Music icons talk LGBT issues

lloyd boston
talks
with WCT
pageS 27
WINDY CITY
TIMES
THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN,
BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
Sept. 28, 2011
vol 26, no. 51
www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com
Chicago events note
start of DADT repeal
MURDER
OUTSIDE
lgbt bar
page 6
LGBT college
fair
pagE 7
valerie
jarrett on
DADT
BY KATE SOSIN
American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) celebrated the
end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) Sept. 20 with a
special presentation at the Center on Halsted.
The emotional hourlong event drew Chicago LGBT veteran leaders and approximately 30 supporters.
“We’re not going to hide anymore, we’re not going
to hide,” said Leonardo Lucio, who has served in the
Navy for more than two decades and grew up with Allen
Schindler, the sailor who was beaten to death in 1992
because he was gay.
AVER celebrated the repeal with a presentation by the
AVER color guard, a performance of the national anthem
and speeches by prominent LGBT military advocates, all
against the backdrop of a large American flag.
AVER member Patrick Bova gave an overview of the history of gay military service, starting with the American
Revolution, when a soldier was drummed out for being
gay. “Gays have served in every conflict and in peacetime
since then,” Bova said.
Jean Albright, a member of AVER and former member
of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s (SLDN)
board of directors, spoke about the dangers of DADT.
“It was clear from the beginning that the policy was
faulty,” Albright said, adding that young soldiers were
forced to lie to supervisors.
Albright said the policy also “gave those who resented
women in the ranks a handy tool to damage their careers.”
Jose Zuniga, also a member of SLDN’s board of directors, called the repeal “a joyous moment for ourselves,
for our community,” but cautioned work remains unfinished.
“The medical regulatory restriction against those who
identify as transgender remains,” he said.
SLDN drafted a guide to LGBT military service (available
at http://www.sldn.org/pages/freedom-to-serve-guide).
Activists say that some benefits will not be available gay
people in the service due to the Defense of Marriage Act.
The next step they say will be repealing that.
Mona Noriega, commissioner of The Department of HuTurn to page 10
Music icons talk LGBT issues
page 20
page 16
page 23
HIP HOP AT
THE CENTER
page 21
In two wide-ranging interviews with musicians who initially hit it big in the ‘80s, Gloria Estefan talks about same-sex marriage and her deal with controversial company
Target, while Thomas Dolby (who had the hit “She’s Blinding Me with Science”) talks about his rainbow household that includes gay and transgender children. Photo
of Estefan by Jesus Cordero; Dolby PR photo
2
Sept. 28, 2011
WINDY CITY TIMES
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WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
3
this week in
WINDY CITY TIMES
NEWS
Marriage question for Supremes
4
Med schools short on LGBT issues
5
Anti-gay marriage initiative
6
Murder outside bar; suicide
6
College fair; HIV funds misused
7
Allegations in Country Club Hills 8
Addams sculpture; Dyke March news 8
Hall of Fame auction; vote tabled
9
ACLU; Shore; new clinic
10
Gay in the Life
11
AIDS @ 30
12
Viewpoints: Jarrett, Strong 16
ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS
Scottish Play Scott: Cabaret
Theater reviews
Gloria Estefan interview
Hip-hop at the Center
Knight: Weekend, !Women
Thomas Dolby talks with WCT
Dish: Savor
Lloyd Boston’s ‘Style’
Billy Masters
17
18
20
21
22
23
24
27
29
OUTLINES
Real estate; classifieds
Calendar Q
Sports: Freeze; NFL’s new policy
26
28
30
Photos on cover (left, from top): Lloyd Boston PR photo; Photo of La Cueva by Sam Worley; picture of Sloan Danenhower at the college fair by Andrew Davis; photo of Valerie Jarrett courtesy
of the White House Office of Communications; picture of Charity Taitt by Erica Demarest
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online exclusives at
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www.
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When Jackie Bross, a World War II machinist, was arrested for dressing like a man,
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‘8’ expectations
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Discover the city through the lens of gender, sexuality and nonconformity
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Moose gets
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Taking the pledges
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at Touché.
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Supreme worries:
Should the court sync
marriage ruling
to public opinion?
BY Lisa Keen
Keen News Service
U.S. Justice Antonin Scalia has already conceded that laws banning same-sex marriage are
unconstitutional, according to one constitutional scholar. Moreover, the U.S. Supreme Court is
“very likely” to invalidate the federal Defense of
Marriage Act once it reaches the U.S. Supreme
Court, says another, generally conservative, expert.
These are just two of the conclusions from
more than a dozen constitutional law jurists
who participated in a recent two-week long
discussion of what most consider an inevitable
case before the nation’s highest court. Most of
the opinions bet heavily that the Supreme Court
will have to acknowledge that bans on same-sex
marriage—or laws limiting same-sex couples to
a license for a civil union or domestic partnership—do violate the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection.
If they are right, then gay legal activists
should be demonstrating a sort of “bring-it-on”
attitude about putting a question before the
Supreme Court, which holds its first conference
meeting for the 2011-12 session Sept. 26.
However, here’s a surprise: Not every gay legal
expert is in favor of putting such a question to
the Supreme Court right now.
Gay law professor William Eskridge Jr. was one
of several essayists in the scotusblog.com symposium last month to argue that the same-sex
marriage conflict “ought not be resolved one
way or the other [by the Supreme Court] until
public preferences become more settled.”
“The Supreme Court ought to avoid a final
judgment on the constitutionality of marriage
law’s discrimination against lesbian and gay
couples until the nation is substantially at rest
on the issue,” wrote Eskridge in his Aug. 15 post
in the scotusblog symposium. “Admittedly, that
moment is coming more rapidly than anyone
predicted, but that moment has not yet arrived.”
His argument is that, when the Supreme Court
issues a monumental ruling too soon on an intensely controversial issue—such as the right to
abortion or the right to private, sexual relations
between same-sex adults—it raises “the stakes
of politically intense issues to the detriment of
our pluralism.”
Former Reagan era Solicitor General Charles
Fried expressed a similar position in the scotusblog symposium. He said he worries that a
Supreme Court ruling on the issue would “abort”
a gradual acceptance of same-sex marriage that
is already taking place.
“I believe that a strong liberty, equality and
association claim can be made for allowing
same-sex couples to form civil unions with the
same legal effects as marriage,” wrote Fried Aug.
25. “Marriage is different only in that it traditionally symbolizes the citizenry’s celebration of
the union, and I do not believe people should
be forced by a Supreme Court ruling to celebrate
what they deplore.” But even Fried suggests a
victory for same-sex marriage is likely.
“Ideally, Congress would repeal DOMA before
the case reaches the Court,” said Fried, “but
with the dysfunctional Congress we enjoy today
that is most unlikely to happen. Thus a ruling is
unavoidable and its outcome is very likely to be
invalidation of DOMA.”
The symposium included essays from some of
the most respected legal scholars in the country,
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
4
U.S. Justice Antonin Scalia.
examining “the future of the Defense of Marriage
Act and Proposition 8” at the Supreme Court. Although a case involving the merits of either law
has not yet reached the high court, two or three
“are likely to reach the Court soon, even if not
this Term,” said scotusblog symposium manager
Kali Borkoski.
The essays, 21 in all, provided a glimpse into
the sorts of arguments that will almost certainly
be made when Perry v. Brown, (the California
Proposition 8 case) and/or one of several cases
challenging DOMA make their ways to the high
court.
Not everyone agreed with Eskridge and Fried.
In the last post of the symposium, famed Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe argued that it
was “perverse” to make gay couples “wait a bit
longer for their rights.”
“Those who advance this essentially gradualist view ground it in hard-nosed realism and assure us that, even though they recognize the
justice of the case for same-sex marriage, legislative change is simply preferable as a matter of
democratic legitimacy or of some strategic consideration such as avoidance of socio-political
backlash,” wrote Tribe.
“The most obvious historical analogy” to
this sort of strategy, said Tribe, is the Supreme
Court’s “disgraceful and widely condemned decision to duck the issue of interracial marriage
when it first presented itself in Naim v. Naim.”
Naim v. Naim was a 1955 decision in which
the Virginia Supreme Court ruled it permissible
for state law to ban interracial marriage. The
U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.
It wasn’t until 1967 that the U.S. Supreme Court
took the better-known Loving v. Virginia that it
ruled the ban on interracial marriage in Virginia
and other states was unconstitutional.
Refusing to hear a case challenging a ban
on same-sex marriage, as it refused Naim, said
tribe, “is hardly the kind of precedent that any
Justice would wish to follow.”
“And, to make matters worse,” said Tribe, “the
Court would have to perform legal acrobatics far
more painful to behold than those employed in
Naim, because Lawrence laid the groundwork for
striking down bans on same-sex marriage in …
terms so stark that Justice Scalia, in his ferocious Lawrence dissent, as much as conceded
that a rejection of the federal constitutional
right to same-sex marriage could not be reconciled with the Lawrence holding or with its underlying rationale.”
Tribe may be right, but there is ample evi-
dence of the high court’s ability and willingness
to perform “legal acrobatics” to avoid being
where the Constitution demands it must go. To
wit, there’s the 1986 case Bowers v. Hardwick. In
that case, a majority of the Supreme Court upheld state laws banning consensual sex between
same-sex partners by simply declaring that there
is, in the Constitution, no fundamental right to
engage in homosexual sodomy.
However, as Justice Harry Blackmun said in
his dissent, the case wasn’t really about whether
there was a “right to engage in homosexual sodomy.”
That was essentially the tact used by New
York’s highest court in 2006, when it ruled the
state constitution “does not compel recognition
of marriages between members of the same sex.”
“Whether such marriages should be recognized,” said the state court, “is a question to be
addressed by the Legislature.”
The Washington State Supreme Court then issued a similar ruling, saying it was a question
for either the legislature or a popular vote.
So, the legal acrobatics have already been invented and exercised. The question is whether
the public’s comfort level has advanced far
enough toward accepting marriage between
same-sex couples to embolden the Supreme
Court to do its job.
Eskridge says “not yet.”
However, here’s an interesting thought: In
1967, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that
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states could not bar interracial marriage, only
about 20 percent of Americans (according to a
Gallup Poll) “approved” of interracial marriage.
Today, polls are consistently showing more than
51 percent of U.S. residents support the right of
same-sex couples to obtain a marriage license.
©2011 Keen News Service. All rights reserved.
Windy City Times has reported on the case.
Tobits told WCT in an Aug. 17 article that “Ellyn was the love of my life. No one should have
to experience the pain of losing the person
who means the most to you, only to face a
shocking and hostile challenge to your marriage—your commitment, your life together,
and everything you built as a couple.”
Tobits claims that Farley’s parents pressured
their dying daughter to designated them as
beneficiaries just before she died. However,
the law firm that Farley worked for, Cozen
O’Connor, stated that the beneficiary form
lacks Tobits signature which is required when a
legal spouse wishes to release his or her claim
to their money. According to NCLR, the designation is invalid both because it was signed
under duress and because Tobits did not sign
the form, which is required by the plan in order for the designation of a beneficiary other
than a spouse to be valid.
Shannon Minter.
NCLR takes action
in benefits case
The National Center for Lesbian Rights
(NCLR) has filed a federal brief in Pennsylvania Sept. 22, arguing that private employers
cannot hide behind the federal Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) to justify discriminating
against same-sex spouses in private benefits
plans, according to a press release.
NCLR is representing Jennifer Tobits, the
widow of Sarah “Ellyn” Farley. Farley’s parents
have challenged the couple’s marriage and are
seeking death benefits provided by Ellyn’s employer, the law firm Cozen O’Connor P.C.
“Cozen O’Connor cannot hide behind DOMA
to justify its discrimination. DOMA does not require private employers to discriminate when
they set the terms of their own benefits,” said
NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter. “Federal
law requires employers to give certain protections to different-sex spouses, but it doesn’t
prohibit employers from offering those protections to same-sex spouses as well. A marriage
is a marriage, and Cozen O’Connor can and
should respect the spouses of all employees
equally.”
Wal-Mart adds
transgender
protections
BY KATE SOSIN
Big box retail giant Wal-Mart has added transgender protections to its employee non-discrimination policy.
The protections include gender identity and
gender expression said Phillip Keene, a company spokesperson.
Keene did not confirm when the new policy
went into effect, only that the change was
made “several weeks ago.”
News of the new policy has not been widely
publicized.
Sexual orientation protections are already
a part of the company’s “Discrimination and
Harassment Prevention Policy.”
“We’ve had a strong anti-discrimination policy for a long time,” said Keene.
Wal-Mart scored relatively poorly on the
Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate
Equality Index, which ranks major companies
on their LGBT policies and practices. Wal-Mart
received a 40 percent ranking out of 100, for a
failure to amend its anti-discrimination policy
to include gender protections last year.
Keene said that the addition of gender protections in the policy was precipitated by a
standard review of the policy and not by complaints.
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
5
Survey: Med schools teach
little about LGBT issues
by Bob Roehr
U.S. and Canadian medical schools offer a median of only five hours of training on meeting
the needs of LGBT patients, according to a survey published in the Sept. 7 issue of JAMA, the
Journal of the American Medical Association.
A third (33.3 percent) of the responses indicated that the school provided no training on
LGBT health, while the average response was
seven hours.
Nearly all (97 percent) reported that students
are taught “to ask patients if they have sex with
men, women, or both when obtaining a sexual
history.”
The difference between behavior and identity
(i.e., men who have sex with men versus gay)
was taught at 72 percent of the schools, while
21.2 percent did not know if the issue was addressed.
Most deans rated their school’s coverage of
LGBT content as “fair” (58 schools; 43.9 percent), with the balance splitting fairly evenly
between “very good” or “good” (32, or 24.2
percent) and “very poor” or “poor” (34, or 25.8
percent).
“This indicates dissatisfaction with medical
school coverage of LGBT content at a number of
schools, especially given the expected positive
skew associated with survey self-reporting, and
suggests room for improvement in LGBT-related
curricula,” the authors concluded.
The 13-question web based survey was designed to take 15 minutes to complete. It was
sent to the deans of all 176 medical schools
in the US and Canada. The response rate was
strong, with 150 surveys returned and 132 fully
completed.
Stanford University medical school professor
Juno Obedin-Maliver was the lead author of the
paper.
It is likely that this survey captures an optimistic view of the situation. Other research
suggests that persons favorably disposed to a
topic are more likely to respond to a survey on
it, while those who view the topic less favorably
are less likely to respond.
In April the Institute of Medicine issued a report on research issues for LGBT health, which
did not address training for healthcare workers.
However, Robert Graham, the chair of the committee that wrote the report, expected that the
extensive literature in the field that they gathered and published would “help medical schools
develop curriculum” in much the same way that
a 1980s report on Black and minority health did.
Reactions
“The 85-percent response rate alone is indicative of a high level of interest” by the medical
school deans, wrote Raymond Curry in an accompanying editorial. He teaches at Northwestern
University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
He wondered what the survey might have
missed, such as discussion of same sex aspects
in a presentation on sexually transmitted infections, or during clinical rounds when a patient
might happen to be gay.
“It would have been valuable to know the
extent to which survey respondents are aware
of teaching faculty who identify themselves
as LGBT, of the degree to which student LGBT
groups are part of the mainstream of student
organizations at the school, and any other evidence that the institutional culture is seen as
welcoming,” Curry added.
The report is important because “it highlights
the deficits in medical education related to
sexual orientation and gender minority population,” said Kenneth Mayer with Fenway Community Health in Boston. Healthcare providers play
a key role in helping LGBT individuals access the
support and services they need and deserve.
“JAMA is one of the most widely read medical
journals, and it rejects a majority of articles submitted to it,” he explained. “Publication suggests that the editors appreciate the need for
medical education to be more responsive to the
health concerns of sexual and gender minority
populations.”
“Many of us know that access to culturally
competent care is a fundamental human right,
so it is gratifying to see rigorous medical publications implicitly endorsing this perspective,”
Mayer said.
Additional data
Hector Vargas, executive director of the Gay &
Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), said they
worked with the researchers in putting together
the survey. “It is good to finally see the results.”
“It confirms something that we have known
for a long time—medical schools are not doing
whatsoever [in dealing with LGBT patients], including medical school, residency, and continuing education programs,” Vargas said.
Half (50 percent) said they received five hours
of training or fewer. And 56 percent of those
who did receive training said “it was not very
or not at all useful in their practice...We have
a long way to go to make sure that needs of
LGBT patients are being addressed in clinical
settings,” he said.
Vargas did not know if the situation has improved among physicians who were trained more
recently. While society, and particularly younger
persons, have become more accepting of gays,
medical schools often “have yet to embrace that
and make it part of their curriculum.”
The Department of Health and Human Services
has taken steps to better include LGBT concerns
in most areas of its operations. Vargas said, “If
health professionals schools do not step up, we
are going to continue to see a gap in meeting
those needs.”
He pointed to the large integrated healthcare
provider Kaiser Permanente as being a leader in
this area. It has developed a program and training manual on LGBT issues for its employees.
enough in terms of making sure that their graduates can adequately and competently address
the needs of their LGBT patients.”
GLMA and the American Medical Association
conducted a survey of physicians, not yet published, that complements the survey of medical
schools.
“It found that 40 percent of physicians who
participated in the survey had no formal training
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Catholic conference
creates anti-gay
marriage initiative
BY KATE SOSIN
Responding to the advent of civil unions in Illinois, the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI)
announced the formation of a Defense of Marriage department Sept. 22.
According to a press release from the Catholic
lobby organization, the department will battle
anticipated attempts at legalizing same-sex
marriage in Illinois.
“The teachings of the Church are not overwhelmingly popular everywhere, nor are they
always easily explained,” said Zach Wichmann,
head of the department, in a statement. “But
our message will be proclaimed for the sake of
stronger families, secure children and an enriched spiritual life.”
Wichmann said in the statement that the
department will be “fighting an uphill battle
against current societal trends.”
The announcement comes just over a month
after four catholic charities lost their lawsuit
against the state for foster care contracts. Charities in Peoria, Belleville, Springfield and Joliet
were denied contracts because they refused to
place children with single or same-sex parents.
Among other dioceses, CCI represents all four
of the charities that lost the lawsuit for contract
renewals. The charities have said they would appeal the decision.
Wichmann said the loss of the contracts represents an “eroding” relationship between the
church and the state and that the government is
insisting that the Catholic organizations aban-
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
don their teachings.
Wichmann further claimed that there was a
correlation between crime rates and truancy
among youth and the “diminishing” nuclear
family.
Rev. Cindi Love, the executive director of Soulforce, which advocates against religious oppression of LGBT people, warned that LGBT activists
in Illinois should be on guard.
“There is no mechanism or strategy within the
LGBT human rights movement… that has this
kind of fundraising capacity,” Love said. “It’s
part of their overarching strategy in the United
States and then part of a global strategy.”
Love said that a similar strategy was effective
in California’s passage of Proposition 8, banning
same-sex marriage. She added that local Defense
of Marriage departments in organizations form
national and international alliances that make
them both powerful and well-funded.
Consequently, Love believes the announcement from CCI is one that LGBT activists cannot
ignore.
“If the Catholic Church opens an office on
Main Street, we should open an office right next
door to them,” she said.
CCI is already active in lobbying nationally
against same-sex marriage. The organization
also submitted a letter to President Obama on
Sept. 20, admonishing him for his lack of support for the Defense of Marriage Act.
Still Love thinks “the horse has left the barn,”
and that most of the country already supports
marriage equality.
14-year-old
commits suicide
after bullying
In New York, 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer
died of an apparent suicide Sept. 19 after repeatedly asking people to help him with a
problem involving bullying, according to BuffaloNews.com. On Sept. 9, he posted, “I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens.
What do I have to do so people will listen
to me?” Rodemeyer routinely blogged about
bullying and thoughts of suicide alongside
posts about his idol, Lady Gaga. On Sept. 8,
he wrote, “No one in my school cares about
preventing suicide, while you’re the ones calling me [gay slur] and tearing me down.”
Speaking of Rodemeyer, his parents appeared on CNN to attest that their son endured persistent bullying beginning in fifth
grade, Advocate.com reported. Mother Tracey
Rodemeyer told Anderson Cooper of Jamey,
“He had the biggest heart in that little body.
He was either loved so sincerely or he was
bullied. There wasn’t much in between.” She
added that most of the bullying her son encountered took place online on social-media
websites, not in school.
Also, in the wake of Jamey Rodemeyer’s suicide, Lady Gaga has called for a meeting with
President Obama in order to ultimately pass
a law making bullying a hate crime, according to MTV.com. She tweeted, “The past days
I’ve spent reflecting, crying, and yelling. ...
This must end. Our generation has the power
House request
briefing on BLAG
defense of DOMA
U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.; Barney
Frank, D-Mass.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.;
Jared Polis, D-Colo.; David Cicilline, D-R.I.;
and John Conyers, D-Mich.—the lead sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act, which
would repeal the discriminatory Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA)—sent a letter to House
Speaker John Boehner renewing their request
for a House briefing on the Bipartisan Legal
Advisory Group’s (BLAG) defense of DOMA, according to a press release.
BLAG has, reportedly at the direction of
Boehner, retained counsel at taxpayer expense and begun its defense of DOMA in federal cases.
“It has been fifteen years since the Congress enacted DOMA, and the materials and
arguments that BLAG is making on behalf of
the House do not withstand the test of time
or scrutiny,” wrote the members. “Members,
and the American people, should be given
the opportunity to understand why House
Republican Leadership continues to advance
arguments that have no valid basis and are
demeaning to many of our fellow Americans.”
La Cueva.
Photo by
Sam Worley
Five charged
in murder
outside LGBT bar
BY KATE SOSIN
www.legacyprojectchicago.org/Luncheon_Tickets.html
to end it. Trend it #MakeALawForJamey.” A
White House official could not confirm if Gaga
had officially set up a meeting with the president.
A person who was identified as male by the
Cook County State’s Attorney’s office was murdered over the weekend outside of La Cueva, a
popular Little Village bar for many transgender
women. According to Andy Conklin, a spokesperson for the State’s Attorney’s office, Gumaro
Chavez died of blunt force trauma and multiple
stab wounds.
Five people reportedly attacked and robbed
Chavez after leaving La Cueva at approximately
2:15 a.m. on Sept. 17.
Conklin could not confirm whether Chavez
was an LGBT individual.
Five have been charged with the murder.
