Category Archives: Lesbian
Judy Shepard in Chicago for H.E.R. March 10th
Join Center on
Halsted for the Largest Women’s Event of the year!
H.E.R. Day is an
afternoon of workshops dedicated to Women’s health, education, and
recreation. The day will start with a lunch sponsored by a Parent IVF,
and continue on into a diverse selection of workshop topics for female
identified individuals. Your $12 H.E.R. Day ticket
will give you access to all the days events, lunch sponsored by aParent
IVF and a special keynote address from activist and mother Judy Shepard
at 11am.
In October 1998,
Judy and Dennis Shepard lost their 21 year-old son, Matthew, to a murder
motivated by anti-gay hate. Matthew’s death moved many thousands of
people around the world to attend vigils and rallies in his memory.
Determined to prevent others from suffering their son’s fate, Judy and
Dennis decided to turn their grief into action and established the Matthew Shepard Foundation to carry on Matthew’s legacy.
In her continuing
role as board president, Judy travels across the nation speaking to
audiences about what they can do as individuals and communities to make
this world a more accepting place for everyone, regardless of race,
religion, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, or sexual
orientation.
Don’t miss HER day – Center on Halsted, March 10th.
| 3656 N. Halsted Street | Chicago, IL 60613 | 773.472.6469 |
GET TICKETS NOW!
Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds Engaged
ROSIE O’DONNELL IS ENGAGED!
She broke the news to her audience today in Chicago during a break set aside for
commercials during the taping of her new show, at the Harpo Studios.
Rosie did not say if it would be a civil union in the state of Illinois or just what the plans would be.
On Friday, she posted a photo of Michelle Rounds
on her Instagram page with the word “love.” She also Tweeted a link –
this time with the caption “happy – in love” – of her new fiancée the
same day.
The lesbian couple met at a Starbucks. In October, O’Donnell joked
that her “gaydar was way off” because she thought Rounds was
heterosexual and just 28 years old, when really she is a gay woman and
40.
“It’s fun and very exciting,” O’Donnell recently said about the relationship. “I did not expect it.”
Celebration of Life Planned to Honor Christina Santiago Sept. 10
On September 10th at 1pm, friends and loved ones will gather to remember and celebrate the life of Christina Santiago. Santiago was killed in the Indiana State Fair stage collapse on August 14, and is survived by her wife, Alisha Marie Brennon, who was injured in the collapse. The celebration in memory of Christina Santiago’s life will be held at the Chicago History Museum, and is open to the public. Santiago, a self-identified ‘Nuyorican’ lesbian feminist, was committed to empowering queer women of color and advocating for access to healthcare in the LGBTQ community. She was a board member and programming chair for Amigas Latinas, and worked full-time as the manager of programming for the Lesbian Community Care Project (LCCP) at Howard Brown Health Centers. Amigas Latinas, LCCP, and Howard Brown have worked closely with Brennon to plan this event. Celebration of the Life of Christina Santiago Saturday, Sept 10, 2011 at 1pm @ Chicago History Museum 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL The Chicago History Museum parking lot is located at the corner of Stockton and LaSalle. CHM is also accessible by the #22 Clark bus and by the Sedgwick Brown and Purple lines. Event is open to the public. For more information, contact Marissa Ellenby at Public Communications Inc. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to several funds created in Santiago’s honor: Howard Brown and LCCP are collecting donations for two funds. The first provides assistance to Santiago’s relatives. The second supports the work of the Lesbian Community Cancer Project. (Howardbrown.org)
H.E.R. Day (Health, Recreation, Education) LGBTQA Women June 11
is a day-long symposium of exciting programs and workshops for LGBTQA women.
Facilitators from Howard Brown Health Center, the Chicago Women’s Health Center, Northwestern University’s Department of Psychology, and other organizations will lead health seminars, a cooking class, and recreation classes like self-defense, yoga, and salsa throughout the day.
Keynote speech will be given by Jessica Halem, comedian, activist, and former Executive Director of the Lesbian Community Cancer (now Care) Project. Jessica will also close the event with a special performance of her one-woman-show, “Bad Feminist” in the Hoover-Leppen Theater at 7pm.
$15 admission to H.E.R. Day (including the “Bad Feminist show) or $20 tickets to “Bad Feminist” at 7pm.
Seminars and workshops include:
“What I Learned from Cancer,” Jessica Halem
Sex Ed 101 for L/B/T/Q Women, presented by the Chicago Women’s Health Center
Women, the Media, and Beauty Ideals, presented by Renee Engeln-Maddox, Ph.D. and senior lecturer at Northwestern University
Healthy Cooking Class and Demonstration, presented by Chef Toni Rivera
Tickle Your Fancy: Female Sexuality, Orgasm & What Toys Can Do for You! Presented by Searah Deysach from Early to Bed
Transgender Health, presented by Lois Bates from Howard Brown
Intersex People: What you Should Know and Why You Should Care! Presented by Dr. Veronica Drantz and intersex spokespersons Alex and Mugsie
Salsa dance, instructed by Heidi Landgraf, She-She Salsa Instructor at Edge Gallery
Self Defense, instructed by Matt Cowell of Cowell Martial Arts
Yoga, instructed by Kerri Noto of Tejas Yoga
In Vitro Fertilization for LGBT couples, presented by Colleen Wagner Coughlin, Laboratory Director and Embryologist of aParentIVF
Saturday, June 11, 10AM – 4PM
$15 admission to H.E.R. Day (including the “Bad Feminist show)
or $20 tickets to “Bad Feminist” at 7pm.
