Category Archives: Community
Chicago House Presents Champagne Wrap-ture 2009 on December 16th
Wednesday, December 16th
VIP Reception: 5:30 PM
6 – 9 PM
Hotel Sax
333 N Dearborn
Regular Tickets:
$65 in advance/$75 at door
VIP Tickets: $125
The champagne is flowing all evening at this festive cocktail party and silent auction benefit. Join Chicago House for an evening of Champagne and art, with LIVE music from cabaret duo Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen!
This year, they are bringing back the VIP reception, with tastings of rare vintage Champagne, a gourmet seafood and caviar buffet, and the comic cooking capers of “Baking with Bertha’s” Bertha Mason! Only 40 tickets are available, so be sure to reserve your spot today!
GET TICKETS ONLINE TODAY FOR CHAMPAGNE WRAPTURE SAVE $10
*SIDENOTE – Facebook Users: Vote For Chicago House!
Chase Bank is doing a Charity Vote contest on Facebook. In round one, any non-profit is eligible for votes between now and Dec. 11th. A total of $5 million is up for grabs based on user votes! Vote for Chicago House TODAY and we could be granted up to $25,000! Click here to vote now!
The Best of Gay Chicago
“A Hero Comes Home” — an Exhibit on the Life and Times of Daniel Sotomayor
Sotomayor was a cartoonist and one of Chicago’s most explosive AIDS activists. The exhibit includes cartoons by Sotomayor, photos, T-shirts, the AIDS Quilt panel created in Sotomayor’s honor, and more.
Daniel Sotomayor was born on August 30, 1958. He grew up in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago, at troubled youth of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. He attended Prosser High School, studied acting at the Center Theatre, attended the American Academy of Art and graduated from Columbia College with a degree in graphic arts. He began to pursue a career in acting and graphic design.
Daniel’s HIV seroconversion and sudden diagnosis with AIDS in 1988 shattered his personal and professional aspirations awakening in him the activist who changed forever the standard by which our community leaders are judged. After joining ACTUP/CHICAGO, Daniel proceeded through sheer force of will to propel that organization to its highest effective visibility. Daniel became widely known for his public confrontations with Mayor Richard M. Daley to bring attention to the AIDS crisis, the Chicago Health Department’s responsibility to implement the City’s AIDS Strategic Plan and inadequate education, prevention and media programs.
Daniel also established himself as the first nationally syndicated, openly gay political cartoonist. During his brief but brilliant three1year career, he created over two hundred scathing, and often humorous, cartoons illustrating his anger with AIDS, with government inaction, with the insurance industry, the health care system, pharmaceutical companies and, frequently, with AIDS activists themselves. Daniel has left his indelible mark on the AIDS movement, on our community’s awakening as a political force, on the minds of “leaders” who have had reason to fear his unblinking honesty, and on the hearts of those who came to know the human being behind the headlines. Daniel’s relentless pursuit of the truth helped him to live his life with a consistency of ethic that most of us can only aspire towards. In doing so, he changed forever our definition of “leader”. Daniel passed in 1992. But his spirit and efforts made an impact on many!
The institute is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
It is closed on Wednesday and Sunday.
The Best of Gay Chicago
Illinois State Lottery and Red Ribbon Bonus Bucks Raise Money for HIV/AIDS
This month the Illinois State Lottery brought back the RED RIBBON BONUS BUCKS game. For just $2 per card, the odds of winning are 1 in 4.59 and 100% OF NET PROCEEDS GO TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THOSE WITH HIV/AIDS.
The Illinois Lottery, in partnership with Illinois Department Public Health, is once again working together to raise millions of dollars to help people living with HIV/AIDS in Illinois and is encouraging residents to “Wrap it Up Illinois.”
“We are incredibly pleased to launch this new ticket and along with the ‘Wrap it Up Illinois’ initiative where we can all stand together to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS in Illinois and across the globe,” said Illinois Lottery Acting Superintendent Jodie Winnett.
During this winter season, the Illinois Lottery is encourage residents to “Wrap it Up Illinois,” and are offering a special red Quality of Life commemorative scarf (while supplies last) to those who submit $20 worth of non-winning “Red Ribbon Bonus Bucks” scratch-off tickets.
Players can submit their non-winning “Red Ribbon Bonus Bucks” tickets to:
Wrap it Up Illinois , c/o Emmis Communications
222 Merchandise Mart Plaza , Suite 230 , Chicago, IL 60654
Illinois has the sixth highest number of AIDS cases in the nation, with more than 40,000 reported cases of AIDS since 1981. Of those diagnosed with the disease, about 19,996 persons have died. In 2008, there were 1,915 persons newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. This represents an 8 percent increase in the number of new diagnoses over the previous year.
Boystown Chicago Hotels Gives Back This Holiday Season
Located in the heart of the stylish and exclusive Lakeview section of Chicago, The City Inns of Chicago – The Majestic Hotel, The Willows Hotel & The City Suites – welcome you with an abundance of personality, style and charm that epitomizes the essence of their environs.
Exuding the charm of historic buildings – circa 1920s – The City Inns are a collection of boutique hotels that combine a stylish, unique and alluring atmosphere with a location that is ideal and accessible – just 10 minutes north of downtown Chicago’s business, financial and shopping districts – and brimming with the quintessential qualities of an upscale, city hotel.
During this holiday season they have a special promotion! Help them decorate a tree this season for a less fortunate family, and you can save $10 off your room rate.
