Category Archives: Community
Open Door Clinic in Elgin and Aurora
We talk so much about the city of Chicago and everything going on here, we sometimes forget about the suburbs and the LGBT communities and organizations there.
When AIDS was recognized in the early 1980’s as being a sexually transmitted disease, the Board of Directors of Open Door Clinic (ODC) felt it was important for the STD Clinic to extend its diagnostic, treatment and prevention services to include HIV/AIDS.
ODC was one of the first HIV Antibody testing sites in the State of Illinois, a service still offered today. In 1988, ODC became the first Illinois testing site to offer one-week results and can now provide results within a few days. The Clinic also offers the antigen test, which reduces the window period. In January 1993, they initiated a pilot project of a broad spectrum “early intervention” HIV Clinic (hereafter named HIV Clinic).
Among the services provided are
- laboratory testing (CD4, viral loads, etc.)
- primary physician service.
- specialist referrals.
- nutrition Counseling & supplements.
- substance abuse referrals.
- mental health referrals
- information, forms and applications for federal, state and local assistance programs
- along with professional, compassion, caring & support.
“Most significantly, we have been able to offer our clients the assurance that the clinic, its services and staff remain available throughout the illness.”
2 Clinic Locations
Elgin, IL
Open Door Clinic 164 Division Street, Suite 607 Elgin, IL 60120 Phone: 847 695-1093
Aurora, IL
Open Door Clinic 157 S. Lincoln Avenue, Room K , Aurora, IL 60505 Phone: 630 264-1819
Open Door Clinic in Elgin and Aurora
We talk so much about the city of Chicago and everything going on here, we sometimes forget about the suburbs and the LGBT communities and organizations there.
When AIDS was recognized in the early 1980’s as being a sexually transmitted disease, the Board of Directors of Open Door Clinic (ODC) felt it was important for the STD Clinic to extend its diagnostic, treatment and prevention services to include HIV/AIDS.
ODC was one of the first HIV Antibody testing sites in the State of Illinois, a service still offered today. In 1988, ODC became the first Illinois testing site to offer one-week results and can now provide results within a few days. The Clinic also offers the antigen test, which reduces the window period. In January 1993, they initiated a pilot project of a broad spectrum “early intervention” HIV Clinic (hereafter named HIV Clinic).
Among the services provided are
- laboratory testing (CD4, viral loads, etc.)
- primary physician service.
- specialist referrals.
- nutrition Counseling & supplements.
- substance abuse referrals.
- mental health referrals
- information, forms and applications for federal, state and local assistance programs
- along with professional, compassion, caring & support.
“Most significantly, we have been able to offer our clients the assurance that the clinic, its services and staff remain available throughout the illness.”
2 Clinic Locations
Elgin, IL
Open Door Clinic 164 Division Street, Suite 607 Elgin, IL 60120 Phone: 847 695-1093
Aurora, IL
Open Door Clinic 157 S. Lincoln Avenue, Room K , Aurora, IL 60505 Phone: 630 264-1819
James Cappleman to Take on Helen Shiller in Uptown!
“I’ve always been a grassroots activist,” says Uptown resident James Cappleman. No kidding: The social worker’s résumé is about a mile long and includes cofounding a homeless shelter, receiving the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, working with HIV service organizations and presiding over the Uptown Chicago Commission.
But his latest endeavor—running for alderman of the highly polarized 46th Ward—could lead to big changes in Uptown. That’s because Cappleman is taking on Helen Shiller, the ward’s alderman for the past 20 years. Her supporters say she’s a strong advocate for the poor, but critics say the neighborhood’s high crime rate and large homeless population mean it’s time for a change (check out What The Helen for some of their complaints). I can attest to that, we live in the hood of Uptown and frequently witness drug deals out in the open and hear random gun shots! WE DESERVE BETTER!
This past Saturday, June 19 on one of the most beautiful blocks in Uptown – Sunnyside Garden Mall at 4500 N. Malden St. – James Cappleman kicked off his second bid to win election as alderman of Chicago’s 46th Ward.
“This is a community that wants to have some say in how decisions are made,” Cappleman says. “They feel left out. There’s a lot of anger.” Although Shiller has trounced challengers in the past, Cappleman feels confident. “We’re using the two areas where Shiller has always based a lot of her support: the poor and the gay community,” he says. “And here I am an advocate for the poor, and I’m an openly gay man.”
