August 13, 2008
More gay couples finding ways to be parents
NEW YORK—The cost remains high and a good lawyer is essential. Yet despite complications, the idea of becoming a biological dad with help from a surrogate mother is gaining allure among gay men as the status of “married with children” grows ever more possible.
With same-sex marriage now legal in California even to nonresidents, and Massachusetts extending its 4-year-old gay-marriage policy to out-of-staters, in-wedlock parenting is suddenly a realistic option for gays and lesbians nationwide, even if their home state won’t recognize the union... Full Story
Nation Report
Gay man wins legislative post in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS—Openly gay attorney Mike Colona won his Democratic primary race for the Missouri House of Representatives Aug. 5, defeating four opponents. Colona won 42 percent of the votes in the crowded race and faces no Republican opponent in November, assuring him election as the first openly gay man to serve in the Missouri Legislature. Two lesbian lawmakers—Sens. Jeanette... Full Story
Man convicted on hate crime charges in Decatur
DECATUR, Ill.—A Macon County Circuit Court jury convicted John Turnbo, 48, on two counts of committing a hate crime Aug. 6 over threatening actions he took against two gay neighbors. On June 9 the neighbors, John Allen and Randy Aten, called police after Turnbo hung a noose on his front porch and sat nearby sharpening a samurai sword while snickering and staring at Allen and Aten... Full Story
New sentence ordered for murder suspect
CINCINNATI—A man who has been on death row nearly 23 years received ineffective legal counsel in the sentencing phase of his trial, a federal appeals court panel ruled Aug. 4. The three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Robert Van Hook’s death sentence thrown out unless the state conducts a new penalty phase within 180 days... Full Story
Wisconsin court rejects anti-gay lawyer’s case
MADISON, Wis.—The Wisconsin Supreme Court will not revisit a case in which an attorney was ordered to pay more than $87,000 for bringing a frivolous lawsuit against a gay rights group. The court unanimously rejected Milwaukee attorney James Donohoo’s argument that Justice Louis Butler should not have... Full Story
Judge says McGreevey off the hook for alimony
TRENTON, N.J.—The nation’s first openly gay governor will not have to pay alimony to his ex-wife. A superior court judge has ruled that former New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey must pay $1,075 a month in child support for their daughter. His ex-wife, Dina Matos, asked for $2,500 a month alimony for four years and $1,750 a month in child support for their 6-year-old... Full Story
Not guilty plea entered in King slaying trial
VENTURA, Calif.—A 14-year-old boy has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his gay classmate. Brandon McInerney entered the plea Aug. 7 in a Ventura County Superior Court. McInerney is charged as an adult with first-degree murder and a hate crime for the Feb. 12 fatal shooting of 15-year-old Larry King at their junior high school in Oxnard... Full Story
California court backs Brown on Proposition 8
SACRAMENTO—A Sacramento judge on Aug. 8 said California state officials do not have to rewrite the ballot summary describing Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban voters are to consider in November. The ruling is a setback for the initiative’s supporters, who say the title and summary written by California Attorney... Full Story
Editorial
The Illinois Legislature headed back to Springfield Aug. 12, called back into special session by a governor who really doesn’t expect anything positive to result and presided over by legislative leaders who don’t plan on exceeding that expectation. It’s an all-too-familiar game—some would say “con game”—that Illinois taxpayers have seen before... Full Story
It is unclear what Paul Varnell was trying to accomplish in his column about to how “annoying” he finds “some” gay men, including those in recovery. (CFP July 30). If his intent was to further stigmatize and marginalize people in recovery—who, like him, are part of the larger LGBT community that... Full Story
Opinion
I’ve been thinking a lot about Anglicans lately, which seems only fair since they have obviously been thinking a lot about me. Not me individually, of course, but me generically—me as a gay man. As you’re probably aware, for the last few years the Anglican Communion has been racked by conflicts over gays and lesbians as priests and bishops and the issue of whether to bless (much less marry) same-sex partners... Full Story
During the summer, I watch TV—a lot of TV. This, I know, is a very bad thing. I know it is a bad thing because I can hear my mother’s voice in my head: “Jennifer! Play outside! Get some fresh air! Don’t watch TV all day!” It is a very loud voice, and to drown it out I have to turn up my headphones. I know I should play outside.... Full Story
Freetime
Researchers at Britain’s University of Wolverhampton recently discovered the oldest joke in the world and it dates back to 1900 B.C. in southern Iraq. The old Sumerian joke is this: “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial: A young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap... Full Story
PISCES: Those who are supposed to care have no clue what’s going on with you. Enlightening them won’t do much to change their tune. Finding out who your friends are will make it clear that only a few of them deserve to be in your company. More
“The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show: The Complete Series” (VSC)—1970s-era Saturday morning TV show “The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show,” starring brothers Mark, Bill and Brett, has now made it to DVD. The inspiration for numerous mid-1970s gay-boy crushes in their shag haircuts, tight pants (now we have a better idea why Goldie Hawn married brother Bill, father of Kate... Full Story
Back in the Day: Moments in Chicago's GLBT History
1979: Anita Ward of “Ring My Bell” fame is at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage... More
CFP reviews 'Tough Stuff' & 'His Little Brother'. Full Story
News
When it comes to getting rid of homophobia, big-time rap may get a good name yet, at least if Chicago chart king Kanye West has anything to do with it. “Open ya’ll’s fuckin’ minds. Be accepting of different people. Let people be who they are,” West told the crowd during a concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden Aug. 5... Full Story