Wanda Sykes and Linda Eder Together in Chicago May 14th
has been called “one of the funniest stand up comics” by her peers and ranks among Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Funniest People in America. Her smart-witted stand up has sent her career in many different areas.
Showcasing one of the greatest contemporary voices of our time, Linda Eder’s diverse repertoire spans Broadway, standards, pop, country and jazz. Most recently, Linda crowns her two-decade recording career on a new album, Now, which reunites Eder with Broadway and pop composer Frank Wildhorn. The new release marks the musical return of this legendary team after six years. Eder’s transcendent voice is the perfect complement to Wildhorn’s lush, imaginative music. Now introduces 12 dynamic tracks that elevate the spirit while capturing many moods.
See both ladies together,
one night only!
Saturday, May 14th
HUMAN FIRST 2011 GALA
at the Harris Theatre! Over 1200 tickets sold already!
GET TICKETS ONLINE
BestGayChicago.com
Rosie O’Donnell Returns to Daytime Talk At Harpo Studios in Chicago
“I’m delighted to welcome Rosie to the studio I’ve called home for so many years,” Winfrey said in a statement.
The network announced last summer that O’Donnell would return to television with a one-hour talk show to air on OWN. Originally they had said at the time that the show would be based in New York. But O’Donnell was convinced to move to Chicago for taping.
“I can’t wait to do my show from Chicago,” O’Donnell said in a statement. “It’s a dream come true … beyond the beyond.”
The final original episode of Winfrey’s show, which has been on the air for 25 years, is scheduled to air May 25.
Chicago Area Lesbian Student Wins Right to Wear Tux to Prom
Proviso East High School student , Belinda Sanchez hopes to one day become a civil rights attorney. On Thursday, the 18-year-old got her first taste of victory, winning the right to wear a tuxedo to her upcoming senior prom.
Sanchez was initially told by the Maywood school’s principal, Milton Patch, that she could not wear a tuxedo to her prom and needed to wear a dress.
“I was just shocked,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez, a lesbian, said has been open about her sexuality since freshman year. She said the school has an active gay-straight alliance and it is very supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.
She wound up contacting the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois over the prom situation. On Wednesday, the group sent a letter to the school district backing her position.
“This sends a negative message to other students that they can’t express who they are,” said John Knight, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Project at the ACLU. “It’s a First Amendment right, a free speech right, and that includes her right to send a message through wearing male clothing that she doesn’t think women should be restricted to traditional female clothing.”
In a quick 24 hour response – the Proviso Township school district sent a response to Knight saying that Sanchez will be allowed to wear a tuxedo to the prom, on April 22.
High school lesbians wearing tuxes in school has foolishly been an issue all over the country. You would think this would be an a non-issue. Come on, a Chicago suburb pulling this? A reminder conservatives are everywhere.
A school district spokeswoman wrote an email to the Tribune about how the incident involving Sanchez has been a learning experience for the school: “(Sanchez has opened) up a new, very interesting and healthy dialogue in terms of our prom review procedures. We support our students in all of their differences and we encourage them to express themselves in various ways as long as it is not disruptive to the school environment. The principal gave his initial determination based on his interpretation of the policy, and the student asked that it be reconsidered. After looking into the policy — it was.”
Equality Illinois Womens Social April 9th
Women’s Social are going fast!
To purchase your tickets to this hot event, visit EQIL.org, or call 773-477-7173.
Presenting Sponsors include Olivia Cruises and CNA, Silver Sponsors include Dalila Fridi and Elizabeth McKnight, and food and cocktails are provided by Carnival Foods and Sidetrack.
We look foward to seeing you at Flourish Studios on April 9!
Renae Ogletree – A Celebration of Life Saturday May 1st for Chicago LGBT Activist
Chicago activist Renae Ogletree
died recently at 59 after a battle with lung cancer.
She had worked with numerous community groups and projects, including Gay Games VII, Chicago Black Lesbians and Gays, the Lesbian Community Cancer Project, the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, and the Chicago Police Department’s 23rd District Gay and Lesbian Advisory Committee. She was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame and received the 1997 Chicago Commission on Human Relations Award.
The City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations invites you to join Renae Ogletree’s family and friends as we celebrate her life at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 1, 2010, in the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark Street.
A reception will immediately follow the memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Anaya Renae Clark Trust Fund, a scholarship fund for Renae’s grand niece, Anaya. Make checks payable to Anaya R. Clark Trust Fund Mail to WCT Times, 5315 N. Clark St, #192, Chicago, 60640.