VOTE FOR CAPPLEMAN! James for Change
Best Gay Chicago
James Cappleman to Take on Helen Shiller in Uptown!
“I’ve always been a grassroots activist,” says Uptown resident James Cappleman. No kidding: The social worker’s résumé is about a mile long and includes cofounding a homeless shelter, receiving the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, working with HIV service organizations and presiding over the Uptown Chicago Commission.
But his latest endeavor—running for alderman of the highly polarized 46th Ward—could lead to big changes in Uptown. That’s because Cappleman is taking on Helen Shiller, the ward’s alderman for the past 20 years. Her supporters say she’s a strong advocate for the poor, but critics say the neighborhood’s high crime rate and large homeless population mean it’s time for a change (check out What The Helen for some of their complaints). I can attest to that, we live in the hood of Uptown and frequently witness drug deals out in the open and hear random gun shots! WE DESERVE BETTER!
This past Saturday, June 19 on one of the most beautiful blocks in Uptown – Sunnyside Garden Mall at 4500 N. Malden St. – James Cappleman kicked off his second bid to win election as alderman of Chicago’s 46th Ward.
“This is a community that wants to have some say in how decisions are made,” Cappleman says. “They feel left out. There’s a lot of anger.” Although Shiller has trounced challengers in the past, Cappleman feels confident. “We’re using the two areas where Shiller has always based a lot of her support: the poor and the gay community,” he says. “And here I am an advocate for the poor, and I’m an openly gay man.”
VOTE FOR CAPPLEMAN! James for Change
Best Gay Chicago
Writer Joseph Erbentraut says Who Needs Boystown?
Yesterday on Huffington Post, writer Joseph Erbentraut asked WHO NEEDS BOYSTOWN?
It sounds like he has only lived here a couple years yet has become part of the bitter-jaded crowd.
He says, “When I first moved to Chicago, I was convinced the neighborhood would emanate a strange sort of gay magic – a combination of diversity, social justice and acceptance unlike anything I’d ever experienced in my rural Wisconsin upbringing.
Two years later, those expectations I once had for the city-designated hub of Chicago’s LGBT community are surely naive, if not delusional. While Boystown offers the largest concentration of queer-centric spaces, the area’s overflow of saccarine gayness has had an increasingly sour, if watered down, taste.”
Gays are EVERYWHERE. You are right in that comment Joseph. We are in every neighborhood, all over the city now. 25 years ago, there was a much higher concentration of gays living right in Boystown. And yes, the gays made it nice, and the straights moved in as times changed. Like so many gayborhoods around the country. So you were silly and naive to think the neighborhood would emanate a strange sort of gay magic – a combination of diversity, social justice and acceptance unlike anything I’d ever experienced in my rural Wisconsin upbringing. – I am sure you can admit, it’s better than rural Wisconsin!
What Boystown IS these days, is a central meeting place for the LGBT community. A collection of bars, nightclubs and restaurants for the LGBT community to come to. Sure while there are plenty of diverse and gay welcoming bars EVERYWHERE, from Bucktown to Uptown, I prefer to spend my money in a gay owned gay bar and be with mostly gay people, instead of hanging out with a straighter crowd of a gay welcoming place. We do need Boystown. We do need a central hub of gayness.
To each his own Joseph. I hope you find what you are looking for.
Read the full article WHO NEEDS BOYSTOWN
Michael Snell
Derrick Sorles
Best Gay Chicago
Author Dan Savage in Chicago fo ICAH June 15th
Dan Savage
is a somewhat controversial American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in the Santorum controversy.
Savage, who is gay, has often been the subject of controversy regarding some of his opinions that pointedly clash with both those of traditional conservatives and those put forth by what Savage has been known to call the “gay establishment”.
On Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at the Chicago Cultural Center, ICAH will host their 5th annual event Let’s Talk about Sex. Dan Savage will be honored.
There will also be a presentation from About Face Theater’s production of Fast Forward.
You won’t want to miss this great event!
“This year the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) has many reasons to celebrate. We have grown tremendously and touched the lives of thousands of young people. Your support is invaluable to our continued success and growth.”
Ticket Prices:
$150 Full program + VIP reception (5:00-6:00 pm)
$100 Full Program
When … Tuesday, June 15, 2010 5 PM – 9 PM
Where …. CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER 78 E. Washington, G.A.R Hall
REGISTER ONLINE FOR THIS AWESOME EVENT !
