Category Archives: Non-Profits
Howard Brown Gala October 22
Howard Brown Health invites costume-clad Chicagoans back to their second annual spooktacular Halloween soiree, the Big Orange Ball, hosted at West Loop restaurant and event space Carnivale, on Oct. 22.
Once guests arrive in their most ghoulish attire they can pose for a picture in a photo booth outfitted with props supplied by the Brown Elephant resale shops. Indulgent craft cocktails and delectable catering from Carnivale will be served to partygoers dressed for tricks and treats, while dancing the witching hours away to local DJs. A 50/50 cash raffle and a (dead) silent auction are also provided. Whether you’re Ghostbusting or Ghost-busting-a-move on the dance floor, Big Orange Ball will be the premier party of the Halloween season.
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 from 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.
WHERE: Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL
TICKETS: “RIP” Admission: $300 per person (includes VIP premium bar, an exclusive lounge, and other spooky surprises)
Early Bird: $125 per person (limited number available)
General Admission: $150 per person
At the Door: $175 per person
For more information and to reserve tickets, call 773-572-5117, email events@howardbrown.org or visit http://howardbrown.org/event/
Funds raised support Howard Brown Health’s vital medical care and community initiatives for adults and youth.
CHECK THIS OUT – photos from last year of the fun, elaborately produced and upscale Halloween gala unlike any other costumed party in Chicago!!
Chicago AIDS Run Walk 2016
GET THE SCOOP!
| August 13-14 | Market Days booth (details here) |
| September 9 | Want your race packet mailed? Then, this is your registration deadline. |
| September 14 | Team Supplies Order due. |
| September 22 | RSVP deadline for Team Packet Pickup – RSVP to runwalk@aidschicago.org |
| September 25 | Pre-registration Deadline |
| September 28 | Packet Pickup **RSVP REQUIRED FOR TEAM PICK UP** Email runwalk@aidschicago.org to RSVP |
| October 1 | AIDS RUN & WALK CHICAGO at Soldier Field |
Pre-Registration Fees – through 9/25/16
$30 Walker – online registration
$35 Walker – offline registration
$40 5K or 10K Runner – online registration
$45 5K or 10K Runner – offline registration
Note: An additional $7 charge will be added for those who choose to have their participant packet mailed prior to the race.
Race Day Registration Fee – 10/1/16
$60 Walkers, 5K and 10K Runners
Six Flags Private Night September 10
Out In The Park at Six Flags Great America
Returns in 2016 for Year 5!
A Private Night in the Park to Celebrate Diversity
Presented by MINI Cooper Chicago & Fireball
That Will Help Benefit TPAN’s Ride For Aids
Saturday, September 10th, 2016 from 7:30PM to 12AM
Singer, actor, director, choreographer and YouTuber TODRICK HALL performs live this for this year’s fifth annual Out In The Park Celebration of Diversity!
All night, attendees can follow the bass to the Hometown Square dance area where The DJ’s of SCARLET Bar Chicago/Honolulu, hostess Khloe and some dancers will keep the party jumping.
Out In The Park is an annual private diversity fundraising event featuring unlimited riding of ALL Six Flags Great America’s amazing THRILL rides (with much shorter than usual lines!) with a portion of all ticket sales each year help benefit various non-profits. “One of the best elements of this event is that it is closed to the general public and this year our event piggy-backs a daytime corporate buyout so our attendees will be entering an EMPTY PARK!” explains Michael Snell, co-owner of BestGayChicago.com. “The LGBTQ community, their family, friends and supporters can enjoy the park with little to short lines and without homophobic hassles from anyone. It’s like a Fall Gay Pride Celebration with even MORE amusement and entertainment!”
In an interview with ChicagoPride.com: “We are very excited that this private night for charity continues to grow every year and we have gifted over $35,000 to various groups,” said Derrick Sorles, Snell’s husband of 17 years and business partner, “We are more than thrilled that the amazing Todrick Hall has signed on to be with us this year. He is in the middle of his “Straight Outta Oz” tour and took a break to be with us and perform!”