You may also make contributions in Renae’s honor to the Crossroads Fund, 3411 W. Diversey Parkway, Chicago, 60647.
Girlstown in Andersonville is Just Wishful Thinking….for Now.
My phone has been ringing off the hook the last 2 weeks with questions about the the proposed “girlstown” idea for Andersonville!
Time Out Chicago ran a piece that claimed “Andersonville resident and out activist Pat Bushman recalls her first big encounter with Boystown’s phallic street statues more than ten years ago. “I was pushing my cat Xena in her stroller up North Halsted when I bumped into one of those ugly rainbow-colored penis things,” says Bushman of the pylons the city constructed in ’98 to officially designate North Halsted as gay-identified ’hood Boystown. “Suddenly, I had an idea.”
Girlstown in Andersonville is Just Wishful Thinking….for Now.
My phone has been ringing off the hook the last 2 weeks with questions about the the proposed “girlstown” idea for Andersonville!
Time Out Chicago ran a piece that claimed “Andersonville resident and out activist Pat Bushman recalls her first big encounter with Boystown’s phallic street statues more than ten years ago. “I was pushing my cat Xena in her stroller up North Halsted when I bumped into one of those ugly rainbow-colored penis things,” says Bushman of the pylons the city constructed in ’98 to officially designate North Halsted as gay-identified ’hood Boystown. “Suddenly, I had an idea.”
Gay Co Chicago Presents BREAST IN SHOW Lesbian Sketch Comedy
The women of GayCo
are out front in this
new original sketch revue.
Lesbian couples cope with the only thing worse than a relationship gone horribly awry – a relationship gone horribly aright. Dora the Explorer copes with a tell-tale haircut as she struggles to save healthcare; wymyn who love wymyn get defensive in Self-Defense class; and GayCo boldly embraces lesbian stereotype in their most epic Softball scene ever.
Six talented comediennes take charge in GayCo’s second Women’s show in 15 years, GayCo doesn’t just shatter the glass ceiling – they polish it up to a high glamour so that women can see through.
Runs Saturdays in May 10:30 PM
de Maat Theater at Second City 1616 N. Wells St., Chicago
TICKETS – $15 Available at the Door Or Call 312-337-3992
Read more about GayCo and their previous hits!
Lesbian Comic Vickie Shaw in Chicago for Laugh Out Loud Fridays at Circuit Nightclub
V I C K I E
Lesbian comic VICKIE SHAW
will be doing a show this Friday, February 12th
at Circuit Nighclub. 3641 North Halsted Street.
The evening is part of the Circuit Girl / Laugh Out Loud Fridays.
Seating begins @ 8pm. Show at 9pm.
$10 admission ($5 for members) and hosted by TAMALE!
She looks like the woman next door … All-American with blond hair, lipstick and polished nails. Once she opens her mouth, you’ll know she was born and raised in Texas and you’ll never stop laughing.
Vickie has performed in almost every state in the US over the last five years and has headlined in various venues including: Michigan Womyn’s Festival, National Women’s Music Festival, Monterrey Beach Women’s Festival; and the Dinah & Lina Shore Golf Tournament in Palm Springs.
She can also be seen in The Outlaugh Festival on Wisecrack, The Complete Series
and in her DVD Vickie Shaw: You Can Take The Girl Out of Texas .
The Best of Gay Chicago
Board Game Dating for Gay and Lesbian Nerds
My partner and I belong to a Meetup.com group here in Chicago for Gay and Lesbian Professionals. From time to time, organizers throw different events. So in an effort to reach a new audience, I thought I would share those events here, as they come up. It’s only $5 per year to be member and most of the events are very inexpensive to attend. Plus it’s a great way to network with other LGBT Professionals. So check it out!
In November,
Board Game Dating for Gay Nerd Guys
When : November 30th, 2009 7:00pm
Price $20 per person
In December,
Board Game Dating for Lesbian Nerds
When: December 3, 2009 7:00 PM
Price: $20.00 per person
Where: Fat Cat 4840 N. Broadway Chicago, IL 60640 773-506-3100
Get your geek on with other smart, witty single night at our high-fun, low-pressure dating party, where trivia quizzes and ferocious board gaming wins you prizes as well as hearts.
The festivities take place from 7-10 p.m. in the mod back room at Fat Cat (4840 N. Broadway). We’ll have several rounds of small-group board games to break the ice and we’ll rotate the tables so that you can flirt with everyone in attendance over Apples to Apples, Catch Phrase, Taboo, Scattergories, Boggle, Homogenius and more.
Admission ($20 with advance registration and payment at Nerds at Heart or at Meet Up.com, or $25 at the door) also includes trivia contests, geeky prizes, theater ticket giveaways, a drawing for passes to the “Terror in the Aisles 3” fight-flick marathon at Portage Theater and a complimentary cocktail.
The Best of Gay Chicago