Author Dan Savage in Chicago fo ICAH June 15th
Dan Savage
is a somewhat controversial American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in the Santorum controversy.
Savage, who is gay, has often been the subject of controversy regarding some of his opinions that pointedly clash with both those of traditional conservatives and those put forth by what Savage has been known to call the “gay establishment”.
On Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at the Chicago Cultural Center, ICAH will host their 5th annual event Let’s Talk about Sex. Dan Savage will be honored.
There will also be a presentation from About Face Theater’s production of Fast Forward.
You won’t want to miss this great event!
“This year the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) has many reasons to celebrate. We have grown tremendously and touched the lives of thousands of young people. Your support is invaluable to our continued success and growth.”
Ticket Prices:
$150 Full program + VIP reception (5:00-6:00 pm)
$100 Full Program
When … Tuesday, June 15, 2010 5 PM – 9 PM
Where …. CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER 78 E. Washington, G.A.R Hall
REGISTER ONLINE FOR THIS AWESOME EVENT !
Chicago LGPA GOAL to Host Annual International Conference for Pride Week June 22 – 27
LGPA/GOAL Chicago,
Chicago Police and Chicago’s suburban departments are proud to host the 14th Annual INTERNATIONAL LGBT Conference for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Professionals in our culturally diverse, visually spectactular and chic…City of Chicago, Tuesday, June 22nd through Sunday, June 27th. 2010.
The conference has been entitled A Bridge to Unity. The conference will be hosted at Chicago’s legendary Palmer House hotel, located in bustling downtown Chicago, steps from Chicago’s central business district, shopping on the Magnificent Mile, and tourist attractions in every direction.
This six day conference will provide an AMAZING array of unique and diverse hands-on training that focuses on relevant criminal justice professionalism, industry trends and technology while impressing its’ attendees with the principles of justice, equity and equality within the area of law enforcement and the community it serves.
Whether you are interested in law enforcement professionalism, correctional system, youth advocacy, diversity issues, private security or military, we feel confident that no matter what area of public safety your title falls under, this conference will arm you with effective, innovative knowledge.
Although, providing newly enhanced law enforcement training is the primary goal of this conference, it is also designed to encourage motivation to achieve a higher degree of efficiency in the discharge of their duties while promoting and striving for a high level of diversity, inclusion, and sensitivity of all people as law enforcement and criminal justice professionals within their work environment, as well as, with in the GLBT community, thus becoming a part of A Bridge to Unity.
A week long of workshops, seminars and events!
Attendee Early Registration
Discount Extended till April 1st,
ONLY $175.00 for this 6 day event!
($200 after April 1st).
You can also join them on their online social network to socialize in privacy with your fellow attendees and faculty of the conference beforehand.
Attendees will be coming in from all over the world!
*For those coming from other countries, we know from past years that wait times for an appointment can be lengthy. We are urging you to make your appointment as early as possible to begin the process of obtaining a US entry visa.
You can download Business Visitor Visa information on the Goal Chicago site.
Chicago House Presents 2 days of Brunch and Fashion May 1 and 2
An entire weekend
of brunch and fashion events
to benefit
CHICAGO HOUSE!
The “Families for Families” Brunch
and the
Spring Brunch & Fashion Show:
“Cirque”
“Families for Families” Brunch
Saturday, May 1, 2010
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Chicago’s hottest new family event, with rave reviews from kids and parents alike!
Harold Washington Library
Winter Garden Room
400 S. State Street, Chicago
Junior Tickets: $40
Adult Tickets: $100
Family Table $750
The Spring Brunch & Fashion Show: CIRQUE
Sunday, May 2, 2010 11:30 am – 3 pm
Everyone’s favorite spring tradition! Welcome back the warm weather in the sunny Winter Garden room of the Harold Washington Library.
Harold Washington Library Winter Garden Room 400 S. State Street, Chicago
Premium Tickets: $175, Runway Tickets: $250, and Tables of 10 available
More details for both events online at Chicago House!
Chicago House Presents 2 days of Brunch and Fashion May 1 and 2
An entire weekend
of brunch and fashion events
to benefit
CHICAGO HOUSE!
The “Families for Families” Brunch
and the
Spring Brunch & Fashion Show:
“Cirque”
“Families for Families” Brunch
Saturday, May 1, 2010
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Chicago’s hottest new family event, with rave reviews from kids and parents alike!