“We are honored that some of our peers including GRAB Magazine, ChicagoPride.com and QUEST Magazine in Wisconsin also help us by donating advertising space for this event! It’s truly a community event where everyone comes together for the greater good!” says Derrick Sorles.
Advance $41 tickets can be purchased NOW at www.CelebrateDiversityChicago.com
Attendees get FREE parking for this special event! September 5th the price goes up to $46. $51 at the gate, IF AVAILABLE. This event is capped at only 5,000 tickets, to enure lines stay short for the rides. All ages event. Drinks are available for purchase to those 21+
Hotels –if you are coming to Chicago for the weekend, we have 3 hotel choices in the heart of Boystown! CITY SUITES, WILLOWS HOTEL and MAJESTIC HOTEL. All the hotels are on our website GaySixFlagsChicago.com
BestGayChicago.com
Since 2007, BestGayChicago.com has been providing the best of everything gay and gay-friendly in the greater Chicago area. Owned and operated by Best Gay Inc., their sites provide news, information, travel tips and entertainment for the LGBT community.
SAGE Chicago Event June 10th
WE ALL GET OLD. And we need to have respect for those before us, who fought for some of the rights we have today, and where we have gotten to.
SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ aging people.
SAGE offers innovative services and programs to LGBT older people nationwide—throughout New York City and through our national affiliate program, SAGENet. From arts and culture, to health and wellness, and much more, SAGE’s innovative services and programs support thousands of LGBT older people in communities around the country. Additionally, SAGE’s leading programs—such as SAGEWorks, our employment program for LGBT older people—are often expanded into various sites around the country.
On Friday, June 10th, the Chicago Steering Committee of SAGE will host its annual SAGE & Friends event. This annual affair provides a great opportunity to engage SAGE’s Chicagoland area supporters – individual and corporate donors, community partners, and policy advocates – in a fun event that showcases and supports the work which SAGE is advancing on a national level and in the Midwest. SAGE will be honoring Congressman Mike Quigley at the event. $50, open nbar and appetizers. June 10, 2016
5:30 – 6:30 PM , Wyndham Grand Hotel, 71 E Wacker Drive, downtown Chicago!
As the voice for LGBT older adults, SAGE works across the country to advocate for public policy changes that will improve the economic security, community support and health and wellness of LGBT elders. We partner with policy makers, agency heads and members of Congress, to ensure that policies and laws are inclusive of and support LGBT older adults.
Help Chicago Homeless Start Over
From Alderman James Cappleman –
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I have worked hard to encourage the City of Chicago to adopt a housing first model to reduce the number of people living with homelessness after noticing its success in other parts of the country. This strategy works best when two components are in place: a sufficient amount of subsidized housing coupled with wrap-around services. The most difficult piece to this model is having a dedicated source of funding to make an investment for long-term cost savings. I’m working with Mayor Emanuel to have a steady stream of funds available so that we can remain focused on housing. Some of this funding will be through a 4% surcharge for a new Airbnb Ordinance and there will be some additional funding coming from the Clarendon-Montrose TIF development. Our pilot program to get 70 people living under the viaducts along Lake Shore Drive directly into housing is now underway. We have had a number of meetings with housing advocates, the folks living under the viaducts, city departments, and other community leaders to create a plan that will work. After all of these individuals without homes are in their new apartments, the Dept. of Family & Support Services (DFSS) will assess what worked well with this project and where improvements can be made. Afterwards, DFSS will select more areas throughout the city where people are living outside in encampments to implement this housing-first strategy.
How You Can HelpI’ve asked Inspiration Corporation to help me with a “New Home Starter Kit” drive. This starter kit will provide these 70 individuals going into new apartments with some of the needed supplies to start life in their new homes. To organize this process of purchasing this starter kit, my office has created a registry with Target. If you’re able to help, please click here to go to the registry and purchase needed items that will assist these individuals start their new life in an apartment. Inspiration Corporation will host a day at their Uptown headquarters where you will be invited to help put these starter kits together so that they can be distributed. A substantial number of people living on the streets have told me that they became homeless right after they were released from Cook County Jail with no employment or disability in place and no family available to help them start over again. Without these necessary supports in place, it’s no wonder why we have such a high recidivism rate in our prisons. Later this month, I will be meeting with Cook County Sheriff Dart’s Office, DFSS, and the Dept. of Public Health to discuss how a more effective transition could be made when people are released from jail. I am pleased that so much is coming together to help those in need. It’s a very complex process, but lasting solutions require thoughtful planning with everyone working together. Best,
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Paula Poundstone in Chicago / Skokie
THE NORTH SHORE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS WELCOMES THE COMEDIC BRILLIANCE OF PAULA POUNDSTONE
The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL welcomes comedian Paula Poundstone on Saturday, March 19th.