They are Jesus Cabrales, Victor Redding, Crystal Cruz, Ramiro Carrillo and Yessenia Torres.
All have reportedly admitted to involvement
in the murder.
According to Konkin, Chavez left La Cueva
with Cruz and Torres and got into his car at
2606 S. Kedvale. Redding and Cabrales then
allegedly approached the vehicle and began
hitting Chavez in the head. Cabrales allegedly
opened the car door and tried to take money
from Chavez before stabbing Chavez repeatedly. All five allegedly participated in the attack.
Police discovered the murder weapon on a
rooftop near Torres’ apartment, Conklin said. A
witness reported seeing Redding and Cabrales
throw it over a balcony.
Cruz was stopped while driving Chavez’s car
the next day. She allegedly returned to the
scene shortly after the murder with Torres and
took the car while Chavez’s body lay beside it.
Torres was held on bond of $750,000 while
the other four were held without bail.
Windy City Times will update as more details
become available.
Gay Chicago to
run biweekly
Beginning Sept. 28, Gay Chicago will publish
biweekly instead of its regular weekly schedule.
In an email, Managing Publisher Dane
Tidwell cited “the rising costs of printing, the
changing nature of the news business and the
general state of the economy” as reasons for
the change.
Tidwell added that the website has been revamped, and that breaking news will be posted
there. He also said that he and the staff will
“look for ways we can continue to improve our
print publication, which has already been completely redesigned in recent months.”
WINDY CITY TIMES
Colleges roll out
welcome mat to
LGBT students
By ANDREW DAVIS
Approximately 35 schools participated in a college fair that reached out to LGBT high school
students and their families Sept. 24 at the Center on Halsted.
Representatives from various schools through
the Midwest, East and South answered questions
covering everything from financial aid to class
sizes to LGBT resources.
The colleges and universities themselves were
diverse, with representatives for larger institutions such as the Big 10 schools Northwestern
Sept. 28, 2011
gay, bisexual or transgender. That [question] includes allies, too.”
Nikita Burks of Campus Pride, the organization
behind this event, said of Elmhurst’s question,
“I believe that it’s a great opportunity. It’s great
for those who are out and proud to have that
support.” When asked if that could backfire—
with some people who are not out retreating
even further into the closet—she said, “There
may be, and that’s why there is that choice. But
there’ll be that supportive environment when
they’re ready.”
Some of the smaller institutions are, not sur-
Above: Daniel Lopez (left) and Roberto Sanabria of Northeastern Illinois University. Below:
Nikita Burks of Campus Pride. Photos by Andrew Davis
University, the University of Iowa, Indiana University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
next to tables for Carleton, Knox, Warren Wilson
and Elon colleges and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
As one might expect, different schools have
various enticements to offer. On a more general level, Colorado College, for example, has a
block plan in which students can take a different
subject every three and a half weeks instead of
balancing several classes throughout a semester.
The University of Rochester has no required subjects, letting students build their own academic
paths.
The hot topic at the fair seemed to center
around Elmhurst College, which has become the
first college in the nation to directly ask applicants if they’re LGBT. (Reps for Elmhurst referred Windy City Times to Gary Rold, director
of admissions, for a statement about feedback
to the development. He emailed, “The feedback
on the LGBT Question has been favorable for the
most part. The faculty and staff of the College
are supportive and the students I’ve heard from
have had good things to say. The College’s student newspaper printed a very positive editorial
about the question.
“There have, of course been some people,
mostly those not connected with Elmhurst, who
have expressed reservations about what they
see as favoritism to the LGBT community. We
feel we are being inclusive rather than exclusive
by wanting to identify gay and lesbian students
to aid in their transition to college life at Elmhurst. We already this with other students planning to attend Elmhurst.”)
Almost everyone Windy City Times asked about
the topic thought it was a positive move. However, Ari Shroyer, a political science major at
Roosevelt University, is “a big fan” of the question, but suggested something else: “I would be
more in favor of asking if you’re just interested
in the information. So an individual wouldn’t
necessary have [to be designated] as lesbian,
prisingly, in more socially welcome areas. “It’s
really interesting where we’re place,” said a rep
for Warren Wilson College. “Asheville [N.C.] is
this liberal mecca in the South. It’s a really
interesting community ... and we’re definitely
known as a very liberal college.”
Symone and Danielle Simmons, who are now
married, met at Iowa State University. When
asked why LGBT students would want to go to
the school, Danielle initially answered, “To find
the love of your life.” Symone added, “You feel
like people genuinely care about you.”
As for the fair itself, Paul Sapp, a transfer coordinator at the University of Northern Iowa,
said, “I think it’s a message to the LGBT highschool population that we value them, that we
want them as students, that we take them seriously.”
Burks said that there was a similar fair conducted years ago and organizers thought it was
time to bring it back. She said she was pleased
with the number of people who attended.
7
HIV group uses
public money for
souped-up Hummer
BY ERICA DEMAREST
A Chicago HIV-awareness not-for-profit used
more than $45,000 of public money to fund a
tricked-out Hummer, according to new reports
from the Chicago Sun-Times.
The pre-owned 2003 Hummer, which was
purchased in July 2004 for $45,196, was used
to promote HIV awareness in low-income Black
neighborhoods. The red SUV had a custom
paint job, game consoles, an on-board TV and
chrome rims. It distributed educational information and provided free on-site HIV tests.
Some questioned how Working for Togetherness, the now-defunct NGO (non-governmental organization) that operated the Hummer,
could afford such a vehicle. Its CEO, Clifford
Armstead, insisted he and his wife used personal funds for its purchase.
It was revealed, however, following an Illinois Department of Public Health investigation that Working for Togetherness had in fact
used state funds on the Hummer.
In an internal email obtained by the SunTimes through Freedom of Information Act
requests, Center for Minority Health Services
Chief Doris Turner wrote: “Working for Togetherness did not properly request the automobile
purchase as part of their budget process.”
The health department—then headed by Dr.
Eric Whitaker, one of President Obama’s close
friends—decided to continue funding Working
for Togetherness despite the misinformation.
The NGO was required to return $22,500, or
about half the cost of the vehicle, to the state.
While some have suggested the Illinois Department of Public Health did not properly
monitor the organizations it funded, Whita-
ker’s spokeswoman, Marj Halperin, told Windy
City Times the fact the department noticed
and investigated the Hummer purchase proves
otherwise.
“You don’t follow them around when they
write a check,” Halperin said, “but you do follow up when they make purchases and monitor
what they’re doing. That’s what was happening.”
Halperin said the state opted to split the
cost of the Hummer because the vehicle successfully reached populations that were hard
to reach otherwise. “[State officials] weren’t
comfortable with spending as much money on
the vehicle as had been spent, so they negotiated a smaller price,” she said.
In a letter to the Sun-Times dated Sept. 22,
Illinois public health officials, including Sidney Thomas and Cook County Dept. of Public
Health COO Stephen Martin, praised Whitaker’s
choice to fund Working for Togetherness.
“His aggressive response shifted resources
where they were needed most. This included
such innovative—and unorthodox—strategies
as a tricked-out Hummer that provided young
African-American men, who are most at risk,
with on-the-spot HIV testing and treatment
referrals in a way that made accessing these
services attractive and inviting. The CDC estimates that preventing a single case of HIV
may save as much as $300,000 in societal
costs—recouping many times the cost of the
SUV.”
From 2005-2010, Working for Togetherness
received $915,287 in AIDS-awareness money
from the city of Chicago. The not-for-profit has
since gone out of business, and Armstead has
died.
The Hummer was seriously damaged in a
January 2009 car crash and sold for salvage.
It’s not clear what became of proceeds from
the sale.
WhatTheWorld
Is Watching
47th
Chicago
International
Film Festival
OCT. 6 – 2 0 , 2 0 1 1
AMC RI VER EAST 2 1
C H I C A G O FI LMFE ST I VA L. C O M
PRESENTING
PA R T N E R
PREMIERE
PA R T N E R S
HEADQUARTERS
HOTEL
8
Country Club Hills
facing complaints
about discrimination
Sept. 28, 2011
Left: The
Jane Addams
sculpture.
Below:
Naomi Beckwith.
Photos by
Tracy Baim
BY KATE SOSIN
Two south suburban men have filed complaints
with the Illinois Department of Human Rights,
alleging that Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight
Welch and former City Manager Henrietta Turner
discriminated against the men because they are
gay.
James Abernathy and Tony Harper, a south
suburban couple, are alleging that city officials
subjected them to unfair treatment, ridiculed
them and passed them over for job promotions.
“She called me names like ‘faggot,’” Harper
said of Turner, who is no longer employed by the
city.
Harper, who worked for the city as marketing
director for Country Club Hills Theater before being reassigned to another position, alleges that
Turner mocked him for more than three years.
According to Harper, Turner gave him a women’s birthday card, intended to ridicule his sexual orientation. Harper also alleges that when
a toilet seat was accidentally delivered to his
desk from public works, Turner joked that it was
because “public works knows that Tony likes to
play in shit.”
“I felt like crying whenever Ms. Turner revealed my sexual orientation in a loud, overt and
disapproving manner, which was done regularly
in front of my co-workers,” Harper said in his
complaint. “I felt like Oprah Winfrey in The Color
Purple.”
Turner, whose employment with the city ended
in July, could not be reached for comment.
According to complaints, Turner allegedly harassed both men for being gay while other city
employees, including the mayor, turned a blind
eye to the discrimination.
Both men claim that Turner and Welch berated
them for inquiring about partner insurance benefits in the fall of 2010.
Abernathy’s complaint states that Welch dismissed their attempts to discuss insurance, saying that it was “an election season and he could
not have ‘silly stuff’ going on.”
Harper said that the mayor told him to stop
talking with Turner because she is homophobic
but that he did not take action to intervene.
WINDY CITY TIMES
Jane Addams
tribute relocated
By Tracy Baim
Tony Harper and James Abernathy. Photo
courtesy of the couple
Welch did not return requests to comment in
time for publication.
Jacob Meister, the attorney representing Harper and Abernathy, claims that city officials did
not respond to the anti-gay harassment after
Abernathy and Harper reported it.
“They wouldn’t let them file a complaint,”
Meister said. “And they said the complaint had
to go through Henrietta [Turner].”
The anti-gay allegations are one part of a
string of other complaints Harper and Abernathy have made against Turner and Welch. They
also claim Turner, who is Black, used racial slurs
while Welch referred to Turner as an “angry”
Black woman. The two men have also said that
Turner sexually harassed co-workers and strongarmed staffers into raising campaign funds for
the mayor.
Lastly, Harper said that Welch told him it was
his responsibility to dispel a rumor that Turner’s son was gay. Harper said he told the mayor
he knew nothing about the rumor and that he
didn’t feel it was his responsibility to deal with
it.
Harper and Abernathy say that they were
both passed over for raises while heterosexual
co-workers received them. The reason given, according to the complaints, was that the couple
earned more than $105,000 as a household. The
complaints allege that other straight workers
who are married did receive raises.
After Abernathy and Harper filed their complaints with the Department of Human Rights,
the city demoted them, they said.
Abernathy said he was demoted from theater
direction to operations manager three weeks after he filed his complaint, a position for which
he claims he has not received a job description.
Harper said he was demoted to an assistant
manager of a day care at Meadowview School,
despite the fact that he had never worked with
children.
Both men filed a second round of complaints
for the alleged retaliation.
Overall the men said, they have found Country
Club Hills to be accepting of their relationship.
The two say they have never had problems with
neighbors or friends in the community.
“The negativity, surprisingly enough, came
from inside City Hall,” Harper said.
The Chicago Park District held a dedication
ceremony for the relocated city tribute to
social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize-winner
Jane Addams (1860-1935) Sept. 24. The Jane
Addams Tribute Sculpture Garden, “Helping
Hands,” by Louis Bourgeois (1911-2010) was
originally dedicated in 1996 and displayed
along the lakefront near Navy Pier. But it was
a target of vandalism and harsh weather and
was put into storage.
The Chicago Park District team completed
the relocation of the group of sculptures June
24, 2011, to the Chicago Women’s Park and
gardens, on Prairie Avenue just south of 18th
Street.
Addams was inducted into the Chicago Gay
and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2008, and her
efforts are also documented in the current
Out in Chicago exhibit at the Chicago History
Museum.
The Hall of Fame website states: “Biographer Louise Knight has noted the ‘long silence about the historical significance of Addams’s intimate love life.’ Current historical
research and insight demonstrate that it is
time for Chicago’s LGBT communities to claim
Addams as one of our own. Historian Lillian
Faderman notes that Addams ‘spent her adult
years, almost until her death, with other
women, in long-term relationships that we
would describe as lesbian today.’
“Addams had at least two long-term samesex relationships—one of which, with Mary
Rozet Smith, lasted 40 years. Addams and
Smith traveled together, shared the same
room and bed, and owned property together. Addams consistently addressed Smith as
‘dearest’ and used phrases such as ‘I am yours
’til death.’ Their relationship to each other
was recognized by their close associates as
intimate. Historian John D’Emilio points out,
‘No matter how you cut it, these are all marks
that we use to understand women and men as
lesbian or gay.’”
The sculptures were commissioned by the
B.F. Ferguson Fund of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Art Institute picked Bourgeios to
portray Addams through a “symbolically powerful artwork” rather than a depictive figurative sculpture. Bourgeios produced a series of
carved granite hands that sit on rough-hewn
granite bases.
Speaking about her work in a 2007 PBS
Documentary film entitled From Art in the
21st Century, Bourgeois said, “A work of art
does not have to be explained … . If you
do not have any feeling about this, I cannot
explain it to you. If this doesn’t touch you, I
have failed.”
The work includes a plaque and six stone
bases that support a hand or series of carved
black granite hands representing adults and
children of different backgrounds.
Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd Ward) spoke at the
tribute, as did Naomi Beckwith (a curator
with the Museum of Contemporary Art), William Tyre (executive director of the Glessner
House) and Julia Bachrach (historian of the
Chicago Park District). Jan Huttner appeared
as “Jane Addams” and read some of Addams
words for the small crowd gathered at the
dedication.
Chicago Dyke March
moving to Argyle
neighborhood
in ‘12, ‘13
The Chicago Dyke March Collective (CDMC)
has announced that the 2012 and 2013 Dyke
Marches will take place in the Argyle neighborhood, which houses predominantly the
Vietnamese community and a number of
Asian-American businesses and non-profits,
according to a press release.
The decision was made as a collective after a “call for movement” was made to the
greater community to “bid” for the next host
neighborhood. Two proposals were submitted
identifying Argyle as an ideal location for future marches.
“This is very exciting,” said Liz Thomson,
the activist chairperson of Chicago i2i, an LGBTI Asian/Pacific Islander community organization. “I truly believe having the Dyke March
go through the heart of Uptown amongst the
Pho Restaurants, the non-profits, and the retail stores will raise the visibility of what it
means to be LGBTQQ and Asian American.”
Dyke March Chicago had long been on the
far north side; however, since 2008, the organizers have continued to move the march
(Pilsen in 2008 and 2009; the South Shore
in 2010 and 2011). According to the release,
“the general idea for the move is to show
that dykes are in all parts of Chicago and to
celebrate Dyke, Queer AND Transgender resilience.”
The route has not yet been determined.
People interested in organizing the event
should email [email protected].
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
Hall of Fame auction
deals with small turnout
Street honoring gay Vietnam War veteran Leonard Matlovich as part of the Legacy Project. Veterans Patrick Bova and Jim Darby took home the
coveted plaque after a fierce bidding war.
Another popular item was a set of two tickets
to the next Equality Illinois gala, which went for
$550. A party at Sidetrack also took in a sizable
bid.
Other items, however, did not fare as well.
While more than 100 people attended the
event, just 76 people purchased bidding paddles
9
this year.
Many opening bids had to be lowered repeatedly before people bid on them. One gift basket
was pulled until later because it failed to produce a single bid the first time around.
Some blamed the weak economy for the poor
turnout while others noted that crowds this year
may have been diverted to a “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” repeal party downtown. Some also said that
the premiere of popular TV show Glee at the bar
that night distracted from the event.
Bar hosts HIV/AIDS event
Above: (From left) James Darby, Jean Albright, Tammy Duckworth and Ald. Tom Tunney at the
Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame Celebrity Auction. Below: The Matlovich plaque. Photos
by Kate Sosin
BY KATE SOSIN
The Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame held
its annual Celebrity Auction Sept. 20 at the
Boystown nightspot Sidetrack, but the fundraiser did not draw the large crowds or generous
bids it has in years past.
Still, the night was not without excitement as
many came to celebrate the repeal of “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” which went into effect the same day.
Among those present celebrating was Tammy
Duckworth, Iraqi war Purple Heart recipient and
8th Illinois District Congressional candidate.
She was also U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. Duckworth posed for pictures
community members, who lined up to meet her.
Wayne Johnson of NBC Chicago, David Boyer
from Touché leather bar and Velicity Metropolis,
the drag queen from Hamburger Mary’s, were the
auctioneers.
The prize item of the evening was a replica
of the plaque that will be installed on Halsted
LGBT council
tables Hall vote
BY KATE SOSIN
Despite discontent that the City of Chicago has
pulled its financial support for the Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame (GLHF), the annual ceremony
will remain in the city’s care, at least for now.
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations’
Advisory Council on LGBT Issues decided not to
vote on a possible dissolution of the committee
in charge of GLHF, resigning to keep its connection to the annual event.
City budget cuts stripped GLHF’s finances in
June, leaving GLHF organizers scrambling to
raise funds for its Nov. 9 induction ceremony.
Consequently, some have questioned if the
event should keep its city ties.
The council considered separating from GLHF
at its meeting in August but failed to come to
a decision. The issued was raised again when
the council met Sept. 28, but council members
agreed that the future of GLHF remains uncertain and that no decision could be made.
Originally a city-led project, GLHF has been
run by the council’s Hall of Fame committee.
In 2009, however, GLHF supporters sensed
possible city cutbacks and established a 501(c)
(3), Friends of the Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame,
to raise money for the induction ceremony.
Still, GLHF can only be separated from the city
if the council votes to dissolve the Hall of Fame
Committee that runs it. That committee could
also request that the council vote to dissolve it.
“At the moment, neither of those options
seem likely,” said Beth Kelly, a council member.
Over the past few months, council members
have expressed reticence about breaking the tie
between the city and GLHF, despite the fact that
such ties have become more symbolic as the city
pulled its financial support.
Those in favor of salvaging the relationship
argue that GLHF’s city connection gives it prestige, while others in favor of the split have asserted that the city gets credit for an event it
contributes little to.
“There’s something about having the tie to
the city that has meaning for people getting the
award,” said Gary Chichester, a council member
who also sits on the Hall of Fame committee.
However, while it seems likely that GLHF will
remain a city entity through the end of the year,
other traditions still hang in the balance.
Richard M. Daley handed out the awards during his time as mayor, but Mayor Emanuel has
yet to RSVP to the event. If the mayor does not
attend, the Hall of Fame committee will need to
find a replacement to give out the awards.
The cost, say some, is the significance that
comes with getting the award directly from the
mayor.
Local bar/lounge TZAR hosted a launch for the new Belvedere RED special-edition bottles Sept. 28. Models walked the runway, sporting fashion from the clothing store Akira
while sampling the vodka on the stage.
(RED) sponsored the event, having raised more than $170 million in five years for The
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, among other causes. Some (RED) partners are Apple, Gap,
Starbucks and Nike. On World AIDS Day last year the company launched “The AIDS Free
Generation is Due in 2015” campaign, in which it seeks to eliminate the transmission of
HIV from mother to child by the year 2015, along with the first “AIDS-free generation” in
30 years.
Tzar will continue to carry the limited-edition bottles. For more information about the
Russian-inspired lounge, visit http://tzarchicago.com or call 312-255-8927. To get involved with (RED), see http://www.joinred.com. Photos and text by Jerry Nunn
Lampkin Music Group presents
Intimate
Saturday Nights
at the
Stage 773 Cabaret Room
October 1
Audrey Morris
“The Best of the
American Songbook”
Coming soon
A percentage of proceeds
will go to Gay and
Lesbian Hall of Fame,
Season of Concern and
PrideFilmsandPlays.com.
Stephen Rader
“Sings a Song He Wants To”
October 8
Joanie Pallatto
Media Sponsor:
“Who Wrote This Song”
October 15
All Shows at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $20, available at Stage 773 at 773-327-5252
or online at www.stage773.com
www.lampkinmusic.com
10
ACLU celebrates civil unions
and end of death penalty
By Carrie Maxwell
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Illinois held its annual Bill of Rights Celebration
at the Westin River North Hotel Sept. 24. The
celebration highlighted two major legislative
victories from the past year: civil unions and the
end of the death penalty.
About 600 people attended the event to cele-
Sept. 28, 2011
WINDY CITY TIMES
so courageously to extend basic protections and
dignity through civil unions and end the death
penalty system that had embarrassed our state,”
said Colleen Connell, executive director for the
ACLU of Illinois, adding, “It has been a remarkable year in Illinois with these two advancements.”
For more information visit http://www.aclu-il.
org.
Debra Shore holds
re-election
fundraiser
By Carrie Maxwell
Former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold. Photo by
Carrie Maxwell
brate and hear keynote remarks from former U.S.
Sen. Russ Feingold. The evening started off with
cocktails, a silent auction and a Paris getaway
raffle drawing.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., outlined the accomplishments of the last year in the LGBT community as well as other progressive causes while
also reminding the audience that much work still
needs to be done. Durbin then introduced Feingold by touting his progressive track record in
the Senate and remarking that one of the biggest tragedies of the 2010 election cycle was the
loss of Feingold on the Senate floor.
Feingold took the stage and thanked the ACLU
for his award, adding, “Our country faces many
challenges to the rights and freedoms in the
constitution. ... Unlike 15 years ago the Defense
of Marriage Act would not get passed today ...
because many more gays and lesbians have come
out over time. ... Bigots can only be successful
when they are successful in intimidating their
victims, once that ends the bigotry eventually
fades away.” Feingold ended his remarks by calling on all attendees to continue fighting governmental abuses on all fronts.
Following a video showcasing the work of the
ACLU of Illinois over the last year, awards were
given to the state legislators who sponsored the
passage of the civil-unions bill (state Rep. Greg
Harris and state Sen. Dave Koehler) and the repeal of the death penalty (state Rep. Karen Yarbrough and state Sen. Kwame Raoul).