Harold Washington Library
Winter Garden Room
400 S. State Street, Chicago
Junior Tickets: $40
Adult Tickets: $100
Family Table $750
The Spring Brunch & Fashion Show: CIRQUE
Sunday, May 2, 2010 11:30 am – 3 pm
Everyone’s favorite spring tradition! Welcome back the warm weather in the sunny Winter Garden room of the Harold Washington Library.
Harold Washington Library Winter Garden Room 400 S. State Street, Chicago
Premium Tickets: $175, Runway Tickets: $250, and Tables of 10 available
More details for both events online at Chicago House!
Chicago History Museum Steps Out – OUT AT CHM April 15
Chicago History Museum Steps Out
Think you have a solid understanding of the Civil Rights Movement? During a special April 15 program at Chicago History Museum, Kevin Mumford will make a case for putting sexuality at the center of the movement that may persuade you to reconsider.
Mumford is an award-winning historian known for his compelling revisions of standard history. His April 15 discussion on “Sexuality and Civil Rights: Rethinking the Sixties” is part of the museum’s landmark Out at CHM series, now in its seventh year. Previous Out at CHM discussions have explored how city space is reshaped for queer communities and how art and political change have intersected over the last 25 years, among other topics.
Cocktails will be served at 5:30 PM, and the program begins at 6:30.
Get complete details online, and plan now to attend this intriguing event.
Cost: $12; $10 members and students.
Best of Gay Chicago
Chicago History Museum Steps Out – OUT AT CHM April 15
Chicago History Museum Steps Out
Think you have a solid understanding of the Civil Rights Movement? During a special April 15 program at Chicago History Museum, Kevin Mumford will make a case for putting sexuality at the center of the movement that may persuade you to reconsider.
Mumford is an award-winning historian known for his compelling revisions of standard history. His April 15 discussion on “Sexuality and Civil Rights: Rethinking the Sixties” is part of the museum’s landmark Out at CHM series, now in its seventh year. Previous Out at CHM discussions have explored how city space is reshaped for queer communities and how art and political change have intersected over the last 25 years, among other topics.
Cocktails will be served at 5:30 PM, and the program begins at 6:30.
Get complete details online, and plan now to attend this intriguing event.
Cost: $12; $10 members and students.
Best of Gay Chicago
Equality Illinois and Civil Union Lobby Day in Springfield
This FREE event is sponsored by Equality Illinois.
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, April 22nd!
CIVIL UNION LOBBY DAY IN SPRINGFIELD
Join us at the Illinois State House as we lobby our legislators
for passage of SB 1716 – the Civil Union bill.
Free Buses will depart at 7am from:
Chicago @ The Equality Illinois office – 3318 N. Halsted Street
Oak Park @ Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church – 405 S. Euclid Avenue
(the bus will make a brief stop in Bolingbrook from 7:30-8am at
Denny’s Restaurant – 126 East North Frontage Road – Exit 267 off of I-55 South (Stevenson)
Carbondale @ Church of the Good Shepherd – 515 S. Orchard Drive
(this bus will make a brief stop in Belleville from 8:45-9:15am at
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ – 115 West B St.
Please note that the pick up/drop off point will be at the corner of 2nd & C Streets.
All buses will drop off attendees at The Hoogland Center for the Arts 420 South 6th Street, Springfield, Illinois at approximately 11am. Anyone taking alternate transportation should meet us there.
Lunch will be held from 11am-12:30pm, during which we will discuss effective talking points and lobbying your legislators.
Attendees will have a chance to meet with their legislators from 1-3:30pm at the State House.
A debrief, reception and dinner will be held from 3:30-5:30pm
All buses depart Springfield at 5:30pm
Civil Union supporters from the entire state are welcome and encouraged to join us in Springfield!
ALL ATTENDEES MUST RSVP –
including those arriving in Springfield via alternative means of transportation.
Reserve your space for Civil Union Lobby Day!
The Best of Gay Chicago
Equality Illinois and Civil Union Lobby Day in Springfield
This FREE event is sponsored by Equality Illinois.
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, April 22nd!
CIVIL UNION LOBBY DAY IN SPRINGFIELD
Join us at the Illinois State House as we lobby our legislators
for passage of SB 1716 – the Civil Union bill.