Thirty two years ago Paula Poundstone climbed on a Greyhound bus and traveled across the country — stopping in at open mic nights at comedy clubs as she went. She went on to become one of our country’s foremost humorists. You can hear her through your laughter as a regular panelist on NPR’s popular rascal of a weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me. Paula lent her distinctive voice to the character “Forgetter Paula” in the Academy Award nominated Disney Pixar film “Inside Out.”
Poundstone tours regularly, performing standup comedy across the country, causing Bob Zany with the Boston Globe to write: “Poundstone can regale an audience for several hours with her distinctive brand of wry, intelligent and witty comedy.” Audience members may put it a little less elegantly: “I peed my pants.”
While there is no doubt that Poundstone is funny, the thing that probably separates her from the pack of comics working today and that has made her a legend among comics and audiences alike is her ability to be spontaneous with a crowd. Poundstone says: “No two shows I do are the same. It’s not that I don’t repeat material. I do. My shows, when they’re good, and I like to think they often are, are like a cocktail party. When you first get there, you talk about how badly you got lost and how hard it was to find parking. Then you tell a story about your kids or what you just saw on the news. You meet some new people and ask them about themselves. Then, someone says, “Tell that story you used to tell,” and then someone on the other side of the room spills a drink, and you mock them. No one ever applauds me when I leave a party, though. I think they high five.”
Paula’s interchanges with the audience are never mean or done at a person’s expense. She even manages to handle politics without provoking the pall of disapproval less artful comics have received.
Her most recent comedy CD, I HEART JOKES: Paula Tells Them in Boston was recorded during a performance at the Wilbur Theatre in the heart of the city and was released on April fool’s Day 2013. This was a follow up to her successful first CD I HEART JOKES: Paula Tells Them in Maine that was released in 2009.
Over the span of her career, Paula has amassed a list of awards and accolades that stretch the length of a great big tall guy’s arm. She not only shot through the glass ceiling, she never even acknowledged that it was there. Never one to stereotype herself as a ‘female comedian’ or limit herself to comedy from a ‘female’ point of view, in the early 90’s she was the first woman to win the cable ACE for Best Standup Comedy Special and the first woman to perform standup at the prestigious White House Correspondents dinner where she joined the current President as part of the evening’s entertainment.
In November, 2012 in Washington DC, Paula was honored, along with Nina Totenberg, NPR correspondent; David Brooks, New York Times columnist; and Bob Mankoff, New Yorker Cartoon Editor, with the 2012 Moment Magazine Creativity Award at their 35th anniversary symposium and dinner, followed by a one-hour panel on the intersection of humor and politics. Just weeks later Paula was hand-picked to interview Calvin Trillin for the Los Angeles-series-darling, Writers Bloc, a series that presents conversations between the featured author and another interesting thinker.
Paula has starred in comedy specials on HBO and BRAVO, won an Emmy Award, served as “official correspondent” for The Tonight Show during the 1992 Presidential race, pioneered the art of backstage commentary during an Emmy telecast, steps up to the plate for causes she believes in, and is almost always included in any compendium – be it film, television or print, noting comedic influences of the 20th/21st century, most recently, We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy (October 2012, Sarah Crichton Books). Paula also appears on “Late Night w/Craig Ferguson” about 3 times a year and she’ll do an occasional editorial for NPR’s “All Things Considered”.
In April 2013 NPR Laughter Therapy (Highbridge Audio) released a 2-CD collection of NPR’s best interviews and stories with “funny folks” including Paula’s Talk of the Nation interview. If it means anything to anyone, she is recognized as one of Comedy Central’s 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. Paula won an American Comedy Award for Best Female Standup Comic, and in 2010 she was one of a select group voted into the Comedy Hall of Fame.
Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me is now heard in 5 million homes across the country, including all of the major markets, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast. In 2008 it received a Peabody Award for broadcasting excellence. On the show Paula gets to match wits with some of the country’s leading pundits. In May 2013 the show filmed its first Cinecast from New York’s Town Hall and Paula was one of the Panelists. The show made its television debut on BBC America with a “2011 Year In Review.” Paula was on that panel as well. Poundstone quickly goes on record about how much she loves being part of the show saying: “I am a proud member of the endorphin production industry. They allow me to say whatever I want on Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me. The panelists are unscripted, so it’s perfect for me. I feel like I’m a batter in a batting cage. I get lobbed topics. Sometimes I just watch them go by, but every now and then I get a piece of one. If the others didn’t cheat, it would be an almost perfect work experience.”
Paula is also a published author and lecturer. Her hard cover book, There is Nothing In This Book That I Meant To Say (Crown, 2006, with a forward by Mary Tyler Moore) is still in release on audio (Highbridge) and in paperback. Other writing credits include the back page columnist of Mother Jones, The Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, and Glamour magazine.
Not only a writer, but an avid reader, Paula continues her role for the American Library Association (ALA) as the Nat’l spokesperson for United for Libraries, their “Friends of Libraries” national network – a citizens support group who work to raise awareness and much needed funds to support their local libraries. Paula has appeared as the headliner at the ALA’s annual conference for their Laughs On Us panel the last four years, and to quote Sally Reed, the ALA Nat’l Director: “…you’d have to come to one of these events to see how adored Paula is by librarians. We love her and it’s never repetitive.” Paula has hosted many events to great success, including the Art Directors Guild Awards an unprecedented 4 times.
The National Endowment for the Arts recently requested Poundstone to sit down for a chat about the art of comedy and her career. Take a listen: http://arts.gov/audio/paula-poundstone
GET A LAUGH with Paula’s comedy CD:
I Heart Jokes – Paula Tells Them In Boston
cdbaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/paulapoundstone1/
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-heart-jokes-paula-tells/id632789944
Watch Paula on Craig Ferguson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6WnBZ5G6fc
Visit Paula at: http://www.paulapoundstone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/paulapoundstone
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PaulaPoundstone
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Showtimes: 8:00PM / Tickets: $45-$52 / Call: 847-673-6300
Visit: http://www.northshorecenter.org/
The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie, IL 60077
About Face Theatre LE SWITCH
In Philip Dawkins’ world-premiere romantic comedy, Le Switch, marriage equality finally reaches the U.S., and commitment-shy David finds himself unsure how to react to the nation’s honeymoon phase. When his best friend’s bachelor party takes him to Montreal, he is unexpectedly swept off his feet by a beautiful, young florist. In the months that follow, David and his non-traditional family (his sister, grieving activist roommate and best friend) must decide for themselves what it really means to be committed, married, and queer.
Written by Philip Dawkins
Directed by Stephen Brackett
Presented by special arrangement with Doug Nevin
Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes with intermission
World of Chocolate Raises $120,000
More than 1,100 guests,
some decked out in their finest 1920s costumes, came together at Union Station to celebrate the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s (AFC) 14th annual World of Chocolate gala on Thursday, Dec. 3. The larger-than-life celebration really was the bee’s knees — offering guests the chance to try chocolate inspired creations from 27 of Chicago’s top chocolatiers, chefs and caterers. Held annually in commemoration of World AIDS Day, this year’s event raised approximately $120,000 net in support of AFC’s continued care, policy, advocacy and education work.
