy, 1355 N. Wells St., and Day 3) A Buffet and Birthday Party also at the Speakeasy. Three months later Mother Carol was dead... Full Story
“2 Minutes Later” (TLA Video)—Born two minutes after his identical twin brother Kyle, gay Michael (Michael Molina) makes his living as an insurance investigator. A surprise visit to Philadelphia to see Kyle, who is also gay and has a successful career as a photographer, turns into a murder... Full Story
CFP reviews "Jockstrap" & "The Destroying Angel". Full Story
Theater
There’s one incontrovertible draw to “Ain’t Misbehavin’”—the chance to hear the music of jazz legend Fats Waller, whose catalog is full of early-20th-century classics that have sadly begun to fade out of pop-cultural consciousness. Given... Full Story
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Queer Tale
Like the axe that rendered Paris Hilton lifeless in her motion picture debut, MidTangent Productions definitely takes a good old whack out of William Shakespeare with their fourth (and final) production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A... Full Story
Fresh from the immense success of his Tony-winning, Steppenwolf-scoring, Pulitzer-prized “August: Osage County,” Tracy Letts pursues his penchant for dark comedy (“Killer Joe,” “Bug”) with this supposed valentine to Chicago. The very... Full Story
News
A law authorizing police to arrest people for causing “annoyance or inconvenience” during Pope Benedict’s visit to Sydney, Australia this week has more than a few people feeling, well, annoyed. Pope Benny arrives in Sydney July 12 for the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day festival... Full Story
Speculation grows on governor’s pick to succeed Obama
WASHINGTON—If the nation’s voters decide to send Sen. Barack Obama to the White House, there would be another election of sorts in his home state of Illinois. Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a two-term Democrat at odds with members of his own party, would alone choose who succeeds the state’s junior senator... Full Story
Competing Black Prides claim success
Perfect summer weather topped off two Black Pride celebrations in Chicago this past weekend, as both Windy City Black Pride and Chicago Windy City Black Pride wrapped up their celebrations with outdoor events in Sherman Park and the South Shore Cultural Center respectively... Full Story
Transgender healthcare services often lacking
For transgender persons, a doctor’s checkup can be an unnerving experience. Many medical professionals are woefully uneducated about transgender health needs. At the same time, many transgenders lack the financial resources that allow them to receive the most comprehensive and well-rounded health care services... Full Story
The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted July 1 to revise the County’s Domestic Partnership Registry Ordinance to preserve rights and benefits for GLBT couples in Cook County who marry in states such as California, where same-sex marriage is now legal. Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley (10th), the... Full Story
Helms left a legacy of polarization
WASHINGTON (AP) _ “Compromise, hell!” Jesse Helms screamed in a 1959 editorial that captured what would become the legacy of his Senate career and his place in the conservative movement. Jesse Helms mostly was a polarizer, not a compromiser. He... Full Story
WASHINGTON—Congress should repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law because the presence of gays in the military is unlikely to undermine the ability to fight and win, according to a new study released by a California-based research center... Full Story
Obama, McCain take opposite sides on California marriage
Groups on both sides of the referendum on California’s gay and lesbian marriages claimed last week to have won the backing of either Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, or Sen. Barack Obama, his presumptive Democratic opponent for the White House... Full Story
Extremists attack Budapest Pride marchers
BUDAPEST, Hungary—Dozens of protesters clashed with police escorting a march by gays and lesbians through the center of Budapest July 5, and two officers were injured and at least 45 demonstrators detained, police said... Full Story
EU report calls for progress on GLBT rights
IENNA, Austria—Tougher laws are needed to combat homophobia in the European Union, a new report says, urging leaders across the 27-nation bloc to grant same-sex partnerships the same rights and advantages as married couples... Full Story
Swiss court convicts UAE sheik on gay-related attack
GENEVA—A Swiss court has convicted a brother of the United Arab Emirates’ ruler of assaulting an American man with his belt in a luxury Geneva hotel bar. The Geneva police tribunal.. Full Story
Editorial
Twenty years ago, no one could have imagined a front-page story about American gay and lesbian couples applying the traditional etiquette of weddings in their own marriage ceremonies. Back then, we were nearing the end of the Reagan presidency, with the anti-gay, anti-AIDS funding right wing fully in control of the political agenda in Washington and in much of the rest of the country... Full Story
As one of the exhibiting artists at the “YES: The soul of a sexual outlaw” in the Leather Archives, I’d like to thank the Chicago Free Press for offering a review of the show (CFP July 2). Obviously a great deal of thought went into the review... Full Story
Freestyle: arts, entertainment & lifestyle
The title is appropriate whichever way you read it. This is a book of big penises, probably the largest you have seen, ranging from 7 or 8 inches at the minimum to a purported 12 inches in length. But the book is also a big book of penises.... Full Story
Getting ‘Sordid’ sorted: An interview with Del Shores
Fans of the 2000 movie “Sordid Lives” are in for a real treat when gay cable network Logo unleashes the television series of the same name. With many of the beloved actors who portrayed the bizarre but endearing characters in the film reprising their roles in the series, no one will have... Full Story
Amped up: Raising the residential roof with the best in home stereo
Sony has the boxed set for those who want to turn their kitchen into a club and their living room into a lounge. The Muteki systems are basically boxed discos. For the king or queen of karaoke, the 880-watt LBT-ZX80D system includes a special karaoke... Full Story
Fri., July 11: You can count on a good time when the one and only Feist performs at the Ravinia Festival, 200-231 Ravinia Park Road in Highland Park, at 8 p.m. Call (847) 266-5100. More
Coming out as it did in 1971, at a time when the decade was still finding its identity, “Tapestry” (Ode/Epic/Legacy) by Carole King, played a considerable role in helping to define the sound of the 1970s. King, who had established her name as a Brill Building songwriter in the... Full Story
I’ve never understood why folks travel an hour or more to weekend in Indiana or Michigan. It always seemed like a big waste of time and gas, just to swim in the water on the other side of the lake. What could be so different... Full Story
“Hancock” (MGM)—Will Smith took more than a few risks with his new movie, the dark and violent special effects-packed comedy “Hancock.” The titular character, a super... Full Story
Value makes Hyundai Santa Fe a top 10 pick
The value-priced, practical Hyundai Santa Fe doesn’t get a lot of headlines. But it made news this year when it beat out the Honda Pilot as the top mid-size sport utility vehicle chosen by Consumer Reports magazine for 2008... Full Story
Fight high gas prices: Use a home office
With gas prices rising to frightening new levels every week, many Americans are looking for ways to cut down on gasoline consumption. They’re joining carpools, taking public transportation and buying hybrid vehicles. But hybrid vehicles are expensive, public transportation... Full Story