“We are so pleased to honor the legislators
from both sides of the political aisle who acted
On the day that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT)
officially ended (Sept. 20), openly lesbian Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Debra Shore held a fundraiser focusing
on the LGBT community. About 50 people attended the event at Hop Haus to hear Shore’s
re-election campaign plans and her vision for
the future.
Ald. Tom Tunney introduced Shore, saying,
“There is no better person with the knowledge,
passion and desire to serve than Debra.”
Shore thanked everyone and said, “In the 21st
century we have a chance to change the culture
and think about rain as a resource and not just
a problem, try to capture rain where it falls instead of hustling it into the sewers, where it
gets contaminated and sent down to the Gulf of
Mexico.”
Just moments after Shore spoke a surprise
guest arrived: Iraqi war veteran Major Tammy
Duckworth (who is running for Congress as a
Democrat in the newly formed 8th District).
Duckworth was there to show her support and
tell the crowd how happy she was DADT had
ended.
To get on the ballot Shore needs a minimum
of 5,600 names; however, she is hoping to get
15,000 people to sign the petition and still
needs the Democratic Party’s endorsement. Tunney assured Shore that she would be getting
that endorsement Oct. 6. Also, their campaign
wants to raise $350,000, having already raised
$150,000.
For more information on Shore and her campaign visit http://www.debrashore.org. See pics
online at http://www.WindyCityMediaGroup.
com.
Planned Parenthood
has new center
The newly renovated Planned Parenthood of
Illinois (PPIL) Wicker Park health center, 1152
N. Milwaukee Ave., was officially unveiled Sept.
28 at a dedication event, according to a press
release.
The renovated health center, located at the
same address as the former PPIL Wicker Park
health center, features a larger
waiting room and additional patient
exam rooms which will allow PPIL to
serve more women, men and teens
in the community.
Visit GlobalPharmacyDirect.net
Carole Brite, president and CEO of
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said,
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PLAN
to make an appointment.
Leading the effort in low-cost Rx drugs ensuring
the highest quality and safety standards.
The color guard at the DADT-repeal event at Center on Halsted. Photo by Kate Sosin
DADT from cover
man Relations, thanked AVER for their service.
“It makes me want to weep to think of all
the honor and valor of all the people who have
served,” Noriega said.
Also on hand was a spokesperson on behalf
of Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley. Brandon
Neese read a statement sent by Quigley.
“I’m emboldened further by the fact that
these same soldiers who fight and die for our
safety can now do so without having to hide
who they are or who they love,” the statement
read.
The event wrapped up with a performance
of “Taps” by Melissa Terrell of LakeSide Pride
Freedom Band.
Obama campaign
manager at
Downtown
DADT-repeal event
BY ERICA DEMAREST
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
(SLDN) celebrated the repeal of “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” (DADT) Sept. 20 at the Downtown
Lounge Bar in downtown Chicago. Jim Messina, President Obama’s 2012 campaign manager, was a guest speaker.
“As the vice president would say, this is a
big F-ing deal,” Messina said with a laugh.
“[The repeal] showed all of us we can do great
things again… We aren’t the country that said
‘Don’t ask, don’t tell.’ We’re a country that
says, ‘Out of many, we are one.’ That’s who we
are.”
SLDN hosted more than 100 simultaneous
repeal parties across the country. Flagship
events were in Washington D.C.; New York
City; Philadelphia; West Hollywood, Calif.;
Charleston, S.C.; and Chicago.
Smiles and laughter were abundant at the
2-hour gathering as veterans and allies mingled and enjoyed drinks. Scheduled programming lasted just 15 minutes: Discharged veterans Veronica Hernandez and Marquell Smith
spoke briefly before introducing Messina.
As a token of appreciation, Smith presented
Messina with a coin from his time in the U.S.
Marine Corps. Military coins hold great significance for veterans.
Messina explained how difficult it was repeal
DADT. The former deputy chief of staff said he
keeps the pen Obama used to sign repeal legislation in his office.
“Our work has just started,” Messina said.
“There’s many more things we’ve all got to
get done, and… that means reelecting Barack
Obama as President of the United States.”
“To all of those who served our country
so admirably, thank you from the bottom of
our hearts,” he continued. “You are American
patriots. With that, I hope you’ll join me in
drinking.”
Marquell Smith (left) and Jim Messina at the Downtown event. Photos by Erica Demarest
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
11
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Darcy Leslie
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Name
Darcy Leslie
Age
25
Neighborhood
Avondale
Relationship status
Single
Job title
Manager at Canine Crews
Born in
Belize; moved to Chicago at
age 7
Hobbies
Sports, playing the viola,
snowboarding and beach
volleyball
Pets
Dog: a boxer named Dexter
Favorite pro team
Chicago Bears
Favorite pro athlete
Brian Urlacher
Honor
Named the Team MVP for
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she’s a four-year standout now for
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[email protected]
“Sports have always been a big part
of my life,” said Leslie, wearing a
206-682-6726
black Force shirt at work, along
with
two Force-related wristbands.
She played middle linebacker this
season and previously played defensive end.
“My Force career has been an adventure,” she said. “Heck, my first
year, I wanted to quit [the team]
quite a few times. But now it’s such
a big part of my life. In fact, I’m
afraid to think what my life would, or
will, be like without football and the
Force.”
Leslie was a two-sport athlete
(volleyball and basketball) at Oakton Community College, where she
earned All-Conference accolades
both years in both sports. “It was a
great accomplishment for me, given
the fact that I only had two years of
volleyball background,” said Leslie,
who was the third-leading basketball
scorer in the school’s history.
Leslie’s aggressive attitude on the fields of play certainly clash with her mellow approach to her daily job
dealing with dogs. Force teammate Sami Grisafe tagged Leslie “Stegosaurus” because she is calm and chill off
the field, yet fierce, feisty and powerful on the field.
“I’m a good athlete; I pick up on things quickly,” Leslie said.
Perhaps that why, heading into her junior year at Mather,
the mother of her best friend suggested she try out for the
school’s volleyball team. Granted, the mom also was the
school’s junior varsity coach, so she certainly knew of Leslie’s athletic abilities.
Leslie was promoted from dog handler to manager at Canine Crews in June after about a year working there. She
works about 55 hours per week and truly loves the experience with all of their four-legged “clients,” including Daisy—an aggressive, territorial girl who doesn’t like many, but
does now like Leslie.
“I love dogs. Just being around the dogs all day is so much
fun; it’s amazing. It really fills my life,” Leslie said.
Canine Crews offers doggie day care, boarding, pet-sitting,
walking, training and more—and can house 60 dogs at its
location on North Washtenaw Avenue in the Humboldt Park
neighborhood.
So what’s more difficult, tackling a football running back
or handling stubborn dogs?
“Tackling running backs is definitely a little harder,” she
said, laughing.
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WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
12
A special series in partnership with the
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
LEFT: Michael
Callen (center)
and his singing
group The
Flirtations at AIDS
Walk Chicago circa
1990. Callen died
in 1993. Photo by
Tracy Baim
RIGHT: Sylvester
performs in
Chicago at Eddie
Dugan’s Bistro.
Gay Chicago
Archives
AIDS @ 30: Songs for Those We Lost
By David Byrne and Tracy Baim
In the last 30 years, there have been many odes
to loved ones lost to AIDS-related causes. Interviews, liner notes and introductions at live performances bring light to the artists’ backstories
on these tracks.
In a 2009 piece in OUT magazine, The Pet
Shop Boys said “Being Boring” details the bond
between vocalist Neil Tennant and his close
childhood friend Chris Dowell. A trip down
memory lane surveys decades on this beloved
1990 hit. Once the lyrics approach more modern
times, Tennant hints to others he lost, “All the
people I was kissing, some are here and some
are missing in the 1990s.” The black-and-white
video, directed by Bruce Weber, depicts a lively
party at a mansion attended by models.
“It Couldn’t Happen Here” is drawn from a
conversation Tennant and Dowell once had
about the misconception that the AIDS epidemic
would not reach England. Dowell lost his battle
to the virus in 1989. The b-side “Your Funny
Uncle” revisits Dowell’s funeral and is inspired
by the poem “Indoor Games near Newbury” by
John Betjeman.
The Pet Shop Boys’ experience with the virus is
recounted further in “The Survivors” from 1996’s
Bilingual.
The Communards had popular remakes of disco
classics “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Don’t
Leave Me This Way.” Jimmy Somerville’s group
strikes a chord with the stirring piano-based
number “For a Friend.” Here, using his trademark
falsetto, Somerville sings to his deceased friend,
Mark Ashton, “All I want to do is kiss you once
goodbye.” The Mark Ashton Trust was founded to
help those living with AIDS.
Ryan White was alienated from his school and
Indiana community for being open about his
HIV status. The brave boy became an activist
and then found himself in the company of celebrities like Michael Jackson.
“Gone Too Soon” from The King of Pop’s Dangerous opus is dedicated to White. The single
was released on World AIDS Day in 1993. Its video has images of Jackson and White together, as
well as headlines covering White’s passing and
AIDS-related statistics.
Sir Elton John keeps White’s memory alive
with “Last Song” from the 1992 album The One.
During the emotional, final scene of And the
Band Played On, “Last Song” is played as images
of people who succumbed to AIDS and mourners
are shown.
Elton John also was involved in perhaps the
most well-known AIDS tribute song, “That’s
What Friends Are For.” The credit was “Dionne
Warwick and Fiends,” and the friends were Elton
John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder, singing the 1982 song by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager (it had been recorded that year
by Rod Stewart for the move Night Shift). The
song was released early in the AIDS epidemic, in
1985, and raised funds for the American Foundation for AIDS Research. The song raised $3
million and was released in both the U.S. and
United Kingdom.
There were of course many musicians who died
of AIDS-related complications, Among the most
prominent were Freddie Mercury of Queen (who
died at age 45 in 1991) and the disco singer
Sylvester (he died at age 44 in 1988). Flirtations musician and AIDS activist Michael Callen,
George Michael. Press photo
whose “Living in Wartime” on the Purple Heart
CD was an important AIDS anthem, died in 1993.
Ricky Wilson of the B-52’s died at age 32 in
1985. German-born Klaus Nomi died bat age 39
in 1983. Cabaret and showtune star Peter Allen died at age 48 in 1992. Some reports have
Liberace dying of an AIDS-related illness, at age
67 in 1987.
Former Styx musician Chuck Panozzo came out
as a gay man living with HIV in the 1990s and
has been a spokesperson about the disease ever
since. Chicago musician Scott Free also has several songs about the epidemic, including “Placebo,” “AIDS Dementia” and “Leather Ghosts.”
Drag group Kinsey Sicks feature the song “AZT”
on their Dragapella! CD. Lee Lesick’s song about
AIDS, Jonathan Wesley Oliver Jr.” is on his Lee
Lessack CD. And popular 1980s gay music duo
Romanovsky & Phillips also recorded songs related to AIDS, including “Living with AIDS” and
“No False Hope.”
Choral groups responded to the crisis with
many concerts and benefit performances, and
Turtle Creek Choral recorded “When We No Longer Touch” in 1990. The Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus and Windy City Gay Chorus lost a large number of members to AIDS.
The world of musicals also included attempts
to address AIDS, including the most popular
one, Rent, which was also made into a movie.
Popstar Tiffany also dedicates the moving
power ballad “Here in My Heart” to White and
those serving in The Gulf War. The Diane Warrenpenned tune did not impact the charts, but The
Scorpions did a cover of “Here in My Heart” in
2000.
Boy George’s critically acclaimed 1995 glam
rock-themed album Cheapness And Beauty
features “Il Adore,” a heart-felt track about a
friend on his deathbed in a hospital. The tempo
picks up for the first time with strings and the
hook “It’s hard to imagine him as he used to
be, laughing, screaming, tumbling queen, like
the most amazing light show you’ve ever seen.”
In the video, the Culture Club front man flips
through a photo album with pictures from his
past, including one of the late performance artist Leigh Bowery. The Boy portrayed Bowery in
the musical Taboo. Cheapness And Beauty coincided with O’Dowd’s tell-all autobiography Take
It Like a Man.
In the jacket to 1996’s Older, George Michael
dedicates the album to Antonio Carlos Jobim
and Anselmo Feleppa. The set’s lead single “Like
Jesus to a Child” and the international hit “You
Have Been Loved” are especially for Michael’s
lover Feleppa, who died of a brain hemorrhage
due to complications from AIDS in 1993. This
was a bold move, as Michael was not publicly
out yet. Lyrically, “Jesus to a Child” could be
interpreted as intended for a mentor.
During the height of her risqué phase, Madonna steps off the dancefloor on the somber “In
This Life.” This track stands out on 1992’s Erotica and during the subsequent world tour The
Girlie Show. Here, Madonna reflects on losing her
friend Martin Burgoyne and her ballet instructor
Christopher Flynn. She pleads, “We wait for this
thing to go away … Someday I pray it will end,
I hope it’s in this life.”
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony landed a massive hit
in 1996 with “Tha Crossroads.” This track mentions Eazy-E., in addition to deceased relatives
of the group. The video shows a towering grim
Boy George. Press photo
WINDY CITY TIMES
Elton John. Press photo
reaper in sunglasses collecting souls. He leads
them atop of a mountain and the late N.W.A. rap
icon’s spirit nods as he follows.
Not all songs about those we lost are melancholy.
In 1998 Janet Jackson topped the charts with
“Together Again,” an upbeat ode to friends she
lost to AIDS. Here, Jackson dreams about being
reunited with them and finding solace that they
are with her today in spirit, as she sings “Everywhere I go, every smile I see, I know you are
there, smilin’ back at me. Dancin’ in moonlight,
I know you are free, ’cause I can see your star,
shinin’ down on me.” “Together Again” since has
been used to celebrate Michael Jackson’s life.
Dance music singers Salt N Pepa recorded a
song in 1992, “Let’s Talk about AIDS,” a reworking of the group’s hit “Let’s Talk about Sex.”
“Streets of Philadelphia” is Bruce Springsteen’s Oscar-winning song for the groundbreaking AIDS-related mainstream film Philadelphia,
Sept. 28, 2011
starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.
The “Boy Blue” video opens with Cyndi Lauper
saying, “This next song is a very special song
for me, because I wrote it for one of my best
friends.” Proceeds from “Boy Blue” benefitted
New York City AIDS research and patient care.
Although “Boy Blue” was written for her friend
who was kicked out of his home and later lost
his fight to AIDS, the album’s title track “True
Colors” outshined this minor hit and became an
anthem for the LGBT community. “True Colors”
is associated closely with the rainbow flag, as
Lauper is known to drape one around her during
live performances.
Some lesbian singers also dealt with the crisis
through song, including Lynn Lavner, a frequent
performer at gay bars and even International Mr.
Leather, with her song “Such Fine Young Men”
on her I’d Rather Be Cure CD.
In 2010, Lauper and Lady Gaga joined forces
to raise HIV/AIDS awareness for women through
MAC’s VIVA Glam campaign.
The Red+Hot Organization has also produced
some 20 albums and raised $10 million to efforts
fighting AIDS. They have harnessed the talent of
many top musicians and singers to record some
wonderful music all while benefiting charities
across the world. More than 400 artists have
been involved in Red+Hot recordings since their
founding in 1989. The first CD, Red Hot + Blue
featured David Byrne, Annie Lennox, Tom Waits,
U2 and Erasure.
The Queer Music Heritage website includes a
section on music influenced by HIV/AIDS, including songs that deal with the epidemic:
http://www.queermusicheritage.us/aids.html.
On that site, they say there have been 185
popular songs that address the AIDS epidemic,
and in the classical area, they report on 32 instrumental pieces, 78 songs for solo voice (51
of them from The AIDS Quilt Songbook) and 85
choral pieces (51 for men’s chorus). They say
there have been 26 musicals and seven operas
on the subject.
The site, which documents the efforts of more
than 300 composers, explains how they compiled the listing:
“Although AIDS surely affected an entire generation’s experience of music, we tried to be
strict in the creation of these lists. We included
a work only if a composer or publisher indicated
that the piece somehow was about AIDS, or if
an original song appeared in the clear context
of AIDS, such as Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Streets of
Philadelphia.’
“We did not include works that simply had a
dedication to someone who died of AIDS, pieces
suggested as appropriate for AIDS memorials or
events, or songs about the gay experience that
did not at least allude to AIDS. After the list of
popular songs, we do include a few recorded collections with original material, but we exclude
AIDS fundraising discs and recordings of preexisting works that were performed in the context
of AIDS, such as the Red+Hot series.
“Through our research into the music of composers who have died of AIDS, we came across a
number of pieces whose connection to AIDS was
The Pet Shop Boys. Press photo
13
implied and merited inclusion in these listings.
For example, Ronald Roxbury’s last completed
work was a setting of Walt Whitman’s ‘Goodbye
My Fancy.’
In all, the listings include music by 22 composers who died of AIDS and another eight who
are public about living with HIV/AIDS.
“Like Roxbury, a number of other composers
set the poetry of Whitman. There are nine settings of poetry by the late Paul Monette, who
died of AIDS in 1995.”
The website is an invaluable resource, acknowledging the many contributions of artists,
both those lost to AIDS and those who have lost
people to the disease.
14
Sept. 28, 2011
WINDY CITY TIMES
Smithsonian AIDS @ 30 Exhibit
By Sarah Toce
The National Museum of American History in
Washington, DC is marking the 30th anniversary
of HIV/AIDS through continued education both
in-person at the museum as well as online in
the form of a newly-functioning website. The
program, “HIV and AIDS Thirty Years Ago,” began its run on June 10, 2011 and will continue
through November 27, 2011.
Topics encompassed in the online collection
include tab titles: Public Health Crisis, Scientific
Mystery, HIV and AIDS Today, Magazines, HIV
and AIDS 1981-1987, Political Flashpoint, and
AIDS Quilt. Users have the ability to navigate
story links dating back to the beginning of HIV/
AIDS through 2009.
The physical museum showcase will be located
in the “Science in American Life” exhibition
space, which focuses on the connections among
science, culture and society in American history.
The display will feature photographs, magazine
covers and other graphics plus equipment that
Dr. Jay Levy used to isolate the virus in his lab
at the University of California, San Francisco, as
well as a copy of the Surgeon General’s 1986
report presenting the government’s position on
the ever-expanding crisis, samples of the drugs
AZT and Retrovir, and public health information
pamphlets from AIDS service organizations.
In “Archiving the History of an Epidemic: HIV
and AIDS, 1985-2009,” the museum’s Archives
Center will show how individuals and society
were affected by the epidemic through a selection of archival materials from its collections,
including posters for the 1993 movie Philadelphia with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington
and the 1989 film Longtime Companion; brochures, photographs and other popular culture
materials; and quotes from oral histories of
people affected by the epidemic.
A panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt of the
Names Project Foundation will be showcased on
the first floor artifacts wall. The quilt panel honors Roger Lyon – a man who died of complications from AIDS in 1984.
“The early years of the HIV and AIDS epidemic
was a time in our history that affected all Americans,” said Brent D. Glass, the director of the
museum. “This display will help visitors understand the scientific mystery, the public health
crisis and the political debates created by the
epidemic and why these events gripped America
30 years ago.”
In addition to the HIV/AIDS physical and online exhibits, archival materials from the 1969
Stonewall Riots in New York City and more AIDS
Memorial Quilt items will be on display in the
museum. There are a total of three million objects chronicling American history present in the
museum, including a selection of gay civil rights
activist Frank Kameny’s protest signs and materials relating to the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell policy.
Find out more information about the exhibit
see http://hivaids.omeka.net/?CFID=13766514
&CFTOKEN=19069235.
The National Museum of American History presents a three-part display to mark the 30th anniversary of the emergence of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Pictured here are photos, magazine covers and items in the exhibit. All images are provided courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum
of American History.
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
15
AIDS news briefs...
Lifelube blog navigates
PrEP debate
The start of the AIDS Run & Walk in 2003. Photo by Tracy Baim
AIDS Run & Walk Chicago Oct. 1
AIDS Run & Walk Chicago, one of the city’s high-profile fundraisers to combat HIV/AIDS, is Saturday,
Oct. 1, 2011. The annual 5K event will take place in Upper Hutchinson Field at Grant Park (entrance
at the southwest corner of Balbo and Columbus). More than 8,000 people are expected to participate.
Proceeds benefit the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and more than 70 local AIDS organizations.
The 5K run starts at 8:30 a.m.; the 10K run at 8:45 a.m.; the 5K run at 9 a.m. Register at: aidsrunwalk.org. Online registration closes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Event day registration opens at
7 a.m. on Oct. 1.
AIDS Run & Walk Chicago features live entertainment and on-site Health & Fitness Village, hosted
and sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The event will feature performances by:
R&B artists Nehemiah Akbar and Adam Emil, Windy City Cowboys, Inaside Chicago Dance, Color Blind
Celebrations: DJ Casper, and many more.
The first 6,000 participants who register and pickup their packet and bib will receive the official
AIDS Run & Walk Chicago dry fit, long-sleeved shirt. Other incentives based on fundraising levels
include: $0-$249 (drawstring bag); $250-$499 (baseball cap); $500-$749 (gym bag); $750 and above
(hooded, zip sweatshirt).
Since its establishment in 2001, AIDS Run & Walk Chicago has raised more than $3 million net to
fight HIV/AIDS. More than 90 teams have registered to date, embodying the theme of this year’s
event: “I move. I am greater than AIDS.”
Registration is $25 in advance; $30 on-site. To register as an individual or team, visit aidsrunwalk.
org or call 312.334.0946.
Positively Aware ‘HIV 101’ issue available
The September/October issue of Positively
Aware, magazine, HIV 101, covers the basics that anyone who’s recently diagnosed
with HIV needs to know. Positively Aware
is published bi-monthly by Test Positive
Aware Network (TPAN) in Chicago.
The issue includes an overview of HIV
and the immune system; an explanation of
common lab tests; legal issues surrounding HIV; an article on opportunistic infections; a review of the U.S. Department of
Health & Human Services’ HIV Treatment
Guidelines; a profile of two Chicago case
managers, TPAN’s Kevin Bernal and Lorraine
Hayes; plus a listing of reliable online resources.
Also included is coverage of the 2011
International AIDS Society Conference in
Rome where treatment as prevention, as
well as cure research, were major topics.