Treats ranged from sweet bites to savory selections, and attendees also flocked to the speakeasy-inspired bars for some scrumptious chocolate cocktails. An expert panel of judges, including local celebrities and renowned Chicago-area chefs, judged the participating vendors in five categories:
- Best Sweet Award – Kendall College
- Best Savory Award – Chicago Athletic Association Hotel
- Best Libation Award – CH Distillery
- Best Business Class, Small Business Award – Fred’s at Barneys New York Chicago
- Best Business Class, Large Business Award – The Peninsula Chicago
- People’s Choice Award – Intercontinental Hotel Chicago
Funds raised through World of Chocolate support AFC’s work to end new HIV infections in Chicago and beyond. Proceeds from the event will:
· Help more than 5,000 people each year know their HIV status
· Support efforts to house 1,100 Chicagoans who are experiencing homelessness
· Enable more than 5,300 clients to receive case management services
· Fund trainings for hundreds of medical professionals about PrEP
Generous vendors participating in World of Chocolate included: the Brass Monkey, CH Distillery, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, Chocolat Uzma Sharif, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, Fred’s of Barneys New York Chicago, Hilton Chicago, Intercontinental Hotel, Italian Village Restaurants, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Life’s Sweeter Side, Loews Chicago Hotel, Mercat a la Planxa, the Peninsula Chicago, Prasino LaGrange, Riques Cocina Mexicana, RL Restaurant, Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Starbucks, Summer House Santa Monica, Uptown Brownie, Vanille Patisserie, Virgin Hotels Chicago, Walgreens, Wow Bao and ZED451.
- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago mobilizes communities to create equity and justice for people living with and vulnerable to HIV and related chronic diseases. We work toward a day when people living with HIV and related chronic diseases will thrive, and new HIV infections will be rare. To learn more, visit www.aidschicago.org.
Gay Chicago Youth Group YEPP and Jess Godwin
When The Snow Thaws, By Jess Godwin features YEPP – Youth Empowerment Performance Project
“Over 100 chicago voices came together to support this song and video. Many thanks to Brian Bloye, Chicago Artists Chorale, Community Renewal Chorus, St. Alphonsus Choir, YEPP, and actors, musicians, artists, and humanitarian friends of Chicago for donating their time and incredible talents to this project.
“Thanks to Executive Producer Kat Fitzgerald, Director Jason Knade, Producer Kayla Ginsburg, Stylist/MUA Jacob Leatherman of Blown Chicago, Recording Engineer Yuri Lysoivanov (with students from Tribeca Flashpoint College), Mixing/Mastering Engineer Tim Timothy Rusin The Athenaeum, all of the people who brought food to the potluck, sent money in for the pizza…and stylists/MUA Paula CityLights Heckenast, Barbara Thomas, Deborah Sanchez, Cathy Geldmacher Nathan, and Garret Koski-Budabin who helped out on our rehearsal shoot day, and Youth Empowerment Performance Project director Bonsai Bermudez for doing an incredible amount of coordinating to make this happen.” Jess Godwin
Please support the YEPP Go Fund Me Project
WATCH THE VIDEO
World of Chocolate Dec. 3rd
It’s finally the sweetest time of year is HERE!
Tickets for World of Chocolate 2015 are on sale now.
Get hotsy-totsy and party like Gatsby for an evening of chocolate galore! Inspired this year by the glitz and glamour of the 1920s, World of Chocolate is Chicago’s commemorative World AIDS Day event held at the beautiful Chicago Union Station.
Revel in chocolate delights from more than 25 of the city’s top chefs, imbibe to your heart’s content at our open bars and win fabulous prizes, including vacations to New York City, Las Vegas and more.
Kick off your holiday season with the AWESOME EVENT! Come Hungry!~
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| Since its inception, World of Chocolate has raised over $1.7 million to fund vital HIV services and programs at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Purchase your tickets today and savor the sweet satisfaction of making a difference!
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Hydrate TURN ABOUT Show for TPAN
IT’S BACK!
Don’t miss your chance to see staff LKH doing DRAG for charity!
The annual LKH TURNABOUT SHOW proceeds go to benefit TPAN via Hydrate, The Den, Replay Andersonville, and Replay Lakeview participants in BARLESQUE!
Doors at 8 pm
Show starts at 9:30 pm
$10 suggestion donation includes Hosted Bar and Hors d’Oeuvres from 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm!!
Join the Facebook page HERE
Chicago Homeless Youth
Chicagoans know fall means bitter cold is on its way. People will soon scurry to stay inside day and night. Yet, more than 20,000 young adults and students are looking for a permanent home, not just overnight shelter.
