Vermont & Iowa: Good news for Illinois?

Just days before Vermont legalized gay marriage, Iowa’s Supreme Court Friday unanimously ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, a significant step forward for marriage equality in the Midwest that could impact Illinois... Full Story / Comment

Opinion

The Iowa decision

After the bitter disaster of Proposition 8 in California last fall, the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision for gay marriage has been a welcome change. It seems spring has finally come... Full Story / Comment

Editorial

Marriage comes to Iowa and Vermont

Last week we followed the Associated Press’ lead and used as our cover story an article describing aggressive efforts to get same-sex marriage laws passed in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The article speculated that the Northeast, which had spearheaded same-sex civil unions earlier this decade, would be where we should be looking for progress... Full Story / Comment

Letters to the editor

Citing President Obama’s agreement, US Defense Secretary Gates places gays at the bottom of the military agenda by saying that repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is “pushed down the road a little bit.” No doubt Gates and Obama are indeed busy trying to make American empire advancement dovetail with Obama... Full Story / Comment

Freestyle

In the Nicks of time: An interview with Stevie Nicks

Growing up in Chicago, the TV concert series “Soundstage” was always a source of pride, coming as it did from local PBS station WTTW’s North side studio. So imagine my excitement when I learned that the “Soundstage” program that Stevie Nicks filmed was... Full Story / Comment

Live Performance

The Cliks, featuring trans front-man Lucas, play the Subterranean, 2011 W. North. Call (773) 278-6600... Full Story / Comment

Reel advice: movie reviews and DVDiva

“Adventureland” (Miramax)—When I first heard about “Adventureland,” a 1980s set straight coming of age story, much of which takes place at an amusement park, I immediately thought of Todd Stephens’s “Edge of Seventeen,” a 1980s gay coming of age story with... Full Story / Comment

Theater

CFP reviews 'Curtains', 'Class Dismissed', 'Rod Blagojevich Superstar' & 'The Tempest'... Full Story / Comment

Eco economics: Greening the home garden

Mary, Mary how does your garden grow? Pollsters who ask that question this year are finding that gardens are growing in greater numbers as consumers seek not only to be ecologically minded but also to economize... Full Story / Comment

Drury Lane Oakbrook: Dinner in the 1950s?

The current production at Drury Lane Oakbrook is “Curtains”, which is set in Boston in the early 1950’s.  The theater and convention center offers a dinner theater package for about $18 more than the regular ticket price... Full Story / Comment

News

Local Briefs

Organizers of the upcoming 2009 National LGBTI Health Summit and Bi Health Summit, which will be held Aug. 14-18 in Chicago, have extended the deadlines for workshop proposals, scholarship submissions and early registration to April 15... Full Story / Comment

Quigley wins with 70 percent of vote

Despite a record low voter turnout Tuesday, Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, a Democrat, won the open 5th Congressional seat in a landslide victory. Quigley, a longtime GLBT ally, took roughly 70 percen... Full Story / Comment

Conyers re-introduces hate crimes bill

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) last week re-introduced hate crimes legislation that would include categories of sexual orientation and gender identity... Full Story / Comment

Chicago 2016 team reaches out to GLBTs

In hopes of getting GLBTs to support the attempt to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago, Chicago 2016 representatives held an informational meeting with the community at Circuit March 31... Full Story / Comment

Guerrilla gay bars: Gay nightlife hits the road

The relatively new Guerilla Gay Bar– South Loop group may sound a tad intimidating, but according to its creators, it’s all about fun. Gay medical students and South Loop residents... Full Story / Comment

Lawsuits target alleged anti-gay cop

To date, seven federal civil rights lawsuits have been filed against a Chicago police officer for allegedly falsifying DUI charges and harassing GLBT people in the heart of Boystown... Full Story / Comment

Civil unions advocates rally support

Equality Illinois attempted to fire up GLBTs and their allies about Illinois’ civil unions legislation during a Saturday “action day” at Center on Halsted... Full Story / Comment

Nation Report

HARTFORD, Conn.—An advocacy group that was a major player in Connecticut’s gay marriage debate has decided to close its doors at the end of 2009. Leaders at of Love Makes a Family say the 10-year-old group wants to conclude its work on a victorious note in the wake of last fall’s state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage... Full Story / Comment

Sweden allows same-sex marriage

As of May 1, Sweden will be the fifth European country to allow gay marriage. The Swedish parliament voted 226-22 on the matter April 1. Sweden gave gay couples legal partnership rights in the mid-1990s and they have been allowed to adopt children since 2002... Full Story / Comment

Freetime

Midlife crisis #257: British History 101

I was shocked to read that one-sixth of British therapists have tried to help gay, bisexual and lesbian patients become heterosexual, even though these therapies have proven harmful in the past. This is according to a survey... Full Story / Comment

Horoscopes

PISCES: People are coming around to your way of thinking. By now they see that it’s pointless to pretend. You can rearrange this or you can let it go but you can’t keep it the way it is. Thank God both of you agree on that... Full Story / Comment

Marketplace

‘Plus Den’ Means ‘Plus Dream Room’ For Some Condo Buyers

The cozy den—long considered the most relaxed room in the home—is taking on a new identity as today’s innovative condominium buyers seek to transform it into their “my space.” From home libraries to home offices; state-of-the-art media rooms... Full Story / Comment

Honda undercuts popular Prius with new hybrid

Watch out, Toyota Prius. Honda’s new gasoline-electric hybrid car has aerodynamic styling like yours but carries a lower price, offers video game-like “scoring” for fuel-thrifty driving and is arguably a more fun ride... Full Story / Comment