Free Buses will depart at 7am from:
Chicago @ The Equality Illinois office – 3318 N. Halsted Street
Oak Park @ Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church – 405 S. Euclid Avenue
(the bus will make a brief stop in Bolingbrook from 7:30-8am at
Denny’s Restaurant – 126 East North Frontage Road – Exit 267 off of I-55 South (Stevenson)
Carbondale @ Church of the Good Shepherd – 515 S. Orchard Drive
(this bus will make a brief stop in Belleville from 8:45-9:15am at
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ – 115 West B St.
Please note that the pick up/drop off point will be at the corner of 2nd & C Streets.
All buses will drop off attendees at The Hoogland Center for the Arts 420 South 6th Street, Springfield, Illinois at approximately 11am. Anyone taking alternate transportation should meet us there.
Lunch will be held from 11am-12:30pm, during which we will discuss effective talking points and lobbying your legislators.
Attendees will have a chance to meet with their legislators from 1-3:30pm at the State House.
A debrief, reception and dinner will be held from 3:30-5:30pm
All buses depart Springfield at 5:30pm
Civil Union supporters from the entire state are welcome and encouraged to join us in Springfield!
ALL ATTENDEES MUST RSVP –
including those arriving in Springfield via alternative means of transportation.
Reserve your space for Civil Union Lobby Day!
The Best of Gay Chicago
ADAM BOUSKA in Chicago to Discuss NOH8 with the LGBT Community
became a LGBT activist quite by accident. He calls it “accidental activism“. Gosh, he has come a long way in the 6 years we have known him!
Derrick and I met Adam in 2003. He was living here in the suburbs of Chicago and had just graduated college where he studied Computer Science. Being a photographer myself, I was always on the lookout for fresh new young talent.
I met Adam and asked him to pose for me. During our photo shoot, he confided that Computer Science was not really his passion. And though he was dabbling with modeling, it was the art of photography and expression potential that really intrigued him.
Shortly afterwards, Adam moved to Southern California. We stayed in touch now and then through MySpace and watched as Adam’s young budding career began to blossom exponentially through social media communities and popular blogs!
It didn’t take long and his name was sprouting up everywhere on the Internet!
In November 2008, Proposition 8 in California happened. California wanted to put a stop to the idea of gay marriage. The defeat of Prop 8 provoked a groundswell of activism within the LGBTQ community and many new political and protest organizations were formed in response to the defeat. It was like Stonewall was happening again!
Adam was in Chicago this weekend speaking at LGBT CHANGE UNITE + FIGHT, EAA Midwest Conference at Columbia College. The conference ran 3 days and was a series of workshops and speakers geared towards activism in the hopes to fire up the Midwest LGBTQ communities.
Adam, his partner Jeff Parshley and some friends attended the Prop 8 rallies in Los Angeles. Afterwords, they got so emotionally stirred they knew they wanted to do something, to make some kind of statement. He and a dozen friends went to the store and bought some paints and duct tape, went back to his apartment and shot photos. Using photography as his voice, Adam placed tape over their mouths and painted the now famous NOH8 on their cheeks, and the next day posted their images to MySpace and Facebook, to demonstrate their silent protest.
Before he knew it, a dozen more friends wanted to do the same thing . Adam shot more photos and those friends also posted them online. The next month 30 of their friends wanted the same photos! It started to grow exponentially. In the 6 months that followed it exploded and nearly 500 people had been photographed and pictures were flooding the Internet.
Soon celebrities want to join in and show their support. To date, 3,000+ faces have been shot by Adam and his team for the NOH8 Campaign. The campaign began with portraits of everyday Californians from all walks of life and soon rose to include politicians, military personnel, newlyweds, law enforcement, artists, celebrities, and many more.
Cindy McCain, wife of former Presidential candidate Senator John McCain, was even photographed by Adam, speaking out on behalf of gay marriage rights as part of a popular ongoing photo campaign. “Cindy McCain wanted to participate in the campaign to show people that party doesn’t matter – marriage equality isn’t a Republican issue any more than it is a Democratic issue. It’s about human rights, and everybody being treated equally in the eyes of the law that runs and protects this country.”
The NOH8 Campaign has received overwhelming support from around the world, appearing on various local and national news programs and publications. The images are currently being used on various social networking sites to spread the message of equality, predominantly Facebook and Twitter. Eventually the images are expected to be compiled for a large-scale media campaign. The group just shot their 3rd PSA. There has been talks of a billboard, possible calendar, coffee table books and even a documentary.