“Bring in a new boxed ornament to add to our trees and upon check-in, we’ll give you an additional $10 off any of our existing deals. We’ll be donating the decorated trees, along with gifts and a holiday breakfast.”
“A little generosity can go a long way. Bring an ornament and help make someone’s holiday season and tree’s a little brighter!”
Broughton Hospitality and City Inns
Luxury Boutique Hotels in Chicago’s Boystown
City Suites Hotel Majestic Hotel Willows Hotel
The Best of Gay Chicago
Can A Leather Daddy Run For a Senate Seat? Joe Laiacona says YES!
Did you see the READER last week?!
Joe Laiacona, a part-time computer science teacher at Columbia College, is running as a reformer (state representative of the 40th District) against the incumbent, Deborah Mell, daughter of powerful 33rd Ward alderman Richard Mell.
With the help of veteran election lawyer Richard Means, Laiacona has filed a gutsy challenge to her nominating petition, alleging that she’s not a registered voter at her current residence.
That has election watchers buzzing, but it’s not what makes him a historic candidate. And he’s an openly gay man going toe-to-toe with an out lesbian for state office in a working-class northwest-side district—a first.
But there’s more: if elected, Laiacona would be the first known leather master to take office in Illinois.
Read the full article at the Chicago READER online.
(model from Hot House)
An Evening with the Jersey Boys – A World AIDS Day Event – Benefit for TPAN
benefiting Test Positive Aware Network
featuring The Jersey Boys
hosted by LeeAnn Trotter from NBC 5
Monday, November 30
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Sidetrack Bar
3349 N Halsted
The Jersey Boys will be singing some of your favorite tunes and raffling off some great memoribilia from the show to benefit Test Positive Aware Network.
Online tickets are $15. Tickets at the door are $20. Tickets include two drink tickets.
Stick around for more show tunes after the event!
The Best of Gay Chicago
Is the End of HIV Within our Grasp?! Dr. Surhid Paul Say’s YES!
THIS IS A MUST SEE!
The end of HIV may be closer than we think! Actors, performers, comedians, HIV activists, and scientists come together to show support for Covalent Immunology, and Dr. Sudhir Paul. The Cast includes Lady Bunny, Justin Bond, Ben Andrews, and more!
$5 is all it takes – lets face it, a cure and vaccine isn’t gonna come from the big pharma, its gonna come from a brilliant scholar/researcher…DR. PAUL!!
WATCH THE VIDEO
Covalent Immunology Foundation
READ MORE AT FOX NEWS
Gay Dating Online Brings Chicago Together!
Whether you are hitting the town for a wild night or you’re heading to the theater for a play or concert, doing what you enjoy is always better when you’re with someone special. Whether that someone is a friend, a companion for the evening, or someone you’ve been with for awhile, finding that exceptional someone you want to share your passions with can be hard to do in a city of Chicago’s size.
Sure, you could try gay dating the old-fashioned way and place a personals ad in the paper or you could hit up a club every weekend – but that won’t necessarily mean you’ll find the gay heart-throb or lesbian lover of your dreams. Encountering that special homosexual someone in a large city can be hard to do in a crowded club or without even seeing their picture.
In a city like Chicago you could club every night or put in a personals ad every week and still not meet the right gay or lesbian partner for you; but at a gay dating site like PrideDating, it’s a convenient way to get together with homosexual singles in your area looking for relationships, not just hookups. The right gay dating site makes it easy for you to find the right someone for you so you can forget the drama of the club scene, and forget waiting for a personals response.
Make the most of the right gay dating site and find someone near you that will make going out in the evenings fun and pleasurable. There is so much to experience in the city of Chicago – when you find that special someone near you that enjoys the same things using a gay dating site, you’ll look so forward to going out and hitting up every hot spot in town!
BEWARE:Homophobic Chicago Police Officer Richard Fiorito
The officer – Richard Fiorito. Known to harrass the gay community in and around Boystown. Will arrest you, even if you are NOT drunk and can pass the road tests!
This past week, 15 MORE plantiffs have filed suits against this allegedly anti-gay cop.
Fiorito has been placed on desk duty since the charges were first issued in early October. 16 more plaintiffs recently joined the case with the original 21, leading the total to 37 lawsuits against the officer. All testimony from Fiorito in any of these pending DUI cases will be on hold until internal investigations from the Cook County State Attorney’s Office and Independent Police Review Authority are complete.
Cook County State Attorney Anita Alvarez has now dismissed all pending Fiorito DUI casses, against the victims. Attorney JOn Erickson says, “My clients are elated Alvarez is finally doing the right thing and dismissing these cases, but will not rest until she indicts him for his crimes.”
Like that will happen!
ALERT!! This Thursday night –
The Next Step to Stopping Anti-LGBT Cop Officer Fiorito
This Thursday night, November 19th, is an excellent opportunity for you to send a message in person to the top Chicago Police Department brass about their allowing anti-gay cop Officer Richard Fiorito to remain employed by the City of Chicago.
7 PM, Thursday, Nov. 19 In front of Chicago Police Headquarters
3510 S. Michigan Avenue
Just a few blocks east of the “35th Street“ Red Line el station (ample street parking is available too)
At 7:30 PM we will go inside to attend the Police Board meeting. It begins with a half hour or so of formal business, followed by the public comment section. In order to speak in this section, you must call the Board at 312.742.4194 before 4 PM at least a day in advance.
The Best of Gay Chicago