Last but not least, A Day with HIV in America is returning for its second year. The
photo essay, to appear in the November/
December issue of PA, will feature photos
taken by people, HIV positive or not, on
one day, September 21. For more information, visit www.ADayWithHIVinAmerica.
com.
With this issue comes an expanded focus on articles that are available exclu-
sively online at www.positivelyaware.com,
including a report on the ADAP Advocacy
Association’s annual conference, a glossary
of common HIV-related terms, and an interview with prevention researcher Myron
Cohen on the HPTN 052 study results.
To order copies of the magazine, call
(773) 989-9400 or e-mail distribution@
tpan.com. For more information about
TPAN and Positively Aware magazine visit
www.tpan.com and www.positivelyaware.
com.
Researchers, policy-makers and advocates
around the world are debating the pros and cons
of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the use of a
daily antiretroviral medication to reduce HIV infection risk. Now a new interactive series on the
gay men’s health blog LifeLube called My PrEP
Experience (http://lifelube.blogspot.com/p/myprep-experience.html) is the first to highlight
the real-world experiences of people using PrEP.
“Everybody’s talking about PrEP, but most of
those talking have never used PrEP themselves,
or even know anyone who has,” said Jim Pickett, director of prevention advocacy and gay
men’s health at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
“My PrEP Experience provides a platform for
the exchange of real experiences and personal
perspectives of PrEP users who have important
things to add to the conversation. The unedited
voices and viewpoints which are shared in My
PrEP Experience are a critical addition to the
global debate on new prevention strategies.”
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, involves
uninfected people taking antiretroviral medications, which are usually used to treat HIV, to
reduce their chances of HIV infection. Results of
the iPrEx study, announced in November, 2010,
demonstrated that PrEP can help reduce HIV infection risk in men and transsexual women who
have sex with men (http://www.iprexnews.com/
studyresults/english.html). Two additional studies released in July 2011, called Partners PrEP
and TDF2, demonstrated that PrEP also reduces
HIV infection risk in heterosexual men and women
(http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/
PrEPHeterosexuals.html), while another study,
FEM-PrEP, was not able to find benefit from a
PrEP regimen in heterosexual women (http://
www.fhi.org/en/Research/Projects/FEM-PrEP.
htm). An additional study testing whether PrEP
works among injection drug users is expected to
announce results in 2012.
My PrEP Experience is accepting video, audio
or written contributions from men who are using
or considering using PrEP for HIV prevention at
(http://lifelube.blogspot.com/p/my-prep-experience.html).
David Furnish and Don
Lemon to address U.S.
Conference on AIDS
The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC)
reports that chairman of the Elton John AIDS
Foundation (EJAF) David Furnish will give a
keynote address at a special opening plenary
focused on gay men at the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), slated Nov. 10-13, 2011
in Chicago. Joining Furnish in addressing the
plenary will be CNN Anchor Don Lemon, Arizona
State Sen. Jack Jackson and former Project Runway contestant Mondo Guerra.
Furnish serves as chairman EJAF both in the
U.S. and the U.K., taking an active leadership
role as a public speaker on behalf of the Foundation, writing editorials on the epidemic, and
traveling the world as an ambassador to develop
partnerships with like-minded organizations.
Lemon anchors CNN Newsroom during the weekend and serves as correspondent across CNN’s
U.S. programming. He recently came out as a
gay man in his book, Transparent. Jackson is a
long-time HIV/AIDS activist and was recently
appointed to the President’s Advisory Council on
HIV/AIDS. Guerra made national headlines when
he came out as both gay and HIV-positive on
Project Runway.
This year’s USCA target population is gay men.
“We are extremely excited about this important session,” said NMAC Deputy Executive Director Daniel C. Montoya. “The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention released new estimates
of HIV infections in the U.S. that highlighted
the devastating impact this epidemic continues
to have on gay and bisexual men, especially gay
men of color. Young gay men age 19 to 29 account for approximately 27 percent of all new
infections, and the number of infections among
young African American gay and bisexual men of
the same age doubled between 2006 and 2009.
What’s more, for the first time ever, Latino gay
and bisexual men now account for more annual
HIV infections than African American women.”
Also participating in this session will be singer
and Broadway legend, Jennifer Holiday. Jennifer
is a long-time supporter of the gay community
and ally in the fight against HIV/AIDS. She is
most commonly known for her Tony award-winning performance in Dreamgirls and her Grammy
Award-winning song “And I Am Telling You I’m
Not Going.”
USCA is the nation’s largest annual AIDS-related gathering, bringing together over 3,000
workers representing all fronts of the HIV/AIDS
epidemic – from case managers and physicians,
to public health workers and advocates, people
living with HIV/AIDS and policymakers – to
build national support networks, exchange the
latest information and learn cutting-edge tools
to address the challenges posed by this epidemic.
To learn more about this year’s USCA and to
register to cover the conference, visit the registration page www.2011usca.org.
Grassroot Soccer
announces program at
Clinton Global Initiative
Grassroot Soccer co-founder Ethan Zohn announced the expansion of a program called
“Skillz Street” to provide girls in South Africa
with the opportunity to play in a newly formed
girls-only soccer league. In addition to the empowerment inherent in playing organized sport,
all participating girls will gain life skills and HIV
prevention education. The announcement was
made in conjunction with a Special Session entitled “Sports as a Tool for Social Good” at the
2011 Clinton Global Initiative in New York City.
Of the 1 million registered soccer players in
South Africa, only 1 percent are girls. For most
girls in the Skillz Street program, this will be
their first chance to play an organized sport.
“Skillz Street can impact South Africa in the way
that Title IX transformed the landscape for girls
in the U.S.,” said Zohn.
Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS executive director, visited a Skillz Street program in South Africa and
commented, “Grassroot Soccer is restoring dignity and building self-esteem of young girls living in a challenging environment, transforming
them into actors for the HIV prevention revolution.”
See www.grassrootsoccer.org or www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
Sept. 28, 2011
16
WINDY CITY TIMES
CITY
VIEWPOINTs WINDY
TIMES
VALERIE
JARRETT
The repeal
of DADT
[Note: Jarrett issued this statement Sept. 20.]
As of Sept. 20, 2011, the discriminatory law
known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) ceases
to exist. No longer will patriotic gay and lesbian
Americans need to hide who they are in order to
serve the country they love.
While this is an important step in our ongoing
effort to form a more perfect union, it is also, in
some ways, an unremarkable step. Gays and lesbians have served in our armed services from the
time of the American Revolution. But they have
served in silence; worse still, some have been
forced out for nothing more than their sexual
orientation.
We know that, to use an old adage, you don’t
need to be straight to shoot straight. While
there will never be a full accounting of the patriotism demonstrated by gay and lesbian Americans in service to their nation, we know that
they have served, with honor and valor. When
President Obama signed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” Repeal Act into law, he told a story about
charlene
strong
Dissension
in the ranks
On the heels of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT)
being repealed, I decided to reach out to Lt. Dan
Choi for his remarks and opinions. I was curious about how the openly gay service memberturned-activist regarded the end result.
When I asked about how he felt about the repeal, Choi said, “I’m excited, but…we still have
a long way to go if we want this repeal to be
equal in magnitude to 1948, when Harry Truman’s executive order 9981 sought equal treatment and equal opportunity.”
Personally speaking, I do not mind if someone
is playing agent provocateur if the actions bring
about substantive change, but the more I sit in
deep thought, the more I am beginning to think
that this comparison is nothing more than hyperbole for its own sake.
The tone of our conversation turned to President Obama. Choi did not feel he needed to censor his comment about the elites in Washington,
D.C. making the decision to compromise the repeal by stripping the non-discrimination language of DADT. His statement was relayed with
an irritation that was surprising, but I didn’t
know Choi and wondered if perhaps this was his
style.
I wondered if history was being rewritten out
of his personal frustration. Obama promised that
he would repeal DADT, right? Was it really that
complex? In writing this today, I wasn’t sure
that I needed to answer that question but, for
an act of heroism during the Battle of the Bulge.
A regiment in the 80th Division of Patton’s
Third Army came under fire. During the combat,
a private named Lloyd Corwin fell down into a
ravine. He could have died there. But one friend,
a soldier named Andy Lee, came back and scaled
down the icy slope, risking his own life to bring
Private Corwin to safety.
Lloyd always credited his friend with saving
his life. Four decades after the war, the two
friends reunited, and it was only then that Lloyd
learned that Andy was gay. Lloyd hadn’t known,
and more importantly, he didn’t care. Andy’s
sexual orientation had no impact on his valor
and sacrifice.
That’s a refrain we heard time and time again
in preparing to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”—
that our military is ready for the open service
of our gay and lesbian service members. That,
simply put, sexual orientation is not a factor.
Now that DADT is gone, gay and lesbian service
members will continue to serve, albeit with one
important difference—they can be open about
who they are. This change will only serve to
strengthen our military. As many of our nation’s
top military officials have stated, unit cohesion,
recruitment, retention and military effectiveness will not be harmed or undermined.
Indeed, because patriotic Americans who happen to be gay or lesbian will no longer have to
conceal who they are, our military, and our nation, will be better off.
We would not be here today were it not for
the leadership of President Obama, current and
former members of Congress, ordinary Americans
and those who wear or have worn the uniform of
the record … yes. I am sure many others have
witnessed how difficult any work being done in
Washington has been with a lack of bipartisan
bullshit we have witnessed on so many issues,
not just regarding this repeal.
The story of Choi was that he came out, and
then was discharged. Because of that discharge,
he chose to do what he felt spoke to his heart
about his activism. No one forced him to take
that action. I would think he would feel very
proud for his part, but the irritation that I heard
in Choi’s voice was palpable; his annoyance towards our president was not what I would have
anticipated when so many are seeing this repeal
as a victory.
I heard on The Rachel Maddow Show that Choi
was thinking of re-enlisting. (For the record I
did not get that quote directly from Choi during
our brief interview in which he went from being
amicable in one moment to cutting me off the
next). I do understand Choi is not pleased about
the discrimination language of the repeal not
being in place and feeling like it was a compro-
the United States Armed Services. On behalf of
the president, I also want to thank the leadership at the Defense Department. From conducting a comprehensive review of the issues associated with repeal, to offering a support plan for
implementation, to training our forces to make
them ready for this change, to rewriting masses
of regulations to comply with the new law, the
Pentagon has taken all necessary steps with full
speed and proficiency.
As with any change, there will be apprehension from some. But I am certain that we will
look back and wonder why it was ever a source
of controversy in the first place. The President
has every confidence in the professionalism and
patriotism of our service members. Just as they
have adapted and grown stronger with other
changes, we know they will do so again.
There is no doubt that our service members
will continue to serve with integrity and honor,
and approach each task and mission with the
professionalism that we expect of them. Be
they Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, or Coast
Guardsmen—they remain members of the finest military of the world. It is that military that
has fought to preserve the freedoms that define
America. And now, with the repeal of ““Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell””, we have furthered those American principles of fairness and equality.
Valerie B. Jarrett is a senior advisor to
President Obama. She is also the Chair of the
White House Council on Women and Girls and
she oversees the Offices of Public Engagement, Intergovernmental Affairs and Urban
Affairs.
mise. Yes, it was a compromise. It appears that
compromise is not an option for Choi.
In all candor I ask: Do we really think that
serving openly is going to be met with acceptance and tolerance throughout the armed forces? There will always be those that will not do
“the right thing” and homophobia is not going
to be cured by the repeal of DADT. It is going
to take ongoing education for true equality and
understanding to occur.
I am mindful of a quote that speaks volumes
for what is needed as we work toward the desired goal of full equality and understanding …
with measured compromise:
“The only way to make sure people you agree
with can speak, is to support the rights of people
you don’t agree with.”—Eleanor Holmes Norton
Charlene Strong is a human rights commissioner in Washington state, subject of the
award-winning documentary for my wife—
and co-editor of The Seattle Lesbian (http://
www.theseattlelesbian.com).
Send letters and
viewpoints to
Andrew@
WindyCityMediaGroup.com.
Items may
be edited
for length or clarity.
VOL. 26 No. 51, Sept. 28, 2011
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WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
GOINGS-ON
17
WINDY CITY TIMES’ ENTERTAINMENT SECTION
FACE TIME
Chris New (left) and Tom Cullen star in Weekend, a gay romance movie. See page 22.
DISH
THEATER
SPORTS
‘Count’ me in.
Page 19.
Quay of reckoning.
Page 24.
Freeze game.
Page 30.
Photo from The Count of Monte Cristo
courtesy of Lifeline Theatre
Photo by Andrew Davis
Photo of Chicago Freeze
from the Freeze
SCOTTISH PLAY SCOTT
Come to the cabaret
BY SCOTT C. MORGAN
Stage 773’s official grand opening celebration
will take place Oct. 16. It follows a $1.5 million
renovation of its multi-theater space (formerly
known as Theatre Building Chicago until 2010)
at 1225 W. Belmont Ave. However, Stage 773
venues have already been in use this past month
as part of a soft opening just to make sure all
the bugs get worked out.
Stage 773 improvements include a new façade
and lobby area complete with more restroom facilities. Stage 773 has also upped the number of
its performance venues from three to four.
Under the direction and design of architect
John Morris of Morris Architect Planners, changes include a new stage alignment of the venue’s
148-seat South Theater space and a division of
the former West Theater space into two new performance rooms: an 80-seat black box theater
and a 70-seat cabaret space.
“Smaller theater companies often didn’t have
the budget for the Theatre Building’s bigger
spaces,” said Stage 773 artistic director Brian
Posen about the venue’s new smaller spaces. Posen hopes that Stage 773’s newest venues prove
to be magnets for all kinds of artists, ranging
from pick-up dance companies to magic acts,
from improv troupes to burlesque performers.
What’s intriguing about Stage 773’s cabaret
space is that it will be rented out on a dayby-day basis instead of the usual multi-week
contracts for the venue’s other theaters. That
ensures the potentially amazing diversity of performances within the cabaret space.
One Stage 773 cabaret theater presenter that
already looks to have a major impact on the
venue is Lampkin Music Group producer and
presenter Ralph Lampkin Jr. As a veteran entertainer and producer with more than 30 years
of cabaret experience, Lampkin was specifically
sought to offer his personal input and advice
into the space’s creation and design.
“I thought that besides Davenport’s, we needed another cabaret room,” said the South Bend,
Ind.-based Lampkin about the established cabaret venue along Milwaukee Avenue. “I’m just
hoping to boost the genre of cabaret outside the
very small arena that it is now [in Chicago].”
For the next three months, Lampkin is taking
a chance on Stage 773 with an auspicious cabaret series in the 8 p.m. Saturday nighttime slot.
Lampkin is producing and presenting a wide variety of musical theater and jazz artists all with
ties to the Midwest. (Windy City Media Group,
which owns Windy City Times, is a media sponsor of the Lampkin Music Group cabaret series
at Stage 773.)
One reason Lampkin chose Midwestern artists
was because he wanted to highlight the amazing
cabaret and musical theater talents that can be
found the region. The other was purely economical, since he wanted to see how the Stage 773
cabaret venue worked out before taking a bigger
chance on potentially flying in artists from New
York or Los Angeles.
Chicago songbird Audrey Morris, 83, opens the
series with a concert celebrating The Best of the
American Songbook at 8 p.m. Oct. 1. Lampkin
specifically sought Morris since she has worked
with jazz legends like Oscar Peterson and vocalist Billie Holliday.
“She’ll be singing works by Duke Ellington,
Billy Strayhorn and Rodgers and Hart,” Lampkin
said. “One song she’ll be singing is ‘Strange Fruit’
[an anti-lynching song popularized by Holliday
in the late 1930s] because she feels its message
is still one we need to hear even in this day and
age. That will be the show’s centerpiece.”
Other impressive acts in the lineup include the
Hollis Resnik will be performing at Stage 773 on New Year’s Eve. Photo courtesy of Ralph
Lampkin Jr.
cabaret debut of dance hit diva Suzanne Palmer
(“Much Better,” “Alright”) on Dec. 10; a special
New Year’s Eve concert featuring Jeff Award winners Hollis Resnik (Follies, Candide) and Doug
Peck; and a couple of concerts directed by David
Zak of Pride Films and Plays. (The Oct. 29 concert features Jeff Award-winning actor Jeremy
Rill accompanied by Robert Ollis, while a Dec. 17
“Holiday Variety Show” also serves as a benefit
for Zak’s non-profit development organization
dedicated to creating new LGBT-theme scripts.)
“When you do cabaret on in an intimate space
that is only 70 seats, it’s just you and the audience. It has to be the truth,” Lampkin said
about his eagerness to work with Chicago-area
musical theater stalwarts in developing a cabaret act. “[Cabaret] gives them a chance to show
their other talents and other gifts—some are
musicians, some are songwriters, you know, allow them to go outside of the realm that they’re
used to.”
Ralph Lampkin Jr. and Lampkin Music
Group’s cabaret series at Stage 773 takes
place at 8 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 31 (no
show Dec. 24). Tickets to regular performances are $20, while the special New Year’s Eve
gala is $75 (including champagne and desserts).
Portions of ticket sales are to be donated
to the nonprofits Season of Concern; the Gay
and Lesbian Hall of Fame; and Pride Films
and Plays. Call 773-327-5252 or visit http://
www.stage773.com or http://www.lampkinmusic.com for a full lineup of performers and
more information.
DOUBLE REVIEW
THEATER REVIEW
Spunk
Clybourne Park
Playwright: George C. Woolf
adapted from Zora Neale Hurston
At: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis
Phone: 773-753-4472; $40-$60
Runs through: Oct. 9
Playwright: Bruce Norris
At: Steppenwolf Theatre,
1650 N. Halsted St.
Phone: 312-335-1650;$20-$75
Runs through: Nov. 6
BY MARY SHEN BARNIDGE
If you don’t know already that 1959 was
the year when the Younger family broke the
color bar on the all-white neighborhood of
Clybourne Park in Lorraine Hansberry’s breakthrough drama, A Raisin In The Sun, rent the
film on DVD or at least look it up on Wikipedia.
It’s not mandatory to viewing Bruce Norris’
play, but will save you considerable orientation time.
Our story begins on that same date with
Russ and Bev (whose surname we never learn,
although Bev identifies as Irish) packing for
moving day, having sold their house to the
Youngers. The parish priest pays a visit to the
curiously withdrawn Russ and is rebuffed by
his host, politely at first, but escalating in
hostility after the arrival of a neighborhood
association rep distressed at the news of the
imminent property transfer. Gradually we learn
the underlying source of Russ’ flight from his
home and the fuss over the trunk in the attic—actually, the army footlocker belonging
to their Korean-war veteran son, now deceased
under mysterious circumstances. We leave with
Russ preparing to bury it in the yard.
Act two opens 50 years later, with the new
owners of this same house encountering resistance from their future neighbors—some the
descendants of the seminal Younger clan—
seeking to enforce the zoning laws in opposition to the rehab-happy couple’s plan to raze
the vintage bungalow and replace it with a
pre-fab McMansion.
The gender politics have changed too—the
women now talk the turkey, while the men
barely get in a word. The polyglot of euphemism, code words and double-talk has
a depressing sameness, however, and when
yuppie-hub Steve attempts to circumvent the
CRITICS’ PICKS
Farragut North, Stage Left Theatre at
Theater Wit, through Oct. 9. Beau Willimon’s gripping drama about backroom political campaign wrangling is a must see,
especially before George Clooney’s forthcoming film adaptation (renamed The Ides
of March) hits the multiplexes later this
year. SCM
Shadow of a Gunman, Seanachaí Theatre
Company at the Irish-American Heritage
Center, through Oct. 23. Martin McDonagh
may portray Ireland as a land of horror and
hilarity, but Sean O’Casey coined the formula nearly a century earlier, writing amid
the civil strife and foreign occupation he
experienced first-hand. MSB
Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses, The Hypocrites at Chopin Theatre, through Oct. 23.
Sean Graney condenses Sophocles’ seven
surviving Greek tragedies in a very entertaining updating that takes place in an
antiseptic hospital setting. The Hypocrites
even feed you during the first intermission.
SCM
Yellowman,
Greentree
Productions,
through Oct. 9. Dael Orlandersmith’s tender, tragic tale of star-crossed lovers and
Black-on-Black racism soars on beautiful
language and the compelling acting of Israel Greene and Deanna K. Read, staged by
Jonathan Wilson. JA
—By Abarbanel, Barnidge
and Morgan
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
18
Violet
Composer: Jeanine Tesori;
book/lyrics: Brian Crawley
At: Bailiwick Chicago at Mercury
Theatre, 3745 N. Southport
Phone: 773-325-1700; $27.50-$32.50
Runs through: Oct. 16
BY SCOTT C. MORGAN
Clybourne Park. Photo by Sandro
obfuscation, he is roundly shushed by all present.
So what does happen to a dream deferred?
Lofty insights and incisive satire can be
quickly reduced to sitcom farce, but while Norris’ play has its share of polyphonic uproar,
physical humor and even a contest of ethnic
jokes, he refuses to indulge our craving for
complacency. The conceit of the same seven
actors populating both periods emphasizes
the theme of social progress being an illusion.
Only after the dust has, literally, settled are
we offered hope, as a taciturn landscaper and
a lonely ghost-in-uniform share the contents
of the chest turned up in the former’s excavations, and in doing so, celebrate the true
legacy of the site they occupy.
As the days grow colder, Court Theatre and Bailiwick Chicago are offering welcome blasts of
Southern heat with respective (and very respectable) productions of Spunk and Violet.
Spunk is George C. Wolfe’s 1990 adaptation
of three fictional stories by Harlem Renaissance
chronicler Zora Neale Hurston. Two are dramas based upon Hurston’s own anthropological
studies of Deep South African-Americans, while
sandwiched in between is a stylish Harlem comic
episode. Hurston felt that the page couldn’t truly
capture the audible rhythms of African-Americans, so it’s appropriate that Wolfe wanted to
bring the tales to life on stage.
The second you hear music director Kelvyn
Bell expertly strumming his guitar with Alexis J.
Rogers’ powerful vocalizing as the “Blues Speak
Woman,” you understand how fun it can be to
have Hurston’s characters speak and sing via
Charles “Chic” Street Man’s blues score. Director
Seret Scott helps to facilitate her fine cast to
flesh out Hurston’s vivid characters.