Just last month the team shot 500 people in 5 hours in New York City. Adam hopes to tour major cities soon, doing more open shoots and spreading the message across the country. “This is much bigger than just about Prop 8. And when we win this, when Prop 8 is overturned, and it will be, we’re not stopping. It’s about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell….it’s about gay civil rights….it’s about the big picture now!” Groups as far away as Germany and Australia have even started similar campaigns.
Remember when Gay Pride and National Coming Out day was just once a year? Thanks to the power of Social Media and the interconnectedness of the Internet these days, we can make a statement about who we are and show the world our messages. “Activism needs to be a part of your DAILY LIFE and your lifestyle. Not just once a year.”
THE NOH8 store online has t-shirts, bumper stickers, tattoos and my favorite, THE BRACELET! Funds raised by the NOH8 Campaign will be used to continue promoting and raising awareness for Marriage Equality and anti-discrimination on a global level through an educational and interactive media campaign.
Adam will hopefully get back to Chicago later this year for an Open Call NOH8 shoot here. We’ll keep you posted!
Adam Bouska
Adam Bouska MySpace
Adam Bouska FaceBook
http://twitter.com/bouska
NOH8 CAMPAIGN
Michael Snell and Derrick Sorles BEST GAY CHICAGO / BEST GAY NEWS
ADAM BOUSKA in Chicago to Discuss NOH8 with the LGBT Community
became a LGBT activist quite by accident. He calls it “accidental activism“. Gosh, he has come a long way in the 6 years we have known him!
Derrick and I met Adam in 2003. He was living here in the suburbs of Chicago and had just graduated college where he studied Computer Science. Being a photographer myself, I was always on the lookout for fresh new young talent.
I met Adam and asked him to pose for me. During our photo shoot, he confided that Computer Science was not really his passion. And though he was dabbling with modeling, it was the art of photography and expression potential that really intrigued him.
Shortly afterwards, Adam moved to Southern California. We stayed in touch now and then through MySpace and watched as Adam’s young budding career began to blossom exponentially through social media communities and popular blogs!
It didn’t take long and his name was sprouting up everywhere on the Internet!
In November 2008, Proposition 8 in California happened. California wanted to put a stop to the idea of gay marriage. The defeat of Prop 8 provoked a groundswell of activism within the LGBTQ community and many new political and protest organizations were formed in response to the defeat. It was like Stonewall was happening again!
Adam was in Chicago this weekend speaking at LGBT CHANGE UNITE + FIGHT, EAA Midwest Conference at Columbia College. The conference ran 3 days and was a series of workshops and speakers geared towards activism in the hopes to fire up the Midwest LGBTQ communities.
Adam, his partner Jeff Parshley and some friends attended the Prop 8 rallies in Los Angeles. Afterwords, they got so emotionally stirred they knew they wanted to do something, to make some kind of statement. He and a dozen friends went to the store and bought some paints and duct tape, went back to his apartment and shot photos. Using photography as his voice, Adam placed tape over their mouths and painted the now famous NOH8 on their cheeks, and the next day posted their images to MySpace and Facebook, to demonstrate their silent protest.
Before he knew it, a dozen more friends wanted to do the same thing . Adam shot more photos and those friends also posted them online. The next month 30 of their friends wanted the same photos! It started to grow exponentially. In the 6 months that followed it exploded and nearly 500 people had been photographed and pictures were flooding the Internet.
Soon celebrities want to join in and show their support. To date, 3,000+ faces have been shot by Adam and his team for the NOH8 Campaign. The campaign began with portraits of everyday Californians from all walks of life and soon rose to include politicians, military personnel, newlyweds, law enforcement, artists, celebrities, and many more.
Cindy McCain, wife of former Presidential candidate Senator John McCain, was even photographed by Adam, speaking out on behalf of gay marriage rights as part of a popular ongoing photo campaign. “Cindy McCain wanted to participate in the campaign to show people that party doesn’t matter – marriage equality isn’t a Republican issue any more than it is a Democratic issue. It’s about human rights, and everybody being treated equally in the eyes of the law that runs and protects this country.”