In the spirit of giving back this upcoming holiday season, the Chicago-area community will come together on Friday, Nov. 20, for an overnight sleep out to raise visibility and funds to help provide a stable living environment for youth experiencing homelessness.
The first-of-its-kind event in Chicago, the Out In the Open Sleep Out, will bring together members of the community to raise funds for 18 organizations serving youth experiencing homelessness. The event will be at Cricket Hill near Montrose Ave. and Lake Michigan.
Attendees will hear from individual teens and participate in a variety of activities. There will also be dozens of entertainers performing during the event.
“We are striving to bring new people and resources to this critical issue in Chicago,” said Tracy Baim,Windy City Times publisher and executive producer of the event. “We’ve modeled the event after similar events in other cities, and we plan to also showcase the talents of this next generation.”
The following nonprofit partners will benefit from the event: AIDS Foundation of Chicago; Care2Prevent, the University of Chicago; Center on Halsted; Chicago House; Chicago Youth Storage Initiative; Howard Brown Health Center’s Broadway Youth Center; Illinois Safe Schools Alliance; La Casa Norte; Lurie Children’s Hospital – Division of Adolescent Medicine; Neon Dorms – Heartland Human Care Services; New Moms; Puerto Rican Cultural Center – El Rescate; TaskForce Prevention and Community Services; Teen Living Programs; The 750 Club Apartment Adoption Project; The Night Ministry; Thresholds; Unity Parenting and Counseling, Inc.; and YEPP: Youth Empowerment Performance Project.
The event is hosted by the newly formed Pride Action Tank, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Edelman, Agency EA and Windy City Times newspaper, along with a wide range of other partners. Best Gay Chicago is a proud media partner of this event.
To donate or sign up for the inaugural event as well as to learn more about individual teen’s stories, please visit sleepoutchicago.org.
YEPP Chicago Needs Your Help!
The Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP) is a unique youth theatre initiative that seeks a safe environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth impacted by homelessness and housing instability to explore their history, investigate new ways to address their struggles and celebrate their strengths through the process of developing a theatrical performance piece. In order to achieve its mission, they blend harm reduction, social justice, popular education, theatre of the oppressed, transformative and restorative justice work. YEPP is MOVEMENT BUILDING!
YEPP’s training program operates all year. However, within the course of six months, a cast led by director Bonsai Bermudez and supporting coordinators focus the work towards developing an original production to be shown in January 22, 23, 24, and 29, 30, 31 of 2016, at the Athenaeum Theatre.
What makes us unique? Our approach blends art, social justice and healing work in a way that encourages our ensemble members to create a performance that celebrates the strengths and advocates the needs of this often overlooked aspect of society.
We need your support. Annual funding assists our ensemble with the provision of a safe space, meals, transportation, workshops, and individual stipends. HELP NOW!
Act now! Whether or not you are able to make a monetary contribution, we invite you to be a part of our community and keep up with YEPP news through our website at www.WeSayYEPP.com.
Chicago’s PRIDE ACTION TANK
Pride Action Tank, a new, results-driven group that addresses challenges facing individuals and groups within LGBTQ communities through a collaborative process of inquiry, advocacy and action, is launching this month as a project of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC).
Kim L. Hunt, former executive director of Affinity Community Services, will be Pride Action Tank’s executive director. Tracy Baim, founder of Pride Action Tank, will be the president of its advisory board.
The work of Pride Action Tank focuses on six overlapping issue areas: housing, health, safety, financial security, youth and aging.
Pride Action Tank will bring together and support the work of subject matter experts as well as people directly impacted by challenges facing the LGBTQ community to envision and realize practical and longer-term policy solutions. Moreover, Pride Action Tank will fuel collaborations among organizations, departments, experts, policymakers and community members in order to fill in gaps and ensure better supports for all people in LGBTQ communities.
The mission of Pride Action Tank is to “improve the health, safety and progress of individuals and groups within the LGBTQ community by inspiring, supporting and leading collaborative action that improves policy, service, access and community dynamics in the core areas of housing, health, safety, financial security, youth and aging.”