Kenn E. Head has a ball as one vicious adulterous husband and two overly stylish ne’er-dowells. Michael Pogue also gets plenty of laughs
throughout (although his outrageous wigs also
deserve credit).
Also giving great performances are Chris Boykin
and Patrese D. McClain (particularly when they
portray a young husband and wife facing an adulterous crisis).
Spunk is entertaining from start to finish, even
if you wish there was some way to tie the show’s
three separate parts into a more cohesive whole.
Violet was the 1997 off-Broadway show that
put composer Jeanine Tesori on the map before
her acclaimed Broadway work (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline, Or Change). Bailiwick Chicago offers a handsome staging of this early Tesori
work co-created with librettist Brian Crawley at
the Mercury Theatre, featuring a vocally and dramatically strong ensemble assembled by director
Elizabeth Magolius.
Harmony France plays the show’s motivated
title character, a woman from Spruce Pine, N.C.,
taking a western bus journey to see a televangelist in hopes that he will be able to cure a horrific
facial scar from an axe accident she suffered as a
young teenager. Along the way, Violet befriends
two soldiers: an African-American nicknamed
Flick (Evan Tyrone Martin) and a Caucasian guy
named Monty (Courtney Crouse).
Since it’s 1964 in the South, Violet’s friendship
with the soldiers does bring up some conflicts.
We also get an insight into Violet’s background
with vivid flashbacks involving her father (John
B. Leen) and her younger self (Glynis Gilio).
All the performances are top-notch, as is the
small orchestra under music director Andra Velis
Simon.
The only flaw with Violet is in its rushed and
not-entirely-earned happy ending. But the rest of
the show’s journey is so compelling that it makes
Violet extremely worthwhile to see.
Violet.
PR
photo
Benefit with
‘Mary Poppins’
cast at Mercury
Oct. 25
“Sweep Dreams: An Evening with the Cast
of Mary Poppins,” a one-night-only benefit
performance, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 25,
at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport
Ave.
Cast members will perform a cabaret performance of song and dance, with a special
appearance by Chicago’s The Second City.
All proceeds from the event will benefit
Chicago House and Broadway Cares/Equity
Fights AIDS.
The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for general admission, silent auction and raffles.
Curtain time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid
on one of a kind memorabilia from the national tour of Mary Poppins, such as a custom framed autographed show poster and a
backstage tour.
Tickets are $30 for general seating, and
$50 for VIP. VIP guests will enjoy a special
gift pack and post-show reception with the
cast. A cash bar and valet parking are available. See http://www.ChicagoHouse.org.
SPOTLIGHT
It’s a pity that liver cancer took playwright Keith Anwar before he got a chance to see a fully
staged production of Kabulitis, his 2010 Dionysos Cup-winning drama about an elderly U.S.
woman who is haunted by memories of her time living in Afghanistan. At the very least, Polarity
Ensemble Theatre, in association with Rasaka Theatre Company, have teamed for a posthumous
production of Kabulitis now through Oct. 30 at The Josephinum Academy, 1500 N. Bell St. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $19, $15 for seniors
and $10 for students. Call 800-838-3006 or visit http://www.petheatre.com. Photo of Caron
Buinis, Catherine Stegemann, Nasef Gasem and Gustavo Obregon in Kabulitis by Jackie Jasperson
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
THEATER REVIEW
In the Next Room
or the vibrator play
Playwright: Sarah Ruhl
At: Victory Gardens Theater. 2433 N. Lincoln
Tickets: 773-871-3000;
http://www.victorygardens.org; $20-$50
Runs through: Oct. 9
The Count of
Monte Cristo
BY JONATHAN ABARBANEL
This is the comedy Henrik Ibsen never wrote. Of
course, Sarah Ruhl’s play portrays the 1880s in
a knowing, 21st-century way far different from
Ibsen, who never could have been as forward
in discussing physical matters. Still, Ibsen instantly would have understood the priggish men
and constrained women who populate Ruhl’s
play; women like his own Hedda Gabler and
Nora Helmer who often are more intelligent and
always more intuitive then the men in whose
shadows they dwell.
In common with Hedda and Nora, Ruhl’s Catherine Givings and Sabrina Daldry sense the disconnect between life realities and the romantic
notions of happiness, love, marriage and passion
upon which they were raised. Ibsen, however,
only could imply the sexual component of passion, frequently bubbling beneath the surface
but unspoken, while Ruhl places it center stage.
The play revolves around the wide-spread ignorance of female sexuality during the Victorian
Era. One consequence was the medical use in the
1880s of new-fangled electric vibrators as a cure
for hysteria, a catch-all female ailment thought
to be linked to excessive fluid in the womb.
Applied to the exterior surfaces of a woman’s
genital region, the vibrators often brought relief from hysterical symptoms through orgasm,
although its sexual basis went unrecognized.
Ruhl has great fun with all this in her typically
clever, highly theatrical and always original way,
19
erine’s journey of self-discovery. Her foil is the
vibrator patient, Mrs. Daldry, played with humor
and feeling by Polly Noonan. As Dr. Givings,
Mark L. Montgomery is an imposing figure in a
more limited role, as the play belongs to the
ladies. Colorful and warm support is provided
by Lawrence Grimm (Mr. Daldry), Patricia Kane
(Dr. Givings’ assistant), Tamberla Perry (the wet
Playwright: adapted by Christopher
M. Walsh from the novel
by Alexandre Dumas
At: Lifeline Theatre,
6912 N. Glenwood Ave.
Phone: 773-761-4477;$32-$35
Runs through: Oct. 30
BY MARY SHEN BARNIDGE
In the Next Room... Photo by Liz Lauren
even introducing a male hysteric whose treatment will have every man in the audience—gay
or straight—clenching his cheeks. However,
Ruhl’s really in pursuit, as was Ibsen, of the
much more serious matter of whether or not her
central couple, Dr. and Mrs. Givings, can forge
a more equal, more honest and genuinely passionate relationship. Despite his name and acclaimed vibrator treatments, Dr. Givings knows
not how to give and doesn’t even understand an
open-mouth kiss. It’s Catherine who must seize
the physical initiative and sift through her various romantic notions, indirectly assisted by a
passionate young painter.
As directed by Sandy Shinner, Kate Fry is an
exciting Catherine Givings, balancing discontent
with slyness and wide-eyed surprise on Cath-
exTended by popular demand!
“★★★★ This infecTious new musical could geT
belly laughs from a corpse”
“delivers fun To die for…
You can almost hear the advertisement trailer:
“He was torn from his bride on his wedding
day, only to be jailed for a crime he didn’t commit! Now he’s back—and he wants justice!”
Who cares that Alexandre Dumas’ novel dates
back over a century and a half? The wronged
hero in search of vindication is a parable for
all times and places, evidenced by the many
popular stage, film, television and even anime
adaptations since its publication in 1844.
Although the story is premised on the return
of the ex-convict Edmond Dantes, now traveling under the title of the Count of Monte
Cristo, who arrives in Paris accompanied by
two comrades also seeking payback for injuries inflicted upon them, this is no bloodsoaked Jacobean thriller. Unlike those invoking divine “providence” to defend their selfish
goals, their nemesis’ exile has taught him the
morality inherent in that word, as well as the
nurse hired by the Givings) and Joel Gross as the
painter.
Jacqueline Firkens’s elegant costumes and
richly patterned fabrics look quite fine on Jack
Magaw’s period-perfect box set with its luxurious wallpapers and parquet floor, lit by Joseph
Appelt. Andre Pluess composed the charming
pseudo-19th-century parlor music.
responsibility of its agents to discharge their
duties wisely, punishing the wicked, while
sparing the innocent and repentant.
Far from diminishing the fascination of witnessing his scheme to inflict suffering on his
enemies—compared more than once to the
manipulations of chess-pieces on a board—
the free will proffered by wealth, education
and a legal alias serves to increase the tension
of anticipation. How far will our champion
go in his resolve? Will he be ruthless in his
vengeance like his sanguine companion, the
abandoned Benedetto? Or will he stop at disclosure of the facts surrounding past events,
like the deposed Ottoman princess Haidee?
The guilty, too—how will they respond upon
being exposed? Will they accept their fate or
remain remorseless to the end?
Christopher M. Walsh’s premiere adaptation
for Lifeline Theatre deftly packs a horde of information into a brief playing time to forge
a coherent narrative line keeping us firmly
grounded in the action despite subplots and
flashbacks, much as Joe Schermoly’s scenic design on the disproportionately vertical stage
zips us from Paris to Rome via Marseilles with
nary a trace of whiplash. The cast of stalwart
company regulars, led by Chris Hainsworth as
the Byronesque Dantes, likewise ensures that
we understand each characters’ motive for
every second of the two and a half hours required for the intrigue to progress to its still
uncertain, but nonetheless satisfying, conclusion.
ONE OF THE
IF YOU SEE ONE
“
“
GREATEST MUSICALS MUSICAL A SEASON,
EVER WRITTEN.
” THIS IS THE ONE.”
—New York Times
—Chicago Magazine
—Time Out Chicago
Two acTor-singers and ace musicians”
“noT To be missed
—Chicago Sun-Times
These Two pros
never miss a beaT”
—Northwest Indiana Times
“exuberanT”
TicKeT
$
25–30 s
STEPHEN SONDHEIM
directed by GARY GRIFFIN
—Chicagocritic.com
“ would no doubT
produced originally on
Broadway by Harold Prince
orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
by special arrangement with
Cameron Mackintosh
maKe mel brooKs
giggle
giddily ”
“a campy new
whoduniT”
5 WEEKS ONLY!
—New City
BEGINS OCTOBER 4
—Chicago Tribune
now playing
312.595.5600
www.chicagoshakes.com
Lead Individual Support provided by Lew and Susan Manilow
Production elements supported by the Anstiss and Ronald Krueck Stage Design Fund
Additional support provided by Merle Reskin
PRO D UCT I O N
SPO NSO RS
M AJ O R SEASO N
SUPPO RT ERS
photos by Ferenc Szelepcsenyi/Christo, 2011 used under license from Shutterstock.com
book by JAMES GOLDMAN
music and lyrics by
Sept. 28, 2011
we can survive and be stronger. I’ve had fans
tell me they were going to do themselves in and
this song came on the radio and they felt better; they actually got through some really tough
moments, so that to me is the best reason to do
what I do—that I can somehow get into people’s brains and hearts that I may never meet,
and get them through.
That’s what music was for me. I had a really
tough time growing up and other people’s music
got me through those moments, so it means a
lot to me that that was good for you, as well.
WCT: It’s a song that so many gay kids who
are bullied into suicide should’ve heard before they took their own life.
GE: I know. I did a video message for the It
Gets Better campaign and I talked about that—
that when I was 15 I felt so overwhelmed and
everything was so heavy on me that, believe me,
I thought about it. Kids think that problems are
going to last forever and they need to realize
20
MUSIC
Gloria Estefan reaches
out to the gays
In this exclusive chat, the Queen of
Latin Pop talks conservative upbringing, gay marriage and controversial
Target deal
By Chris Azzopardi
Gloria Estefan isn’t called the Queen of Latin Pop
for nothing. Over three decades—and counting—she’s earned it.
Since needing a “Dr. Beat” to control her feet
in the ’80s, then as part of Miami Sound Machine,
Estefan has amassed seven Grammy awards and
released 25 albums (selling more than 90 million copies of them worldwide), spawning hits
like “Conga,” “Reach” and “Rhythm is Gonna
Get You”—which it did, many times over. And it
will yet again with Miss Little Havana, her first
English-language release since 2003 that returns
to her Latin-dance roots with producer Pharrell
Williams’ urban flair.
The album, though, isn’t just getting buzz
for being her long-awaited comeback—but the
way it’s being released. Estefan partnered with
Target, known for its recent support of anti-gay
politics, for the release of Miss Little Havana.
(It’s also available through iTunes.) In this exclusive chat, the 54-year-old performer talked
about the deal; why she hopes you’ll give the
corporation another chance; and just how deep
her everlasting love for the gay community goes.
Windy City Times: Have you done an interview with gay press before?
Gloria Estefan: Oh yes, many times. [Laughs]
That’s my core audience. These are the people
that broke me in a lot of clubs. My gay following has always been cutting edge in music and
discovered my stuff before it ever became big on
radio. The very first remix we did of “Dr. Beat”
was done by a guy named Pablos Flores who became huge in the dance market after that, but
he used to spin at a gay club in Puerto Rico and
we found out he was a big fan. So they’ve always
been a big part of my career.
WCT: Ever got down and done the conga in a
gay club?
Not the “Conga,” because in that gay club we
were unknown at that time, but I did a lot of
dancing there in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, for
me, I haven’t been able to go to any clubs, period—gay or straight—because I’ve been working since I was 17 in a band, so usually I was the
one performing when everyone else was having
a good time. But I would love that—they’re the
most fun clubs, I’m sure.
WCT: Who does a better conga—gay or
straight men?
[Laughs] Are you kidding me? You’re actually
asking that question? I mean, who dances better, period?!
WCT: When you look back at your career—
the hair, the fashion, all of that—why do you
think you make such a great drag queen?
GE: I don’t know, but I got to tell you: I love
it! Every time I see them, I say, “They do me
much better than I do,” because I’m the reluctant diva. I didn’t like being the center of
attention, but I had different looks that they
were able to reenact—the one in the chaps and
the “Mi Tierra” dress—and “Everlasting Love”
celebrated all those different looks. I just feel
fortunate that somebody would want to do me.
[Laughs]
WCT: It’s been eight years since your last
English-language studio album, Unwrapped.
Why did you decide to step back from music
and showbiz, and what prompted your return?
GE: Well, stepping back was easy—I had [my
daughter] Emily and I know how quickly time
goes by. That’s why my last English album was
in 2003—then in 2007 we did 90 Millas—and
I purposefully only went out promoting in the
WINDY CITY TIMES
that life changes in a second. I can understand
where they get overwhelmed, but we have a
short enough time as it is on this earth without
having to end it early.
WCT: Considering how Target has supported
anti-gay candidates and indirectly anti-gay
causes, there’s been much controversy in the
gay community surrounding your partnership
with them for the release of Miss Little Havana. What do you have to say to gay fans
who might question your support for them?
GE: To my gay fans, I would say this: Always
go with your heart and do what you need to do,
because I think that every human being needs
to stand on principle. But I’ve got to tell you: I
would never work with someone who is anti-gay.
I know that they donated to a third party who
then donated to this candidate and—I did my
homework—since then they donated $150,000
to that candidate. They apologized profusely for
having done so, and they have established an
CULTURE CLUB
presents
Sept. 1–
Oct. 16, 2011
Gloria Estefan. Photo by Jesus Cordero
summer when she was available to go with me,
because she really loves school. My son wasn’t
too fond of it, so I dragged him all over the
world and he didn’t care. [Laughs]
I don’t like to just go into the studio to just
go into the studio. I really want to have a musical idea, some creative spark that makes me
excited about doing what I’m doing. Pharrell
called me—he had written a song for me called
“Miss Little Havana”—and he wanted to delve
into that Hispanic world and even go further
than he already has. It was really a very interesting idea. We clicked so well in the studio that
I think this album is a real example of how much
we clicked—creatively and on many levels.
After we had done the nine tracks with Pharrell, we took it to the club in the last four tracks
with different remixers and producers that are
on the cutting edge of the clubland side. I
wanted to give fans not just the nine concept-y
tracks that we did with Pharrell—although they
didn’t start that way, there was a storyline I discovered after we finished the songs—and really
take it to hardcore dance.
WCT: Zumba fanatics will love it.
[Laughs] While we were doing “Wepa,” Pharrell
said, “You have to take it to all those Zumba
clubs!” It’s so fast. It’s like a nuclear merengue
with the urban sensibility from Pharrell and the
drunk guy on trombone in the street festival,
so we kept thinking, “They’re going to sweat to
this one!”
WCT: You said your 2004 world tour would
be your last. Have you changed your mind?
Are you going to pull a Cher on us?
GE: I don’t have a tour planned. What I’ve
been doing is just going to places worldwide,
little by little. And I’ll always do something. I
never, ever said that I was retiring. I said I was
just going to stop doing those world tours and
that was going to be the last one, and it did end
up being that. You never say never, but I really
don’t foresee doing that kind of thing again. I
will do different, interesting and unique stuff,
but it’s like boot camp for me. It’s hard on me.
WCT: Your song “Always Tomorrow” was a
lifeline for so many people, especially your
gay fans—including myself. How does it feel
knowing that?
GE: I love that. That’s one of my favorite songs
I’ve ever written, so that makes me happy. You
know, that was the idea. When I wrote that tune
it was like a message of hope. I wanted to celebrate the hero in each of us and the fact that
A world premiere by
Sarah Gubbins
at Chicago Dramatists
1105 W. Chicago Ave.
312-633-0630
or chicagodramatists.org
A co-production with
TheKidThing_WindyCityPrintAd.indd 1
9/12/11 12:37 PM
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
A world premiere adaptation of the legendary classic by Alexandre Dumas
Thursday–Sunday through October 30, 2011
Call 773-761-4477 or visit www.lifelinetheatre.com
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
Gloria
Estefan.
Photo by
Jesus
Cordero
actual committee that oversees all political donations to make sure that this doesn’t happen
again. They’ve also donated a half-million dollars to LGBT organizations. They’re part of the
National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
They give domestic partner benefits. They have
300,000 employees that are from all walks of
life, and it’s very important for them to be supportive. They’ve extended family medical leave
benefits and adoption benefits to their gay
employees. They’ve really supported very much
their gay peeps.
Believe me, in my own life I’ve gone through
a lot of these things. When I had Obama at my
house, I got nailed by the Cuban community—
even though I’m not affiliated politically. Sometimes the information you want to get out there
doesn’t, because the first thing that blows up is
what people hear.
So I will always respect what [my gay fans]
want to do, but I have a long history with Target. I’ve put out my children’s book, we’ve done
programs for the troops—they really have been
very supportive, so I would say: Do some more
research, check
out what Target
has done to make up for its gaffe—and they
know it was a gaffe. It was lack of information,
not knowing everything about everybody that
your money goes to. I was actually very surprised when that whole Target thing happened,
but I know how these things happen. I’ve been
on other side of that. So give them another shot
and if not, I respect very much whatever they
may want to do or need to do to stand up for
whatever principles they’re upholding.
I just want them to know that I’m so supportive of the LGBT community. They’ve been a
big part of my success and they’ve always been
there for me. I would not want to do anything
that hurts them.
WCT: Your birthplace of Cuba has evolved
a lot in the way it treats gay people. In the
’70s, many LGBT people were imprisoned simply for being gay. What do you remember it
being like for gay people?
GE: Well, I was a baby. I came over here when
I was 18 months old, so I really have no real
memories of Cuba. But I always stay on top of
“From the PHENOMENALLY SUCCESSFUL
pop composer STEPHEN SCHWARTZ"
-Chicago Tribune
A MUSICAL SCRAPBOOK
music & lyrics by
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ
book by
DAVID STERN
Playing September 16 - October 23
847.673.6300 OR NORTHLIGHT.ORG
the news from Cuba and I know that Raúl Castro’s daughter is gay and she’s trying to do a lot
for that community, but Cuba in general—just
that macho mentality—was tough even though
it was one of the wildest places in the world.
They’ve come a long way, but they did horrendous things when the AIDS epidemic came out.
And since nobody has rights in Cuba, imagine
the gays in Cuba—just regular schmos have no
rights and can be jailed at a moment’s notice, so
they were very, very rough.
WCT: Do you think it’s harder for a Latino
artist—Ricky Martin, for instance—to be gay
and out?
GE: I think it’s harder for anyone, to be honest.
Even though fortunately we are definitely moving forward—you see all these states where it’s
becoming legal to marry your same-sex partner,
as it should be everywhere—and we’re heading
in the right direction. But you have to realize
that even the Equal Rights Amendment only
happened in 1972 (Editor’s note: It was never
ratified), so we’re still trying to grow rights for
everyone. I think it’s still tough because there’s
still judgmental people, there’s still racism,
there’s still homophobia. It’s a human condition.
So as we become more and more educated and
people become more open, it’s going to go in a
positive direction.
Hip-hop artists
discuss racism
and homophobia
BY ERICA DEMAREST
The Center on Halsted continued its yearlong
SpeakOUT series Sept. 22 with “Hip Hop on
the Down Low,” a free performance and panel
discussion featuring four openly queer hip-hop
artists.
After an energetic spoken-word performance
from emcee Sage Morgan-Hubbard, local performers Lou Bigelow, Charity Taitt, Emanuel
Vinson and Tim’m West took to the stage for
two hours of live music and thought-provoking
discussion.
“I think it’s important for queer communities to challenge some of the class implications and racism that come with hip-hop culture,” West said. “One of the reasons why gay
communities largely haven’t embraced hip-hop
is because there’s a lot of anxiety about young
black people—young black people fighting
[or] hurting somebody. These presumptions
get in the way of looking at a culture that has
a lot to offer.”
Subject matter from the night’s performances included everything from Port-au-Prince
and civil rights (from the quick-witted Taitt)
to pop culture and double standards (Vinson’s
multimedia tracks). Homophobia and acceptance were pervasive themes.
In a song he wrote shorty after coming
out, Bigelow rapped: “Human sexuality is
like a ghost/if it’s not straight, it’s invisible
to most.” Turning to the audience, he asked:
“Why does it matter who’s in my bed? It’s your
turn to think about what I just said.”
West focused on love, sensuality and fear
before presenting his “A Real Man” music video. Shot on the South Side of Chicago, the
5-minute clip follows a gay Black couple as
the men navigate a relationship where one is
out, and the other isn’t.
“It’s sometimes really small acts of courage,”
West said. “It’s very powerful for somebody to
see two brothers on the South Side holding
hands… Sometimes we think politics has to
be a protest, but [it] can be deciding you’re
not going to leave your lover behind when you
go back home for the holidays anymore.”
In the Q&A session that followed, audience
members asked performers for their take on
the “no homo” phenomenon. In this recent
pop culture trend, a heterosexual person im-
21
WCT: So you’re a gay-marriage supporter?
Of course I am. I think everyone should be able
to marry who they love, and it just should be.
WCT: Do you think you would’ve had that
mentality years ago, considering you grew up
in a very Catholic-conservative home?