Syphilis infections still rising in gays
Even as overall syphilis infection rates are steady both in Chicago and nationwide, the disease still is making further inroads into the gay community. Syphilis infections nationwide are at an all-time low, according to William Wong of the Chicago Department of Public Health. He said the number of... Full Story
Forum focuses on transgenders and religion
The complex and tenuous relationship between the trans community and organized religion was the focus of a discussion at Center on Halsted Aug. 9. Julie M. Nemecek, a consultant and former Baptist minister who is trans and researches religious issues, said religious arguments that have been used against the trans community... Full Story
The Lesbian Community Care Project last week announced a new initiative to heighten breast cancer awareness and encourage screenings throughout Chicago. Dubbed EXPOSE Breast Cancer, the new program, which begins in October, utilizes peer educators who are trained in an... Full Story
Amigas Latinas offers scholarships
nounced that they are offering several $1,000 scholarships for LBT student activists. In order to qualify, applicants must be Illinois residents entering or enrolled in college and have a demonstrated record of advocacy work for the GLBT community. Illinois residents in college out of state also qualify. Amigas Latinas also said they would consider applicants... Full Story
Former Chicagoan killed in Denver
Police in Denver, Colo., said Aug. 11 that they have no suspects in the shooting death a month ago of a former Chicago man who had lived in Denver for less than a year. Carl E. Frazier Jr., 41, was found shot to death at 3:40 a.m. July 12 in the 3100 block of West 14th Avenue, just west of downtown Denver. Frazier’s wallet was taken and his driver’s license and Social Security card... Full Story
Dem Party platform draws praise on GLBT issues
Democrats agreed on a platform Aug. 9 that includes mention of GLBT issues, including a strong plank against the military’s ban on openly gay soldiers, but never specifically uses the words “gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered.” “At a time when the military is having a tough time recruiting and retaining troops, it is... Full Story
Gay People’s Chronicle, a weekly GLBT community newspaper based in Cleveland and distributed throughout Ohio, is cutting back to biweekly production to cope with declining ad revenues. The newspaper began in 1985 and had been published weekly since 1998. But in a story explaining the change, officials at GPN said cutting its print bill in half was necessary... Full Story
Gay men often neglected in AIDS fight overseas
MEXICO CITY—Jorge Saavedra’s moment of truth came in the middle of an impassioned speech to 5,000 people about the paltry amount of money being spent to stop the spread of AIDS among gay men. The Mexican federal official paused, then said publicly for the first time that he was gay. As he held up a photo of himself with his partner, the.... Full Story
Freestyle: arts, entertainment & lifestyle
Dvorak highlights varied CSO season
On Aug. 15 tickets go on sale for the 2008-2009 Chicago Symphony Orchestra season that begins Sept. 19. The season has an uncommonly varied series of programs, along with the usual mix of famous-name conductors and performers who CSO management believes draw audiences... Full Story
In theaters: “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (MGM/The Weinstein Company)—There is so much to recommend about Woody Allen’s new movie, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” that it’s difficult to know where to begin. Although much of the movie takes place in Spain, it vibrates with the same kind of energy that made Allen’s comic valentines to New York City, such as “Annie Hall,” “Manhattan,”... Full Story
Sat., Aug. 16: Jesse McCartney plays Park West, 322 W. Armitage, at 7:30 p.m. Call (773) 929-5959. More
Joy Division is one of those bands that never completely disappeared from our collective radar. That remains true nearly 30 years after the dissolution of the groundbreaking and still influential band from Manchester, England. The 2007 biopic “Control” probably played a... Full Story
I don’t know where I was when they were passing out the memo on Los Nopales. It’s just seemed to be on everyone’s radar suddenly. We were out to dinner with friends and a couple they knew. Of course, we started talking about other places we’d been to dinner and... Full Story
The economy is sagging, consumers are fretting over high gasoline prices and a more than $43,000 sport utility vehicle with a city/highway fuel economy rating of just 13 miles per gallon is selling better this year than it did last year. Go figure. German sports car maker Porsche is the only auto company this year to post overall higher SUV sales than it had last year. And Porsche has only one SUV: The Cayenne... Full Story
We’re normally a nation of impulse buyers, but economic worries lately have many of us thinking twice before swiping our credit cards. In this climate, redecorating your bedroom may seem like a luxury that will have to wait. But, designers say, there are plenty of inexpensive—even free—ways to change the look of a room. You just have to get creative... Full Story
Theater
Neil Simon dominated the New York stage from the 1960s to the 1980s with a string of mega-hits that generally followed the same formula of placing quirky, wisecracking characters in offbeat situations. But aside from “Biloxi Blues” and “Lost in Yonkers,” his concoctions were too predictable and lathered in cheap sentimentality to elicit much more from an audience than easy laughs... Full Story
What a difference half a century makes. Fifty years ago, after a series of successful rehearsal runs, Harold Pinter’s first full-length play, “The Birthday Party,” premiered in London to almost universal derision. This critical reception almost stopped Pinter’s playwriting career before it began. More... Full Story
It’s difficult not to view “Torch Song Trilogy” as a vital but dated piece of cultural history, both for American theater and for gay and lesbian culture. After all, Harvey Fierstein wrote the first third of this chestnut back in the 1970s; it gelled into a... Full Story