Sign up to receive updates and action alerts from Pride Action Tank!
World of Chocolate 2015
SAVE THE DATE!!!
The BIGGEST and MOST DECADENT party of the holiday season returns, December 3rd to Chicago’s gorgeous Union Station! Sip cocktails, sample outrageous chocolate concoctions and socialize to benefit Aids Foundation of Chicago. Tickets on sale Oct. 21st!
Alexandra Billings Nov. 2nd
Pride Films and Plays annual fall benefit – Simply Sensational – celebrates Chicago legend Alexandra Billings.
WGNs Dean Richards serves again as the emcee. Billings will headline the event on Monday, November 2 that will feature Pride Films and Plays’ Company Members, along with several guest performers. It will be a magical and moving event indeed!
A select number of VIP tickets are available for the benefit at $175, and include a pre-show reception at 6 p.m. with appetizers and open wine bar at the Marketa Sivek Gallery at 1123 West Belmont. VIP ticket holders also enjoy reserved center-section seating for the 7:15 pm performance at Stage 773 at 1225 W. Belmont, and a post-show meet-and-greet reception and photo opportunity with Miss Billings and the cast. General Admission tickets are $75 and include the performance and a post-show reception. Tickets can be purchased here.
Alexandra Billings is an actress, singer, author, teacher and activist. She stars as Davina in Amazons multi-award winning television series Transparent and she has been seen on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘E.R.,’ and ‘Nurses’ among others. She has acted in Chicago and across the United States, in many instances being the first transgender actress to tackle rolls like Mama Rose in Gypsy. She has worked at Bailiwick Repertory, Court Theater, and Steppenwolf, and has performed Off-Broadway. Ms. Billings activism stretches across the continent. She was inducted into the Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in Chicago in 2007. Living with AIDS since the mid-eighties, she chronicles her lifes journey in her blog Stilettos and Sneakers and is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post. Her life story From Schoolboy to Showgirl produced by Alex Silets (WTTW) was nominated for an Emmy in the Best Documentary category.
Tickets for Simply Sensational can be purchased here.
Caitlyn Jenner in Chicago Nov. 12th
Caitlyn Jenner, Olympian and recent winner of the 2015 Arthur Ashe Courage Award, will serve as the keynote speaker for the 7th annual Chicago House Speaker Series luncheon, being held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Avenue, Thursday, November 12th, from 11:30 am – 2 pm.
Now in its 30th year, Chicago House is the Midwest’s oldest provider of housing for those impacted by HIV/AIDS and/or LGBTQ marginalization, and is now home to the nation’s most comprehensive social service and support programs for transgender individuals, the TransLife Center.
The Chicago House Speaker Series luncheon brings awareness to the agency’s founding mission, domestic and global HIV and AIDS activism, as well as its new strategic focus, combating LGBTQ poverty and marginalization, while celebrating the accomplishments Chicago House has achieved locally and raising funds to support the more than 1,800 men, women and children they serve.
This year’s Speaker Series will be especially effective at highlighting the marginalization and suffering disproportionately experienced by transgender individuals. Offending the values of fairness and equity, transgender men and women face enormous intertwining barriers to stability due to discrimination, societal and family rejection, and pervasive hostility. More than a quarter of transgender persons reports having lost a job due to their gender identity and more than half reports having difficulty finding a job because of their identity.
THIS WILL SELL OUT! GET TICKETS!
AIDS Walk Chicago 2015 Sept. 26th
Runners, walkers will put their feet down at AIDS Run & Walk Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 26
Thousands expected to gather at annual day of remembrance, fundraising and awareness
WHAT: Chicago-area residents will gather to change the HIV epidemic at the 14th annual AIDS Run & Walk Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 26. The event will start and finish at Soldier Field in Chicago, and courses for the 5k walk and the 5k/10k runs will stretch along Lake Michigan.
WGN-TV’s Dean Richards will be the master of ceremonies for the morning’s festivities, which will include brief speeches by AFC President/CEO John Peller and two longtime HIV advocates, Evany Turk and Patricia Johnson.