GE: I did, and I don’t know if my mom—I
think nowadays she would, because my mom has
grown a lot, but my mom was also raised in a
very restrictive atmosphere in Cuba. She has a
lot of hardcore ideas. I’ve never talked to her
about this, but she’s very supportive of all her
gay friends, and sometimes I go into her house
and I tell her it’s like La Cage Aux Folles—all her
best friends are gay guys! (Laughs) They’re over
there always taking care of her and being really
sweet with her.
WCT: We’re very nurturing.
GE: Hey, listen, the best son a mom could have
is a gay son. They’re not going to leave you high
and dry, and they always watch their mothers
and take care of them very much.
WCT: Does that mean you’re going to have
more kids until you get a gay one?
GE: Me?! I can’t! Are you kidding me? I would
love a grandkid. Listen, the president of my corporation is gay and I see how he is with his
mom, and I have a lot of friends who are just
fantastic sons.
mediately says “no homo” after complimenting
someone of the same sex.
“It hurts straight people,” West said. “I
mean, I can’t say someone’s shirt looks nice
without saying ‘no homo’? … We as a community can take back that language and reappropriate it. When I hear someone say ‘no
homo,’ I say ‘pro homo’ or ’go homo.’ We don’t
have to be victims to what people do to our
language. We can fight back through language
and make people feel silly.”
Talk turned to current events in the hiphop industry. In a problematic interview laden
with misinformation about HIV, rapper Game
(who talks about himself in the third person)
urged queer rappers to come out of the closet.
“Game don’t have a problem with gay people,”
he said. “Game has a problem with people that
are pretending not to be gay.”
While Kanye West and others have also expressed acceptance, Tim’m West is cautious.
“They are capitalists and smart, and they know
with the growing queer presence, that if you’re
homophobic it could hurt you in terms of your
sales. I don’t think we should assume Kanye or
Game are gay allies. I think it creates an opportunity for that happening because at least
the conversation’s happening.”
Taitt agreed that open dialogue is the best
way to change minds. “If you talk first, they’re
more willing to talk back,” she said.
“Rosa [Parks] didn’t wait for them to say,
‘It’s okay for you to sit in the front,’” West said.
“At some point, you just have to take those
steps.”
Charity Taitt at the event. Photo by Erica
Demarest
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
22
KNIGHT
AT
Weekend.
THE
MOVIES
By
Richard
Knight, Jr.
Weekend;
!Women Art
Revolution
Gay writer-director Andrew Haigh’s Weekend—
opening Sept. 30 at the Music Box Theatre—is
a stunningly simple, nearly perfect example of
a romance movie whose burgeoning couple just
happens to be gay.
It’s being tagged “a gay Before Sunrise” and
in its emotional complexity and compelling performances, that fits. However, the reality of the
characters, their lives and Haigh’s presentation
of them is far away from the gorgeous cinematography and gorgeous lighting which wrapped
the love affair of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy,
those two gorgeous specimens in a golden halo.
Russell (Tom Cullen) and hook-up Glen (Chris
New) are anything but tragic beauties in a world
that certainly isn’t filled with dappled sunsets
and rosy dawns. They’re just two regular Joes
whose lives unexpectedly intersect.
After attending a party given by friends, Russell stops at a gay club on the way home and
ends up bringing Glen back to his flat. (The
movie takes place in a large city in Britain but
the locale isn’t noted.) Cut to the next morning.
After indiscriminate sex comes potential embarrassment: getting to know one another. Glen
pulls out a tape recorder and challenges Russell
to talk about what happened the night before,
saying it’s part of an art project. (“Oh great,” I
thought, “A talker.”) Gamely, Russell jumps in
and as he describes the physical intimacies that
he liked and didn’t like; Glen joins in and soon
the potentially icky discomfort of the morning
after is dissolved.
Next comes the exchange of numbers and the
possibility of getting together again. In this
case, things have gone well enough that both
guys want that to happen—Russell especially.
However, as the weekend progresses the emotional balance shifts back and forth between the
two young men. Glen, the more defiantly out
of the duo, is artistic and cocky, excited about
an upcoming trip to the United States and definitely not looking for a boyfriend. Russell, who
we gather isn’t completely out to all his friends
(and possibly family), is cautious and quieter
(working as a lifeguard at an indoor community
pool) and aching for that special someone.
Haigh enlarges the surface impressions of the
two as the guys spend the next few days and
nights together bar-hopping, having more sex,
drinking and taking drugs. All of it is interspersed with talk: talk about other encounters,
intimate revelations, cultural and political insights, wants, desires—you name it. It slowly
becomes clear to both that they’ve gone way beyond the standard bar pick-up. This knowledge
is frightening, exhilarating and confounding to
Russell and Glen. “Now what?” they both seem
to ask at the same time.
Haigh involves his audience in the outcome by
going the gritty reality route (Cassavetes would
have loved this movie). He has hired actors who
are handsome but not physically perfect, and
his improvised sounding dialogue helps Cullen
and New totally embody their gay guy next door
characters (the actors also lived together during
the shoot which obviously helped). He also shot
in sequence using hand-held cameras, available
light, no soundtrack score (we hear only the music that the characters hear) and choppy cutting to convincingly achieve this intimacy. It’s
the antithesis of Tom Ford’s sleek and startling
beautiful A Single Man but Haigh’s movie is just
as perfectly controlled and it, too, is a triumphant movie—a gay triumph.
The director has been saying in interviews
that his very personal movie is for everyone.
That’s fine and dandy. However, first and foremost Weekend is a gay movie—just as Circumstance, I Love You Phillip Morris, A Single Man,
The Kids Are All Right and Brokeback Mountain
are gay movies. If mainstream audiences want
to support Weekend and laud it critically and
commercially, that’s great. And if our beloved
straight brethren want to go a little bit further
and not only embrace the film’s universal aspects but its unembarrassed queer physicality,
too—that’s even better. That certainly wouldn’t
be a bad payback for the support we’ve given
straight romance movies for more than 100 years
and for once, we don’t have to do any mental
gender switching. This time, they do.
Ostensibly, Lynn Hershman Leeson’s !Women
Art Revolution—a personal documentary centered on the feminist women’s art movement in
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[email protected]
the early ‘70s (opening Sept. 30 at the Gene Siskel Film Center)—is for mainstream audiences,
too. Hershman Leeson succeeds in her goal to
expose and pique the interest of the viewer to
the radical feminist artists who used activist
tactics to get their work shown, demanding parity with their male counterparts.
The director’s cache of 42 years of archival
interviews and footage of the artists and their
works guarantees the exposure part and the result is, indeed like seeing a secret history revealed (the subtitle of the film) while much of
the artwork displayed and the passion for it by
the women is eye-opening.
However, by the time queer film historian B.
Ruby Rich starts talking about how the lesbian
artists didn’t want to identify as artists because
that label was considered bourgeois by their
female counterparts, the movie has taken on
an exclusionary air of its own—just like those
“womyn only” coffeehouses that existed “back
in the day.” Also, though the film closely examines the controversy that surrounded sculptor Judy Chicago’s triumphant piece “The Dinner
Party,” it doesn’t bother to examine in detail the
sensational piece itself, omitting the names of
the 39 prominent women the artwork glorifies—
including Georgia O’Keeffe’s.
So, while the film undercuts some of its own
arguments by veering too strongly into the very
separatist direction it decries—and annoyingly
overlooks the artists feminist forebears (like
O’Keeffe, Nevelson and Kahlo, for example)—
!Women Art Revolution does offer plenty of food
for thought for everyone.
Check out my archived reviews at http://
www.windycitymediagroup.com or http://
www.knightatthemovies.com. Readers can
leave feedback at the latter website.
!Women Art Revolution
WCT launches theater series
Windy City Times launched its 2011-12 theater series Sept. 15 with the world premiere
of The Kid Thing, by Chicago Dramatists with About Face Theatre.
Other productions in the series include the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s Follies; Steppenwolf Theatre’s Penelope; Timeline Theatre’s Enron; Lily Tomlin at the North Shore Center
for the Performing Arts; and Angels in America at the Court Theatre. Photos from the Sept.
15 event by Hal Baim; more online at http://www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
NUNN ON ONE: MUSIC
me. I have a gay son and a gay daughter so we
are a rainbow household over here. My oldest is
transgender female to male so we are quite the
family.
WCT: How old are they?
TD: Harper is 20 and studying at a university
was biologically a female, and now is living
much more happily as a guy living with another
guy. Natalia is 18 and is about to go to Cambridge and is gay; then, Graham is 15 and he is
straight—he’s a drummer and a great kid. I have
a lovely family.
Check out http://www.thomasdolby.com.
For tickets to his solo performance and lecture Friday, Oct. 7, at 6:15 p.m., visit http://
www.martyrslive.com.
Thomas Dolby on
his new album and
‘rainbow household’
BY JERRY NUNN
Musician Thomas Dolby blinded us with science
in the ‘80s along with getting “Hyperactive!” He
followed up with session playing and soundtrack
making for years afterwards. Dolby returned to
solo live performances in 2006 and now has a
new studio album entitled A Map of the Floating City. We talked overseas before he arrived
in Chicago.
Windy City Times: Hello, Thomas. Where are
you currently?
Thomas Dolby: I’m in England looking out
across the North Sea.
WCT: Nice. So that is where you are living
now?
TD: Yes, but we are tipping into the ocean.
WCT: No, don’t say that!
TD: Well, it may take a millennium but it is
going to happen in the end. I have a lifeboat
ready.
WCT: Oh, that’s good. What inspired making
an album after 20 years?
TD: I felt like I still have some good music
in me. When I left the music business in the
early ‘90s it was only supposed to be a two-year
sabbatical but the company I started became
quite successful so I stuck with it. I finally had
enough and wanted to get back to music, which
is my first love.
WCT: I saw you are working with some great
people on this album, too.
TD: Yes, I have been fortunate with guests
Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits plays guitar on
one of the songs. Regina Spektor and Imogen
Heap sing on different tracks. I work mostly on
my own in my studio so it is really nice to get
out collaborate with some awesome people.
WCT: So the album is in three parts?
TD: Yes, they from ideas I have collected in
the last 20 years. There are also some brand-new
songs that I sat and wrote straight out, pretty
much. They just seemed to form into three categories.
I am very affected by the environment where I
am. I lived in the USA for 22 years. During that
time I learned a couple of things. I have a great
deal of respect for American rooted music. I also
learned that I am not a city person. [Laughs]
I like being in a cool city for a couple of days
then I just long for the tranquility of my country
retreat. I am a bit of a hermit. As a consequence
Urbanioa is a dark cityscape type of feeling.
“Amerikana” is a nod toward roots American music but with a twist. “Oceanea” is really about
my homecoming to the country where I grew up.
WCT: It sounded like a very personal song.
TD: Yes, it is a very personal song. As I have
gotten older I put more emphasis on songs versus sounds and production. In the early days of
my career there were only a few of us sort of
pioneering the use of electronic music and pop.
It was quite easy to get your work to stand out.
These days the great thing is that most people
have on their laptop more power than I had in
my studio back then. People get obsessive about
it like playing video games so there are some
amazing sounds coming out but a lot of them
can’t write songs. That is what I am focused on.
WCT: The album ties in with a video game
too, right?
TD: Yeah, there has been a certain audience
that has stuck with me over the decades and
still listening to my stuff. They come to hear
the new stuff but I wanted to expand it for a
younger audience as well. It occurred to me that
people aren’t really buying records these days
but they spend a lot of time in social networks
and playing video games. I thought I would try a
new method. I got to express myself artistically
through the creation of the game.
23
Thomas Dolby. PR photo
WCT: I was realized you wrote the Howard
the Duck soundtrack that I jammed to all the
time.
TD: Oh, yeah. That is a great soundtrack.
WCT: So you have had some longtime fans…
TD: It is nice to be able to get back in touch
with them. This is a great era we are experiencing here. It is the first time that artists and
fans have this sort of tight loop. In the old days
you read royalty statements, radio playlists, and
chart positions. You never really got face to face
with your fans plus every time you sat down to
write a song you had to get it past the A&R guy,
the marketing department and the radio person.
If any of them vetoed it then the public never
got to judge for themselves. These days I can
finish a song tonight, hit a button and millions
of people can hear it instantaneously. I think it
is a very healthy time for musicians and music
fans.
WCT: Are you on Twitter?
TD: I am, but I don’t tell people what I crumble on my salad. I do Twitter and Facebook. It is
amazing to watch.
WCT: You are coming back to Martyrs in Chicago, where you did a live CD of in 2006.
TD: I did a CD and DVD five years ago with a
solo show. I am coming back with a hybrid, a
cross between a talk and a performance. I am
going to play some songs from the new album
and explain my transmedia game and tell some
stories from it. If you missed the game you can
get the digest version of it as I tell you the story.
WCT: We have great festivals in Chicago in
the summer. You have lots of ‘80s gay fans
who could come out to see you.
TD: That is good to hear. Say hi to them from
‘Playboy Club’ actor
comes out
Sean Maher, 36—an actor who plays a
closeted gay man on the NBC series The
Playboy Club—has come out of the closet
in real life, according to Entertainment
Weekly.
“I was nervous coming here today because I’ve just never talked about it,” said
Maher, who lives in Los Angeles with Paul,
his partner of nearly nine years, and their
two children, Sophia Rose, 4, and Liam
Xavier, 14 months. “I’ve never discussed it
publicly,” he added. “I’ve never been asked
about it publicly, but I would be lying if I
said I didn’t paint a different picture.”
Maher, who graduated from NYU with
a drama degree in 1997, has starred or
guest-starred on many TV series, including
Party of Five, Firefly and CSI: Miami, according to IMDB.com.
Sean Maher. PR photo
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
DISH
the
24
WEEKLY DINING GUIDE IN
SAVOR
LUXBAR; Quay;
Cape Cod
BY ANDREW DAVIS
This installment of Savor involves three establishments that underscore the diversity of restaurants
in Chicago: LUXBAR, Quay Restaurant & Bar and
Cape Cod at the Drake.
LUXBAR, 18 E. Bellevue Pl., is the most casual
of these three, but that certainly does not mean
a decrease in quality (at least in this case).
This six-year-old restaurant—which is under
the same management that runs Gibsons Bar
& Steakhouse, Quartino’s, RL and Hugo’s Frog
Bar—features small plates as well as entrees
that are very filling, to say the least. The decor
is sleek, filled with leather, and makes for a very
retro feel.
General Manager Tod Barber told me that the
biggest change he’s seen over the years is that
it’s become much more than a lunch-and-dinner
place. “We have private parties on the second
floor,” he said. “For example, [we’ll] have a wedding party and then we can put down a floor for
a dance party.”
“We also do a lot of outside/alfresco dining.
Now on the weekends we open on Saturdays and
Sundays, which is probably our busiest period.”
There is also a Lux Lounge, which can vary in
location within the building, depending on what
else is happening.
As for the food, the menu is constantly changing LUXBAR has added five new burgers; now the
place has veggie, bratwurst and tilapia sliders,
among other sandwiches. Barber said that the
restaurant actually cures its bacon in-house,
marinating it in bourbon.
I can personally attest to how good the revered buttermilk fried chicken. As for dessert,
the Snickers pie could die trying to eat the entire thing—but it would be a delicious way to
go. See http://www.luxbar.com.
Quay Restaurant & Bar, 465 E. Illinois St., is
in what seems to be a prime location: the River
East area adjacent to Navy Pier and Streeterville.
However, the night I attended with a guest, the
elegant restaurant was hardly bustling (although
DISH
the
American
Beef ‘n Brandy
127 S. State St., Chicago
312-372-3451
beefbrandy.net
A Chicago tradition since 1967.
Serving pizza, burgers, meat loaf,
homemade Foccacia bread and
more.
Roscoe’s Sidewalk Cafe
3356 N. Halsted St., Chicago
773-281-3355
roscoes.com
Visit our popular outdoor cafe.
Salads, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, drink specials, and Sunday
Brunch.
Lobster Thermidor from Cape Cod. Press photo
it does mean that one has no trouble holding a
conversation). This is a shame, as Quay serves
some great food.
We started off with the surf & turf sliders trio
(Wisconsin cheddar burger, braised short rib and
lobster salad); I thought they all worked quite
well. The pan-roasted Amish chicken is a staple
in many eateries—but this one tasted better
than most I’ve tried. In addition, the dessert (a
unique take on the key-lime pie with custard,
oatmeal streusel, pistachio macaroons and a
white chocolate cremeux) was out-and-out delicious.
Something that might be working against
Quay is the fact that it tries to be everything to
everybody. There’s the aforementioned restaurant—but there’s also a sports bar in front and a
very South Beach lounge in the rear. Chicago is a
melting pot—but sometimes it hurts a business
if it tries to be. Since it’s only a few months old,
it still has time to find its identity. See http://
www.quaychicago.com.
The last of the three is Cape Cod, one of five restaurants at the stately Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton Pl. Looking at its exterior (lighthouse, etc.),
there’s no mistaking what type of food is served
here. Walking inside the restaurant, which has
been around since 1933, the deep woods and
various details provide a sense of history, unquestionably elevating Cape Cod above what
almost any other seafood restaurant.
I asked Chef Joseph Marchionna (who was a
demi chef de partie at Tru) how he brings a modern twist into a place so steeped in tradition. He
said, “It’s a very difficult thing to do. We can’t
be completely avant-garde and reinvent the restaurant every two months. We have to be somewhat conservative but, at the same time, push
the limits. ... We try to keep it classic, simple
and well-executed.”
Marchionna also commented on the restaurant’s partnership with the Shedd Aquarium to
support sustainable seafood, which as resulted
in Cape Cod offering dishes such as Idaho river
trout and soft-shell crabs. “We want to promote
sustainability because I think it’s important,” he
said. “Our resources are being depleted, but a
lot of people are not aware of that.”
As for the food—well, it’s worth every dime
one might spend. The clams casino (clams with
compound butter and crispy bacon) was sublime, as was the Dover sole Meuniere, which I
had never sampled. Coming from the East Coast,
I’m pretty much a crab-cake snob, but I was
pretty much sold on the Drake crab cakes, which
were soft and flavorful.
Lastly, there was the Land and Water (a take
on the surf and turf), which features a six-ounce
filet mignon, lobster tail and lobster mashed
potatoes. Although the lobster and filet were
cooked very well, I could have personally eaten
the potatoes by themselves as the entire meal.
To heighten the experience even more, be
sure to walk throughout the restaurant to take
in the atmosphere. Also, be sure to check out
the main bar, which is adorned with thousands
of initials—including those of Marilyn Monroe
and onetime husband Joe DiMaggio. See http://
www.thedrakehotel.com/dine/cape-cod/.
Quay. Photo by Andrew Davis
LUXBAR. Photo by Jerry Nunn
DINING LISTINGS
Hamburger Mary’s
5400 N. Clark St., Chicago
773-784-6969
hamburgermarys.com/chicago
Burgers, salads and sass served up
in a kitschy atmosphere with an
on-site brew pub.
Bakery
Swedish Bakery
5348 N. Clark St., Chicago
773-561-8919
swedishbakery.com
European-style cookies, pastries,
breads, and tortes. We’ll create a
cake for any celebration.
Fondue
Geja’s Cafe
340 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago
773-281-9101
gejascafe.com
Romantic fondue dining. Live
classical and flamenco guitar.
Extensive, moderately priced wine
list.
ITALIAN
Taverna 750
750 W. Cornelia Ave., Chicago
773-348-5172
Bright and fresh Italian small
plates with an exciting cocktail
menu. Surprisingly affordable.
Mediterranean
Socca
3301 N. Clark St., Chicago
773-248-1155
soccachicago.com
Featured on Food Network. Italian/French cuisine. Dinner daily
and weekend brunch. Outdoor
patio.
Mexican
Mundial Cocina Mestiza
1640 W. 18th St., Chicago
312-491-9908
mundialcocinamestiza.com
Creative Mexican cuisine in the
Pilsen neighborhood. Handshaken
margaritas and affordable wines.
To get your business listed in The Dish, contact [email protected]
Middle Eastern
Habibi Restaurant
1227 W. Devon Ave., Chicago
773-465-9318
habibirestaurantandhookah.com
Authentic Middle Eastern dishes.
Lunch and dinner until 4 a.m.
Hookah bar. Delivery and catering
available.
SEAFOOD
Kingfisher
5721 N. Clark St., Chicago
773-506-7014
www.kingfisheronclark.com
Fresh seafood in the heart of
Andersonville. Award-winning
Chef Peter McCarthy. Reservations
recommended.
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
E IVE
V
I
R
DE DR
IV
the
DR
After 50 years of steering clear of our notorious
SUV-loving country, Fiat releases its brand new
2012 500 in the United States. Fiat’s union with
Chrysler has allowed it to once again say “ciao”
to the American consumer. But, as the American
market becomes more open to small cars, competition is cramped and carmakers, both foreign
and domestic, are rushing to fill demands for efficiency, reliability, mobility, and of course, affordability.
Of the world’s great small cars, nobody has a
better lot than those produced in Europe circa
the 1960s. This is why Fiat looked for inspiration from the original 500. The classic design is
reworked to meet U.S. safety standards and our
collective demand for “a bit more elbow room.”
Robert Giolito, head of Fiat Style, describes the
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bad for a car that can almost fit head long into
a parallel parking spot. To add to the ‘fun’ or
‘sporty’ feel, owners can customized the color of
the seats, dash, and door panel.
Fiat stands to differentiate itself from the
competition with a load of standard amenities including power locks, windows & mirrors,
steering-wheel mounted cruise control buttons,
a six-disc CD changer, auxiliary input jack, and
tasteful chrome detailing. A rockin’ Bose stereo
comes standard in the Sport and Lounge models,
with the later model featuring a fixed glass roof
extending to the back seats creating a fresh,
roomy and bright feel. For the maximum openair experience, you can add a sunroof.
Petite and zippy, the 500 is capable of easily navigating through a crowded city with limited parking. And, although in Europe the 500
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fear of fast, curvy country roads. The true test,
however, is getting on the freeway and heading
out to where a car really loves to be driven. My
first time merging on the freeway, I was afraid
the 101-horsepower engine might not have the
right stuff. But downshift to second gear at 45
mph and there it is: maximum horsepower at
6,500 rpm. Keeping the tachometer needle in
the 4,000-6,500 rpm range is required for quick
sprints and daring passing maneuvers. Although
performance & handling does not quite measure
up to the revered Mini, the 500 delivers a ride
that is substantially smoother and quieter. Fiat
has somehow managed to remove the “go-cart”
like feel of a micro car, while keeping the driving
dynamics responsive and stable.
So, by now you’re thinking, “sounds great, but
I can’t afford European chic on a Target budget.”
Well, don’t fret because the Pop model starts at
just $15,500 and even the fully loaded Lounge
won’t go much over the $22,000 mark. You’ll
save at the pump too because the 500 is EPA
rated at a whopping 30 mpg city and 38 mpg
hwy (27/34 mpg for Automatics).
Lastly, and most importantly, Fiat spent a lot
of time building this car around safety. With
seven front airbags, this is the only car in its
class to receive a five star crash rating in Europe. With even more structural enhancement
necessary to meet strict U.S. safety standards,
Fiat hopes to achieve the same rating here.
See http://www.Gaywheels.com.
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500 as “the automotive equivalent of an iPod,
sleek, simple, functional, user-friendly & inspired.” Although Fiat could afford to put an
iPad in the glove box like the ambitious Hyundai Equus, I agree that intuition, simplicity and
functionality remain the 500’s best attributes.
Alternately, it is my candid opinion that
Fiat reworked the 500’s exterior design a bit
too much. I see more resemblance to a 2005
Volkswagen New Beetle than to the original
Fiat 500. The wide-set oval shaped headlights
and its rainbow like colors and shape make me
think of a peanut M&M driving down the freeway. Thankfully, the Sport model comes standard
with a much-needed spoiler that helps break up
the peanut shape. The 500 can even be customized to your favorite M&M hue. Fiat is offering
14 different vibrant exterior colors accompanied
with a color coated plastic panel on the dash
to match or contrast the exterior color. If I was
grading on a “fun” scale, the 500 easily passes;
unfortunately, on a grammar scale, “stunning”
didn’t make my list of adjectives.
I don’t want to be accused of judging a book
by its cover, so I’ll delve inside the 500. The interior rejuvenates Giolito’s idea for sleek and inspired, with comfortable front seats and plenty
of head room above. The back offers two jump
seats that can comfortably fit children or fold
down to accommodate your luggage and even a
mountain bike, but not two adults. Storage behind the front seats totals 30.1 cubic feet—not
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By Lauren Marie, Gaywheels.com
25
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WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
26
REAL ESTATE
CLASSIFIEDS
ADVERTISE HERE
ADVERTISE HERE: Want to advertise your product,
service, etc. to thousands of readers? Place an ad in the
Windy City Times! We offer affordable rates, convenient
service, and as a bonus, your ad runs in our online
section for free. To place an ad, contact Terri at 773871-7610 ex 101, [email protected],
or go to our website www.WindyCityMediaGroup.
com.
ASTROLOGY
UNDERSTAND YOURSELF, YOUR MOTIVATIONS, YOUR
FEELINGS. Recognize your talents, strengths, successes. Overcome difficulties and confusion. Astrology can
help pull it all together. Relationships. Career. Plan the
future. Serious astrology for serious seekers. Private,
personal consultations. www.astrologicaldetails.com
Lin Ewing 847.609.0034 (1/7/12-52)
CLEANING SERVICES
CHESTNUT CLEANING SERVICES: We’re a house cleaning
service for homes, small businesses and small buildings.
We also have fabulous organizational skills (a separate
function at a separate cost that utilizes your assistance) for what hasn’t been cleaned in many months
or years due to long-term illness, depression, physical/
mental challenges, for the elderly, if you have downsized and more. Depressed about going home to chaos?
We can organize your chaos, straighten out your chaos,
help you make sense of your chaos and finally clean
what is no longer chaos. Can we help you? Bonded and
insured. Chestnut Cleaning Service: 312-332-5575.
www.ChestnutCleaning.com (4/27/11-52)
COUNSELING
Counseling and Clinical Hypnotherapy: Providing help
to individuals and couples in our community since 1987.
I specialize in relationship issues, spiritual issues,
childhood trauma, and recurrent patterns that inhibit
potential. Starla R. Sholl, LCSW, PC, 773.878.5809,
www.starlasholl.com (3/7/12-26)
FACELIFT MASSAGE
BELLANINA FACELIFT MASSAGE. Creating Beauty with
Healing Hands. Marilyn Fumagalli, CMT, Bellanina Specialist. Located in Andersonville’s historic Calo Theater
Building. Mention this listing for $5 off your first
appointment. (773) 965-0972 (9/21/11-26-KS)
HEADACHE RELIEF
HEADACHE CENTER. Since 1986, Lawrence Robbins,M.D.
has been one of the leading headache specialists in
the U.S.. Dr. Robbins and Brooke Bassett, NP-C, use a
variety of medication and cutting-edge, non-medication approaches. Convenient to 94 (in Northbrook),
847 480-9399, or visit www.headachedrugs.com
(12/14/11-13)
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED KITCHEN & BATH DESIGNER WANTED.
Join our easy-going, professional team. Nothing
comparable in Chicago. We offer full luxury design
services at outlet prices in our beautiful showroom.
Seeking an outgoing, friendly, intelligent, eye-on-theprize cabinet & tile closer. We treat all of our employees
like family. If you’re not happy in your current
position, email your cover letter & resumé to alan@
designerstoneoutlet.com
WE
PETS
LUXE HOME MERCHANDISE MART SHOWROOM: High
End stone and wood sales. Mart/Design experience
preferred. Use your winning smile and imagination to
close the deal! Immediate opening with great earnings
potential and benefits in the future. Email cover letter
and resumé to [email protected]
CUSTOM FRAMER WANTED for busy northside store. Call
Jay at 773-784-3962.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
BATHROOM REMODELING, HOME REPAIRS, PAINTING
& MORE. Licensed-Bonded-Insured. One year warranty.
Price by the job - not the hour. FREE estimates! Check
us out on Angie’s List. Andy OnCall, 773-244-9961.
www.getandy.com (8/1/12-52)
FLOOR & WINDOW COVERINGS FOR ALL BUDGETS.
Carpet, Tile, Hardwood, Bamboo, Laminate, Vinyl, and
Window Coverings.Specializing in Helping with Material
Selections for your Budget. Professionally Installed. Nationwide Floor & Window Coverings, We Bring the Showroom to You! Call or email for a free consultation and
estimate. 773-935-8700, email cjones@nfwchicago.
com www.nfwchicago.com (11/2/11–13)
DRAPERY CONNECTION: Your exceptional source for
Blinds, Solar Screen Shades, Shutters and Custom
Draperies. We offer Hunter Douglas and all major
brands at sale pricing since 1939. For a FREE inhome estimate call Greg at 800-245-7790 Ext.10.
DraperyConnection.com. (10/5/11-13)
LEGAL SERVICES
NEED LEGAL HELP? Pride Law, Andersonville’s legal aid
clinic for the LGBT community can help. Clinic hours
every Wednesday, 5-8:00 p.m. by appointment only. Call
1-866-703-5509 or send us an email at pridelsaw@
tsamislaw.com.
MASSAGE
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with over a decade of excellence serving our community. We pride ourselves in offering top-quality,
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of the trade. Rates for guaranteed professional staff:
2-man crew $65/hr.; 3-man crew $85/hr.; 4-man crew
$105/hr. (plus low, one-time travel charge.)
Call 773-777-1110 or www.chicagocrescentmovers.
com. (9/21/11-26)
TRAVEL
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FOR SALE - HOMES
WWW.GAYREALESTATE.COM Free Instant Access to
Chicago’s Top Gay REALTORS® on-line at www.GayRealEstate.com or Toll Free 1.888.420.MOVE (6683)
(4/25/12–52)
FOR SALE - CONDOS
EAST LAKE VIEW RETREAT. Top floor unit on quite tree
lined street w/hard wood flrs, SS appliances, granite
counters, in-unit laundry, and great closet space. Convenient to lakefront, public transportation, great bars
and restaurants. Tom Rice, Keller Williams Lincoln
Square. 773-230-3246 Mobile. (9/28/11–1)
STOREFRONT FOR RENT
IN HISTORIC RIVERSIDE. Commercial/Retail Space
2200sq ft, 1/4 block front train station. CAC, fully
carpeted 8 cubic plus separate reception area with
employee break room. Display window and lighted sign.
Move in condition. Call for showing and info. 708442-5660 - Reliable Management (10/26/11–8)
FOR RENT - HOUSES
CHICAGO - VERY NICE. 5612 S. Narragansett. Across
from park. One of kind house for rent. Brand new 2nd
story brick addition. 7 brm, 4 baths, CAC, balcony on
1st & 2nd floor, Full basement, 2 car garage. $1995
+ utilities. Call for appointment 708-442-5660
(10/26/11–8)
FOR RENT - TWO BEDROOM
SUMMIT - 58TH & HARLEM, 1 BEDROOMS. Near
transportation. Appliances, heat & water included.
Laundry & parking Available. Call for appointment.
708-442-5660 (10/26/11–8)
RIVERSIDE -STUDIOS & 1 BEDROOMS. Immediate
occupancy. Appliances, Heat & hot water included.
Excellent locations near transportation. Call for
appointment. 708-442-5660 (10/26/11–8)
NORTH RIVERSIDE - STUDIOS/1 & 2 BEDROOMS.
Corner of 31st / Desplaines. Hardwood floors. Laundry
Available. Appliances, heat & hot water included. Call
for appointment. 708-691-2876 (10/26/11–8)
NORTH RIVERSIDE –BALCONY OVERLOOKING GOLF
COURSE. Deluxe 3BR, 2BA, CAC, carpeted, washer/dryer,
appliances, dishwasher, diposal. Parking available.
Starting at $1295 per month+ utilities. Subject to
credit approval. Call 708-927-0263 (10/26/11–8)
WESTCHESTER - 2 BEDROOMS, 1-1/2 baths. Oak
hardwood floors. Excellent location. Appliances
Included. Washer & Dryer hook up. Storage available.
CAC. Plenty of parking. $1,100 plus utilities. Call 708442-5660 (10/26/11–8)
COUNTRYSIDE - 1 & 2 BR’s. Park like atmosphere.
Carpeted. Off street parking & laundry available.
Appliances included. Near shopping centers & school.
Call for appointment 708-691-2876 (10/26/11–8)
BERWYN- VERY NICE. 6926 W. 30th St. near park, 4br,
2 baths, CAC, Hrdwd floors throughout 1st floor. Brand
new 2nd floor addition. Full basement, driveway &
garage available. Too much to list $1595 plus utilities.
Call for appointment 708-442-5660 (10/26/11–8)
FREE HEAT! DELUXE 5 RM 2 BDRM, hardwood floors,
beautiful oak woodwork, eat-in kitchen, nice yard,
laundry & garage space. Steps from tennis courts,
transportation & shopping. $1,200. Avail 10/1. Call
Bev @773-704-4704 (9/28/11-2)
EDGEWATER COMMUTER ADVANTAGE. You’d be happy
to come home to. Walk to beach, bus, red line or go
shopping. Joyously sunny with big kitchen pantry
and dinning room. $1200 with heat. Plus new sink,
intercom, patio, laundry and super closets. Call 773
706 6065. (10/12/11-3)
Chad
Duda
FOR RENT - THREE BEDROOMS
ANDERSONVILLE LARGE 3 BEDROOM. 3rd Floor Foster
& Ashland. Decorated. Separate Dining Room. Wood
finished floors. $1200.00 per month. Heat included.
Available October 1. 773-561-6568. (10/12/11-8)
FOR RENT - SUBURBS
BERWYN - STUDIOS/1BR, Immediate Occupancy. Heat &
Water Included. Excellent locations near transportation.
Appliances included. Call for appointment. 708-4425660 (10/26/11–8)
Residential Real estate
773.398.4097
[email protected]
An independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.
BREAKING
NEWS
WWW.WINDYCITYMEDIAGROUP.COM
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WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
NUNN ON ONE: FASHION
Lloyd Boston does it with ‘Style’
BY JERRY NUNN
10 homes sold in 10 weeks!
:)
OMG
Style guru Lloyd Boston has been giving advice
for years on television shows such as NBC Today,
Oprah Winfrey, Nate Burkess and Martha Stewart. He was recently on the Today Show with an
Emmy recap.
Speaking of awards, he received an Emmy
nomination for his HGTV show Closet Cases and
was named one of Crain Magazine’s “Forty Under
Forty.” After writing four previous books, the author’s new one has just arrived The Style Checklist: The Ultimate Wardrobe Essentials.
We ran into Lloyd at Macy’s, where his Jones
New York tour was in full effect.
Windy City Times: Hi, Lloyd. Are you glad to
be back in Chicago?
Lloyd Boston: I love it, always. I love the fact
that the weather is good.
WCT: You can wear that scarf out these days.
LB: Yes, just a touch. I split my time between
New York and L.A., but coming here is nice because it is the best of both cities. It has the
ease of the people in L.A. but it has that city
vibe in New York without the traffic, the dirt,
and the pushing and shoving.
WCT: Do you get to do anything fun while
you are in town?
LB: I walked Michigan Avenue and shopped a
bit. I am a big bargain hunter. You will catch
me in the sale racks before you will catch me up
front.
WCT: How did you get involved with Macy’s?
LB: I am the style guy for Jones New York.
I travel the country hosting style clinics and
fashion shows like tonight where we present the
trends for fall as well as the classics for any season. I shop with the guests one on one so they
get a chance to get styled by a TV style guy.
They last five minutes each, fun and free. We do
most of the events at Macy’s stores nationwide.
It works out perfectly.
WCT: You prove that there are seven different ways to wear the same thing?
LB: Yes, it is a new thing we started. We started it online and it has gotten a lot of buzz, because what we found was important for people
that love Jones New York is the fact that if they
are going to invest in one piece we are going to
show them how to wear it seven days a week if
they have to.
Most women won’t, but we want to give them
ways to wear it for day, night, weekend, travel,
business—you name it. What we are doing tonight is that we have chosen three essentials,
which I feel are classic for fall. They can also
play into any trend. I show these three pieces
each done seven ways. It is a different kind of
runway show instead of look after look we bring
out small clusters of models each wearing say
the crisp white shirt styled completely differently. Also, [we show it] on different body types
so it could be a full-figured model or a petite
model. We want to show every woman that she
can wear Jones New York where she is today.
WCT: Tell our readers about your new book.
LB: It is called The Style Checklist and I reveal what I feel are the 100 classics that every
woman should have in her closet. It is almost
like a bucket list, if you will. There is an actual checklist in the back of the book that you
can use to see how many you already own. You
can see what items to invest in before you die.
[Laughs] No, it’s not that tragic! If you want a
well-rounded closet this is what I use.
I work with women, whether it is on television or person to person, in the closets. I always
have a mental checklist of what I felt every welldressed woman should own. This is my way of
revealing it to all women. If they can’t get me in
Lloyd Boston. PR photo
their closets, which they won’t, I can show them
what they should be shopping for and also what
items they should bring from the back of the
closet to the front.
WCT: What trends for men do you see?
LB: Shifting gears! For me what I am feeling
this fall is no more suits. I am doing vest and
pant combos. I like that because it harks back
to the ‘30s. I love that look. Sometimes I add
a newsboy cap. That might be a little forward
for most guys but what a lot of people will see
is a touch of the collegiate thing come back.
This was on the runways, although sometimes
it’s hard to wear for men over 30 if they are in a
professional set.
The letterman sweater all-American redux on
the collegiate style of the ‘40s and ‘50s is hot.
You can wear it in an adult dosage. You don’t
necessarily want to wear the striped cardigan,
plaid pants and the Nubuck saddle shoes but you
want a touch of it with a little preppy in there.
WCT: Do you think shows like the Playboy
club, which was filmed here in Chicago, will
have influences on fashion?
LB: I would hope so. I can’t wait to see that
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show as well as Pan Am. Then, Mad Men comes
back in January. I love the fact that we will start
seeing imagery on television that speaks to a
more tailored look for men and women. Women
caught onto it faster, like Joan on Mad Men
wearing those great sheath dresses and pencil
skirts. I think that look is so timeless and really
more flattering on more women than they realize. I hope that look catches on. For guys, specifically, single or double button suits will make
a huge return—and double vents looks amazing
and slim ties, of course. On huskier guys, you
want to be careful of a tie that is too skinny.
WCT: The last time we talked, you gave
great advice about not putting the wallet
in the back pocket and how it can throw the
alignment of the spine off.
LB: It is a huge no-no when you spend so
much time putting together a great look. You
have seen guys in beautifully tailored pants and
they have this big third thing in the back. Either guys should slim down their wallets, carry
a money clip or put it in a different pocket so it
doesn’t interrupt the line of their look.
WCT: What did you do for Fashion Week?
LB: I was there for Fashion’s Night Out. I
hosted a huge nighttime event on the kickoff
of Fashion Week. I have also been covering it
virtually on a hip new website called http://
firstcomesfashion.com where a roundup of other
experts and myself watch the shows live via a
feed. We critique and give real life ways to wear
each look as the shows are happening live. The
beauty of it is that I can still travel the country
with these fall tours but also have a finger on
fashion week as well. It is a nice mix.
WCT: Are there more Closet Cases out there?
LB: No more Closet Cases because the Fine
Living Network is no more. It is now called the
Cooking Channel. I am a cook, but not that good
of a cook to be cooking for 26 episodes!
Get more tips at http://www.lloydboston.
com.
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
28
10pm, Touche, 6412 N. Clark St, http://
www.touchechicago.com
Saturday, Oct. 1
Brought to you by the combined efforts of
WINDY CITY
TIMES
Wed., Sept. 28
“All You Can Shove” Tonight is “All You Can
Shove” pizza at Boystown favorite, Pie
Hole Pizza Joint. That’s unlimited slices
and fountain drinks for only $8.99! 5pm,
Pie Hole Pizza Joint, 3477 N. Broadway,
Boystown, http://www.pieholepizzajoint.
com/index.html
Only at Brunch Viewing Party Be the first
to catch new episodes of Only at Brunch!
From sex, dating, and relationships to
news, politics, and bedroom etiquette, no
topic is off limits. 7:30pm-8:30pm, Scarlet, 3320 N Halsted, http://www.onlyatbrunch.com/
$1 Drink Night Enjoy $1 cocktails, and beer
drafts and wine all night long! Free entry before 9pm, $7 cover after; 8pm, Spin
Nightclub, 800 W. Belmont Ave, http://
www.spin-nightclub.com
Hydrag Revue Join Hydrate each and every
Wednesday night for the best female impersonation show on Halsted Street! 9pm,
Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted, http://www.hydratechicago.com/event-details/?event_
id=120
Northwestern LGBT Resource Center Welcome Back Reception LGBT Resource
Center Staff and LGBTQA Campus Advisory
Network sponsor food and an opportunity
to meet and talk with the Northwestern
LGBTQQIA community. 4:30pm-6pm, 847491-7200, John Evans Alumni Center,
1800 Sheridan Rd., Evanston
Thursday, Sept. 29
TPAN AIDS Run & Walk Kick-Off party and
Happy Hour Minimum $25 contribution
to Team TPAN you’ll enjoy cool refreshing MillerCoors products, and breathtak-
‘BODY’ LANGUAGE
Thursday, Sept. 29
Legendary choreographer Bill
T. Jones (right) will attend his
dance company’s performance
of “Body Against Body” at
The Dance Center of Columbia
College.
Photo by Russell Jenkins & Ravinia
Festival
ing views of the city from the rooftop
of their offices located across the street
from Willis Tower, free to registered Team
TPAN Run&Walk participants; 5:30pm, 250
South Wacker Dr., http://www.tpan.com
Active Dreaming Workshop for LGBTQ
Community Promote dream interpretation skills and interest in the Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning community. 7pm-9pm, 708.837.9600,
Center on Halsted, Rm 202, 3656 North
Halsted, http://www.facebook.com/#!/
pages/active-dreaming-lbgtq-chicago/126993154064005
workOut: Ballroom Dancing Beginner’s
ballroom dancing class, $60 ($40 for
SAGE patrons) for an 8-week course in
the Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Swing, Rumba,
Cha Cha, and Samba. 7pm-8pm, Center on
Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, http://www.
centeronhalsted.org
Drag Idol Kickoff night of Chicago’s newest
drag competition. Audience decides who
stays and who goes. Hosted by Kelly Lauren. Sign up with sean@hydratechicago.
CLOWIN’ AROUND
Sunday, Oct. 1
The AIDS Run/Walk will take place in Grant Park.
Photo from 2010 courtesy of Maude Carroll
com. Winner of the 13-week competition will win a prize package worth over
$10,000, including $1500 cash, a trip for
two, a professional photo shoot and more.
8pm, Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted, http://
www.hydratechicago.com
Body Against Body Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane
Dance Company returns to Jones’ roots in
the avant-garde with two programs that
launched Jones and the late Arnie Zane,
his partner and collaborator of 17 years.
Both programs contain full nudity. Bill T.
Jones will give a pre-performance talk this
night only at 7pm, free to ticket holders.
8pm, The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, http://www.colum.edu/dancecenter
Friday, Sept. 30
Cocktails, Conversation and Art Salute two
up-and-coming local LGBT Artists, Roberto
Cabrera and Bernard Colbert (AKA Frank
Swank). 7pm-9:30pm, Center on Halsted,
3656 N Halsted, http://www.centeronhalsted.org
The Theatre School Presents INTIMATE APPAREL In turn-of-the century Manhattan,
Esther, an African-American seamstress,
creates lingerie for a diverse clientele,
ranging from a socialite wife to a prostitute. Sept. 30 through Oct. 9; Wednesdays
through Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at
2pm, post show discussion Sunday, Oct. 2.
ASL Interpreted - Sunday, Oct. 9. Tickets
$15; students $6; 7:30pm-9:30pm, 312922-1999, Merle Reskin 60 E. Balbo Dr.,
http://www.theatreschool.depaul.edu
Frat The New Colony’s FRAT, the raucous sellout hit comedy about the fictitious “Theta
Pi Psi” fraternity at a southern college, is
back by popular demand. Staged at The
Apartment Lounge night club in Lincoln
Park, the audience is right in the middle
of parties, pledge education and initiation
rituals. 8pm-9:30pm, 773-404-7336, The
Apartment Lounge, 2251 N. Lincoln Ave.,
http://www.frattheplay.com
Hot Jockstrap Contest Sofia Saffire hosts
the hottest contest in Uptown. First place
$100! Show up by 11 to sign up. No jock
strap? Crew’s got you covered. 9pm, Crew
Bar & Grill, 4804 N Broadway, http://www.
worldsgreatestbar.com
Thunder From Down Under Australia’s
Thunder From Down Under, the steamy
internationally acclaimed Las Vegas based
male revue, returns to the Windy City in
the newly named Thunder From Down
Under Showroom at the historic LaSalle
Power Company! 9pm-11pm, LaSalle
Power Company 500 N. LaSalle St., http://
thunderinchicago.com
Brotherhood of the Phoenix club night
Brotherhood of the Phoenix club night.