The opening ceremony will also include a performance from the Broadway musical RENT by Artists Giving Back, which is producing a production of “RENT” to benefit AFC on Dec. 1. Afterward, participants will warm up before their run or walk with Fitness Formula Club trainer Joy Miles.
Panels from the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt will also be on display, and free HIV testing will be available on site.
Funds raised through AIDS Run & Walk Chicago will benefit programs and services for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and 35 other metropolitan organizations that provide life-saving services to people living with HIV and AIDS. Since it was established in 2001, AIDS Run & Walk Chicago has netted nearly $5 million to battle the epidemic.
For more information, visit aidsrunwalk.org or call 312-334-0946.
WHO: Media are invited to attend the event and speak with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s President/CEO, John Peller, as well as additional AIDS Foundation of Chicago representatives, event volunteers and race participants.
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 26*
7:15 Registration and packet pickup open
8:00 Opening Ceremony begins
8:25 Warm-up stretch led by Joy Miles of Fitness Formula Clubs
8:45 10k run start
8:50 5k run start
9:05 Walk start
9:30 The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt display opens
10:00 Closing Ceremony begins
*Times are subject to change. Check aidsrunwalk.org for more details.
WHERE: Soldier Field (1410 Museum Campus Dr., Chicago, IL 60605)
*Media may park at Waldron Garage (600 E Waldron Dr., Chicago). Parking fees apply.
RENT to Benefit AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Local startup nonprofit Artists Giving Back announced today that tickets for its World AIDS Day production of the musical RENT are officially on sale.
World AIDS Day RENT is the inaugural production for Artists Giving Back, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Chicago performers and professionals who have a passion for the arts and for giving back to the community. This one-night engagement production will take place on Worlds AIDS Day – December 1, 2015 – and all net proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Artists Giving Back’s philanthropic partner in and beneficiary of the production.
Additionally, Artists Giving Back is thrilled to announce that LGBT singer/songwriter superstar and Chicagoland native, Steve Grand, will be joining the cast as a special featured guest artist. Mr. Grand, singer of the viral sensation “All-American Boy,” released his independent debut album, also titled “All-American Boy,” in March of 2015, which landed the #3 spot on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. Mr. Grand will perform “Seasons of Love” during the production, and will attend the RENT cast-and-audience after party, which will be hosted by Progress Bar (3359 N. Halsted, Chicago).
When addressing the choice of RENT for Artists Giving Back’s inaugural production, Artistic Director Peter Ruger had this to say: “Rent is a show that has inspired me for years. The passion of the music and the story, and the connection I felt to the wonderful characters brought me not only to the fight against AIDS, but also helped guide me to my life as a singer. I’m so excited that we at Artists Giving Back are getting to share this amazing show with Chicago to celebrate World AIDS Day 2015. I hope it touches our audience as much as it’s touched me over the years.”
Artists Giving Back’s World AIDS Day RENT will take place at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can buy them from the Athenaeum Theatre’s website, www.athenaeumtheatre.org, under “buy tickets.”
Performance Details:
World AIDS Day RENT
7:30pm, December 1, 2015
Athenaeum Theatre 2936 N. Southport Avenue Chicago, IL
About Artists Giving Back:
Artists Giving Back is a Chicago-based startup nonprofit founded by local performers and professionals who feel that the arts are a perfect vehicle for advancing philanthropic and charitable endeavors. Artists Giving Back’s mission statement proclaims:
We believe in philanthropy through self-expression and creativity. Through the production of art in all its forms—music, dance, drama, visual—we aim to support artists and our community. Artists Giving Back is an opportunity to interact with our community through the healing power of art.
Artists Giving Back aims to enrich the community in two primary ways: first, by providing quality artistic experiences to the public, and second, by donating all proceeds raised from its productions and artistic endeavors to local charities. While a new organization – Artists Giving Back was incorporated as a nonprofit in February 2015 – Artists Giving Back is proud to say that it is already full steam ahead on its inaugural production of RENT. More information about Artists Giving Back can be found on its website, www.artistsgivingback.org.
The production of Artists Giving Back World AIDS Day RENT is entirely funded by tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Anyone interested in donating to Artists Giving Back can do so through the Artists Giving Back website.