Get
online
AIDS Run & Walk Chicago Benefits the
AIDS Foundation of Chicago, 5K Walk,
5K Run, and 10K Run. Start times: 8:30
am (5K Run), 8:45 am (10K Run), 9 am.
(Walk), Registration Fee: $25 in advance
$30 on event day includes AIDS Run &
Walk Chicago T-Shirt, Bib, and Goody Bag!
8:30am, Grant Park (Upper Hutchinson
Field), http://www.aidsrunwalk.org
Making History: One Step at a Time Annual benefit for Gerber/Hart Library and Archives celebrates both the 30th anniversary of Gerber/Hart Library and Archives
and the 25th anniversary of the American
Run for the End of AIDS. Keynote speaker
Brent Nicholson Earle. Entertainment by
an ensemble from the Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles, Jennifer Trowbridge, and
Loyola University students. Tickets $75,
$130 Benefactor; 7pm, Klarchek Information Commons, 6501 N. Kenmore Ave., 4th
Floor, Loyola University, Chicago, http://
www.gerberhart.org
The Prince Experience Prince’s greatest hits
from the 1980s with the premier Prince
tribute band, The Prince Experience. Gabriel Sanchez goes back in time with a
flawless impersonation of the Purple One.
8:15pm-10:15pm, 847.499.5000, Viper
Alley Live, Lincolnshire, http://www.theprinceexperience.com
9 to 12 No Tap Bowling League Longest
running GLBT Bowling League in suburban
Chicago 191 South River Road (just north
of Rand Road) in Des Plaines; 9pm, 630567-7196, River Rand Bowl Des Plaines,
Illinois
RuPaul’s Drag Race Stars Raven and Jade
Live Join Season 2 Finalist, RAVEN along
with Jade for an evening of fun and excitement! There will be two shows, Midnight &
1am. Spin’s GoGo boys will be on the bar
keeping it sexy all night long! Tickets are
$5 in Advance, $10 at the Door & $15 for
VIP http://spin-nightclub.tix.com; 10pm,
Spin Nightclub, 800 W. Belmont Ave
Bear Night w/Great Lakes Bears Chicago’s
original and biggest bear event. Midnight
pizza panic. Guest DJ Hale. 10pm, Touche,
6412 N Clark St, http://www.touchechicago.com
Sunday, Oct. 2
Urban Village Church LGBT-welcoming worship services at Urban Village Church are
eclectic and experiential, practical and intelligent, relevant and, hopefully, inspiring. 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Urban Village
Church, Spertus Institute, 610 S. Michigan, http://www.newchicagochurch.com
Urban Village Church Wicker Park Worship
Services LGBT-welcoming worship services at Urban Village Church are eclectic
and experiential, practical and intelligent,
relevant and, hopefully, inspiring. 5:30
p.m.-7 p.m., 1502 N. Hoyne (at LeMoyne),
http://www.newchicagochurch.com
Rainbow Brunch North Shore Rainbow
Brunch is a way for gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgendered (GLBT) men and women
in the suburbs to meet new friends and
socialize in a low-key, friendly environment. 10am-12pm, Old Country Buffet,
8780 W. Dempster, Niles
PFLAG of Oak Park Speaker will be Rev. David Weasle, the Community and Congregational Relations Coordinator for The Night
Ministry which provides Chicago’s vulnerable and homeless individuals with safety
net services such as housing, healthcare
and outreach in an open, affirming and
accepting manner for over 35 years.”;
2pm-4pm, Unitarian Church of Hinsdale,
11 W. Maple, Hinsdale, http://www.pflagillinois.org
The Alliance Brunch The alliance’s closest
allies and supporters celebrate the year’s
accomplishments and honor those who
show commitment to the safety, support
and healthy development of LGBTQ youth.
OPEN DOOR POLICY
Monday, Oct. 3
Melissa Manchester will
be sing in a benefit for
the Open Door Clinic at
Elgin’s Hemmens Theater.
Photo by Vern Hester
11:30pm, ZED451, 739 N. Clark, Chicago,
http://www.illinoissafeschools.org
Monday, Oct. 3
Wishful Drinking ticket giveaway Come to
this very special Showtunes Monday for a
chance to win tickets to see Carrie Fisher
in her one-woman show Wishful Drinking, Oct. 5 at the Bank of America Theatre. 5pm, Sidetrack, 3349 N Halsted St,
http://www.sidetrackchicago.com
Melissa Manchester in Concert An Evening
with Melissa Manchester, Cabaret For A
Cause 2: Don’t Cry out Loud, Come in From
The Rain, Midnight Blue; to benefit Open
Door Clinic AIDS/STD; tickets $35 balcony, $40 main floor and $55 Golden Circle;
7:30pm-9:30pm, 847-695-1093x19, Hemmens Theater, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin,
http://www.opendoorclinic.org
Tuesday, Oct. 4
POZcentric Social reception for HIV positive
people and friends. White Castle sliders,
lemonade, two complementary drinks and
cash bar, hot tips for safe sex. DJ music,
free, over 21. RSVP [email protected] or by phone. 6pm-9pm, 773-4726469ext.403, Center on Halsted, 3656 N
Halsted
GLEE Join every Tuesday, to watch the senior year of Glee. No Cover. 7pm, Sidetrack, 3349 N Halsted St
Thursday, Oct. 5
Gay Liberation Network Organizing Meeting Monthly organizing meeting of Chicago’s direct-action LGBTQ group, focusing
on how the activity of people in our community, not the politicians, is what brings
about change. 7pm-9pm, 773-209-1187,
Berger Park Fieldhouse, 6205 N. Sheridan
Road, http://www.gayliberation.net
Woke Up Black screening Film focuses
on five Black youth, along with their
struggles and triumphs as they start their
journey into adulthood. 7pm-9pm, James
Stukel Tower Auditorium 718 W. Rochford
St. http://www.facebook.com/wokeupblack
Charlene Strong Washington State Human
Rights Commissioner, subject of the documentary film “for my wife…”, co-editor
of The Seattle Lesbian, and who helped
secure domestic partnership rights in her
home state of Washington, Strong will
make an 11 am presentation with the
Law and Sexuality course, give a 7:30
pm lecture followed by Q&A and, at 8:30
pm, attend a reception; 7:45pm, University of Illinois, Urbana, http:// www.charlenestrong.com
: WindyCityMediaGroup.com
ChicagoPride.com
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
29
Join us at Sidetrack for a very special
Show Tunes Monday, October 3.
We’ll be giving away special October 5 tickets to...
BIllY MASTERS
“Kate Winslet has gone off the rails. Jesus, girl,
it’s just an Emmy.”—Sandra Bernhard tweets her
reaction to Winslet’s Emmy win. While I echo
her thoughts, I don’t believe Miss Sandi has ever
been invited to the Emmys, let alone been nominated for one. Just keepin’ it real...
I’m in a little bit of a funk this week. Maybe
it’s the inevitable letdown after all the Emmy
revelry. Maybe it’s being back in Hollywood after
so long, or maybe the doctor is right and I do
need to take that second pill each day. Whatever—you certainly didn’t drop by to hear me
ramble incessantly (but if you want to, check
out Billy’s Boudoir on BillyMasters.com). This
column is where I get to amuse myself—and,
hopefully, you.
And we’ve got some important news to cover. Like what? Like the city of West Hollywood
proclaiming Oct. 29 as “Go-Go Dancer Appreciation Day.” There are times I’m proud to live in
WeHo—but that has nothing to do with this
story. I did actually learn something by reading
the press release. Did you know that the first gogo dancers of record were at the Whisky A Go-Go
club on the Sunset Strip? I have no idea if this
is true, but it was in a press release and that’s
good enough for me. I’m all about capturing
the zeitgeist rather than the minutiae, anyway.
Mayor John Duran stated, “We have more go-go
dancers per square mile than any other city in
America and it’s time we celebrated their efforts
and hard work.” Coming soon: “Crystal Meth Addict Appreciation Day”
In a related story, former gay porn superstar
Ryan Idol has been convicted of attempted murder. This stemmed from an incident back in 2009
that involved his former girlfriend and a porcelain toilet tank lid. ... I trust I don’t need to
draw you a picture. Sentencing is scheduled for
Dec. 9. While this is not the first time someone’s
accused Ryan of an attack, it does appear to be
his first conviction. I always knew Idol lacked
convictions.
Turning to happier news, we hear that Rosie
O’Donnell has a new girlfriend. She met Michelle
Rounds a few months ago at a Starbucks and
they’ve been inseparable ever since. They went
public at the annual Rosie Theater Kids Gala in
NYC last week and it must be serious. When onstage, Rosie quipped, “I just bought a red bra
... with the underpants that match and everything.”
We covered oodles of TV with our Emmy column, so I wanted to shine a light on my first
love. Since he’s in the witness protection program, we’ll focus on my second love—the theatre. Given the success of Hairspray, Catch Me
If You Can, Legally Blonde and many other musicals that films inspired, it’s no surprise that
loads of similar shows are in the works. Let’s
start with the musical version of Sleepless in
Seattle. This has been in development for a few
years and last week there was a workshop in L.A.
I was thrilled that my pal Marissa Jaret Winokur
took on the role played by O’Donnell in the flick.
(When asked about the casting, Ro said, “Perfect!”). The bad news is that attendees were less
than enthusiastic. This is the third reading, but
by no means the last.
The Broadway production of Priscilla, Queen
of the Desert continues to pack ‘em in night after night. Last week, Victor Willis from The Village People was spotted in the audience—tickled to see such a great reaction to the stage
rendition of “Go West.” The enduring affection
for the Village People’s music will likely be in
full-force since 2012 will mark the group’s 35th
anniversary. To celebrate, the boys are kicking
off a new tour at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas
Nov. 9-20. Of course, Willis won’t be there—he
was replaced by Ray Simpson in 1979. Other replacements include Jeff Olson, who took over
for my bon ami Randy Jones in 1980, and Eric
Anzalone, who joined in 1995, replacing Glenn
Hughes. However, Felipe Rose, Alexander Briley
and David Hodo are still in the band, which is OK
by me. You can get more info about this event
and the tour at OfficialVillagePeople.com.
Remember when I told you about Kathleen
Turner playing a nun in the play High? If so,
you may recall my gushing over her smolderingly
sexy co-star, Evan Jonigkeit, who in addition to
showing off his considerable acting abilities has
no problem producing his ponderous appendage
nightly. You may have been sad to have missed
out on that. Well, you’re in luck—Kat and Evan
are headlining a national tour of the play. First
stop is Boston’s Cutler Majestic Theatre Dec.
6-11. Now there are numerous chances for me to
get visual proof of my allegations.
Our appropriate “Ask Billy” question comes
from Len in New York: “I heard that there’s some
gay-porn scandal connected with the soaps. What
is that about?”
There are numerous connections between the
porn and soap world. Many soap actors—past
At the Bank of America Theatre October 4-16.
Tickets at BroadwayInChicago.com
Oh that reminds us...
The Holiday Season
Wine Tasting Party
will be Wed. Nov. 9.
for more information
see
The Video Bar
3349 North Halsted
SidetrackChicago.com
Tickets at EQIL.org
‘‘
ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING LOVE STORIES
YOU ARE LIKELY TO SEE ON SCREEN THIS YEAR ’’.
— A . O. S C OT T, T H E N E W Y O R K T I M E S
‘‘E X C E P T I O N A L LY I N T E L L I G E N T. . . H E A RT B R E A K I N G . A S M A RT,
P R I C K LY, S E X Y, I N V E N T I V E F I L M . G O S E E I T F O R YO U R S E L F.’’
—ANDREW O’HEHIR, SALON
“ONE
OF THE LOVELIEST
ROMANCES OF THE YEAR.
Rosie O’Donnell is going a Rounds or two with
her newest galpal.
and present—have turned up in both gay and
straight porn. However, the story you’re likely
talking about is a difficult one for me to write. I
adore Katherine Kelly Lang, the woefully underappreciated Brooke on The Bold and the Beautiful. Her 21-year-old son, Jeremy Skott Snider,
has acted on the soap, worked as a production
assistant and done some modeling—where he
claims to be against shooting nudes. But that
didn’t stop him from turning up on SeanCody.
com as “Nick” for a solo scene and an allegedly
“first time bottoming” scene. (For the first time,
he seemed to take to it like ... well, like a bottom.) I am sure this is causing Kat great pain—
certainly more pain than it seemed to cause Jeremy/Nick! You can see exactly what I’m talking
about in the pics and video on BillyMasters.com.
When Ryan Idol is preparing for the musical
version of Powertool, it’s definitely time to end
yet another column. That last bit certainly got
me out of my funk—funny what a little sex can
do. For a little more, head on over to www.BillyMasters.com, the site that always delivers. If
you need some personal attention, just write me
at [email protected] and I promise to get
back to you before Hallmark comes up with a
card for “Go-Go Dancer Appreciation Day”! Until
next time, remember, one man’s filth is another
man’s bible.
AC T E D W I T H B E AU T I F U L N AT U R A L I S M , I T
O F F E R S A N E N C A P S U L AT I O N O F T H E J OY S
O F AT T R AC T I O N A N D D I S C OV E RY T H AT
T R A N S C E N D S S E X UA L P R E F E R E N C E ”.
— Mar y Pols, TIME MAGAZINE
“ L I F E I S TO O S H O RT TO M I S S
A M OV I E T H I S TO U C H I N G .’’
— M a r s h a l l F i n e , H U F F I N G TO N P O S T
“ IF YOU DON ’ T SEE YOURSELF
IN THIS MOVIE, YOU NEED
TO GET A LIFE ’.’
— D av i d E d e l s t e i n , N E W YO R K M AG A Z I N E
“‘ W E E K E N D ’ I S A S M A L L ,
PERFECT THING,
A L I K E LY C L A S S I C .’’
— C h u c k W i l s o n , L A W E E K LY
“A
WO R K O F S U R PA S S I N G E M OT I O N A L
INSIGHT AND ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENT
…O N E O F T H E B E S T O F T H E Y E A R .’’
— Paul Brunick, FILM COMMENT
TO M
CULLEN
CHRIS
NEW
W E E K E N D
A
FILM
BY
ANDREW
HAIGH
S U N D A N C E S E L E C T S P R E S E N T S A G L E N D A L E P I C T U R E C O M P A N Y P R O D U C T I O N WITH THE BUREAU IN
CO-PRODUCTION WITH SYNCHRONICITY FILMS IN ASSOCIATION WITH EM MEDIA PRESENT
AN A N D R E W H A I G H F I L M
TOM CULLEN
CHRIS NEW
“ W E E K E N D ” D I R E C T O R O F P H O T O G R A P H Y U L A P O N T I KO S S O U N D T I M B A R K E R
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CO-PRODUCER CLAIRE MUNDELLL EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SUZANNE ALIZART AND ANNA SEIFERT-SPECK P R O D U C E D B Y T R I S T A N G O L I G H E R
WRITTEN, EDITED & DIRECTED BY A N D R E W H A I G H
W W W. S U N D A N C E S E L E C T S . C O M
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WINDY CITY
.25 PAGE
Chicago Freeze
‘focused’ for Gay Bowl
By Ross Forman
Experience and depth are two of the strengths
for the Chicago Freeze, the city’s entree in Gay
Bowl XI, the premiere annual flag football tournament, set for Oct. 6-9 in Houston.
“There are 20 team members, which gives our
team a lot of flexibility in offensive and defensive sets and also gives our team a chance to
rest and, God forbid, be prepared for injuries,”
said Michael Richardson, the team’s offensive
WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
30
ries in Chicago that are put aside for the greater
good: bringing a championship to our city,”
Richardson said. “It also is special because of
the bonds you make with competitors who respect your intensity on the field and leave it on
the field.
“The competition in the Gay Bowl is topnotch. The game is fast and the amount of
physical stamina needed for this three-day tournament is, by far, one of the most grueling. The
athletes are representative of the best of each
NFL adds sexual
orientation as a
protected class
By Ross Forman
The National Football League (NFL) has taken
a major step to ease any potential backlash
if an NFL player decides to come out as gay.
The Advocate reported that the NFL has
added sexual orientation to its list of protected classes, a change first noticed by Pete
Olsen of the blog Wide Rights.
A new collective bargaining agreement
from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA)
states, “There will be no discrimination in any
form against any player by the Management
Council, any Club or by the NFLPA because of
race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or activity or lack of activity on behalf
of the NFLPA.”
Olsen discovered the change after comparing the latest version of the agreement to
the last one in 2006, which did not include
the words “sexual orientation,” The Advocate
reported. The new agreement was ratified by
the players in August and lasts until 2021.
“This is certainly a positive step for the
NFL,” said Shawn Albritton, president of
the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association
(CMSA) and head referee for CMSA’s flag football league. “Next to be seen is whether an
actual NFL player will be able to come out of
the closet while he is actively playing in the
NFL. The locker room is still a homophobic
place, but I for one can envision an out NFL
active player in the next 10 years.”
Three former NFL players have come out after retiring—David Kopay in 1975, Roy Simmons in 1992 and Esera Tuaolo in 2002.
“I think it is a very progressive policy, but
I do not think it is based in the reality of the
NFL culture,” said Chicagoan Michael Richardson, who is co-captain of the Chicago Freeze,
which will play in the annual Gay Bowl flag
football tournament.
“There would be ridicule and derision for
any person that came out despite the well
meaning intentions of the NFL hierarchy. The
person who discloses [his] sexual orientation
would have to be brave and very strong. This
policy does nothing to address the core of
the problem, which is that persons active in
sports are not educated enough to know that
a person’s sexuality does not define them; it
is the character of the person. It does not
address the great issue of teaching tolerance
from an early age and that is something the
NFL can’t address.”
When Tuaolo came out, a fellow pro athlete
was critical. Sterling Sharpe made anti-gay
comments after Tuaolo revealed he is gay,
while Tim Hardaway did the same after Amaechi came out.
“It is truly a great first step for the NFL in
particular, and professional sports in general,
to see this level of support—if only now just
in words—for gay athletes,” said Chicagoan
Brian Walker, who played Division III college
football and is openly gay. “I would hope
that this will be a clear signal to the other
major professional sports, as well as [executives in] the high school and college levels
that gay athletes are welcomed and valued
for the same hard work, skills and talents that
they bring to their teams, schools, cities, and
countries.
“Of course, welcoming gay athletes still
faces many hurdles and requires the commitment and participation of coaches, managers,
teammates, administrators, fans and sponsors.
“We may not see a bevy of players coming
out anytime soon, but that fact that there is
support at the highest levels of the league
must surely be some comfort. Bravo, NFL!”
The Chicago Freeze in last year’s Gay Bowl. Photo courtesy of the Freeze
coordinator who also plays blocker, rusher and
linebacker.
“Our collective experience is a major strength
for us since it has helped our preparation. Also,
another strength is our depth. This is a physically taxing tournament and having quality coming off the bench gives us a leg up.
“I feel we have a legitimate chance of winning
the championship if we go into this knowing we
belong here. We have the talent up and down
the roster which can match up with any of the
teams out there. We are united in our focus on
what our team goal is. We also have everyone
buying into the team-first concept.”
Chicago has only won the Gay Bowl once, in
2005, anchored by quarterback Will Ward, who
also was named the event’s MVP that season.
Issa Rizkallah is Chicago’s quarterback this
time.
“The only comparison I can give [between this
team and past Chicago teams in the gay Bowl]
is that we all want to win,” said Richardson, 40,
who lives in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood
and has participated in the Gay Bowl two times
previously. “Beyond that, I will not disparage
the other teams since I know their efforts are
just as intense as our preparation. There is a lot
of Gay Bowl experience on this team and we all
know what it takes to win, and we have been
working toward getting Chicago back to winning
on the national level.”
The Los Angeles Motion defeated the New York
Warriors 19-18 to win Gay Bowl X, held in Phoenix, marking the Motion’s second consecutive
Gay Bowl championship. The San Diego Toros
finished third.
In the consolation championship, the Salt
Lake City Avalanche beat the Denver Summit to
claim its first Gay Bowl trophy.
“Gay Bowl is special because you have rival-
city, which intensifies the level of play. I know
Chicago is ready to join the elite teams and put
our mark on this tournament.”
Richardson said the key for the Freeze is “staying united and focused.”
“We have a lot of talent, but that talent means
nothing if we do not execute our plan,” he said.
“Another key is to play hard and match the level
of intensity of all the teams we play and take
that up several levels.”
CJ Sullivan is the team’s co-captain and defensive captain.
“If [quarterback Rizkallah] does not force
things, offensively we will be just fine,” Richardson said. “We have a receiving core that can
match up with any team that is participating
in the Gay Bowl. There is a lot of depth on this
team.
“I have enjoyed managing this team because
of the energy and enthusiasm that has been
brought to all of our practices and events. I have
enjoyed the bonding that I have seen and feel
we are a more cohesive team than when things
started.”
Badminton starting
open gym
Second City Badminton started holding
open gym Sept. 19.
The schedule is as follows: Oct. 3, 17 and
24 (off on Oct. 10 for Columbus Day and
Oct. 31 for Halloween); November 7, 14
and 21 (off Nov. 28 for Thanksgiving); and
Dec. 5, 12 and 19.
The cost is $7; hours of play are 6:30
p.m.-9 p.m.
THIS WEEK’S DEALS
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In marketing
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847-509-6887
As featured in
BoysTownBlog, NBC’s the Inc.well, Red Eye,
Chicago Talks, Passport Magazine,
BroadwayWorld.com, Chicago Pride.com
For more information or to list your business, please contact us at
[email protected]
773-562-3311 or 773-387-2394
WINDY CITY TIMES
XIONS
CONNE
Sept. 28, 2011
MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS
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Chicago, IL 60657-8589
Specializing in
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email: [email protected]
A Full Service
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Ray is a legal authority on all of his
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WINDY CITY TIMES
Sept. 28, 2011
32
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