The NOH8 Campaign has received overwhelming support from around the world, appearing on various local and national news programs and publications. The images are currently being used on various social networking sites to spread the message of equality, predominantly Facebook and Twitter. Eventually the images are expected to be compiled for a large-scale media campaign. The group just shot their 3rd PSA. There has been talks of a billboard, possible calendar, coffee table books and even a documentary.
Just last month the team shot 500 people in 5 hours in New York City. Adam hopes to tour major cities soon, doing more open shoots and spreading the message across the country. “This is much bigger than just about Prop 8. And when we win this, when Prop 8 is overturned, and it will be, we’re not stopping. It’s about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell….it’s about gay civil rights….it’s about the big picture now!” Groups as far away as Germany and Australia have even started similar campaigns.
Remember when Gay Pride and National Coming Out day was just once a year? Thanks to the power of Social Media and the interconnectedness of the Internet these days, we can make a statement about who we are and show the world our messages. “Activism needs to be a part of your DAILY LIFE and your lifestyle. Not just once a year.”
THE NOH8 store online has t-shirts, bumper stickers, tattoos and my favorite, THE BRACELET! Funds raised by the NOH8 Campaign will be used to continue promoting and raising awareness for Marriage Equality and anti-discrimination on a global level through an educational and interactive media campaign.
Adam will hopefully get back to Chicago later this year for an Open Call NOH8 shoot here. We’ll keep you posted!
Adam Bouska
Adam Bouska MySpace
Adam Bouska FaceBook
http://twitter.com/bouska
NOH8 CAMPAIGN
Michael Snell and Derrick Sorles BEST GAY CHICAGO / BEST GAY NEWS
Chicago Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Annual Chili Cook Off
11th Annual Chili Cook-Off
where you are the judge.
Spend your afternoon tasting more than 15 chilies from restaurants and caterers around the Chicagoland area. You will see awesome table displays, chilies with all the fixings and much much more. This annual event is always filled with great food, people and fun.
Saturday, March 6th 2010
2pm to 6pm
Sidetrack 3349 N. Halsted
$10 to benefit Chicago Gay
and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
The Best of Gay Chicago
Chicago Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Annual Chili Cook Off
11th Annual Chili Cook-Off
where you are the judge.
Spend your afternoon tasting more than 15 chilies from restaurants and caterers around the Chicagoland area. You will see awesome table displays, chilies with all the fixings and much much more. This annual event is always filled with great food, people and fun.
Saturday, March 6th 2010
2pm to 6pm
Sidetrack 3349 N. Halsted
$10 to benefit Chicago Gay
and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
The Best of Gay Chicago
Hope Takes Action – HIV Vaccine Trial in Chicago!
Every 10 minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV. A preventive vaccine against HIV offers the best long-term hope to end this worldwide epidemic. Finding a safe and effective HIV vaccine that will protect people is a huge task. We cannot do it without your help.
- We are currently seeking 1350 men who have sex with men to participate in a vaccine trial. You cannot become infected with HIV from the vaccines.
- The study will take place in several cities in the United States.
Participants must be:
- Men who have sex with men
- 18-45 years old
- HIV-negative
- Circumcised
Safety is a primary goal of the vaccine trial. This is a Phase II study, designed to yield limited information on the effectiveness of the vaccine. The research vaccines have been found to be safe in animals and hundreds of humans in previous trials. One of the vaccines is made from an inactivated cold virus known as an adenovirus. The vaccines do NOT contain the HIV virus, and CANNOT cause HIV infection. Since these vaccines are still being researched, we urge all of our participants to practice safe sex.
The HIV vaccine trial is a collaboration between the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, the Division of AIDS, NIAID and the Vaccine Research Center, NIAID.
For Chicago – contact Project WISH / University of Illinois at Chicago
840 S. Wood St, Room B39 Chicago, IL 60612 312 413-5897
The Best of Gay Chicago
Justice For All? Bringing Black Gay Men Together January 28th
TPAN, Test Postive Aware Network, along with a few other organizations, have decided to bring gay Black men together to discuss the meaning of ‘justice’ for gay Black males.
On the panel, Keith Boykin, from The Daily Voice, CNBC, and BET, E. Patrick Johnson, creator of “Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South-An Oral History,” and Antonio D. Jimenez, professor at Northwestern University and from the University of Illinois Chicago’s School of Public Health.
The forum hopes to start the discussion on the meaning of ‘justice,’ obtaining equality, the role of our allies, and some strategies to bring real and lasting change for Black gay men.
“It’s not only important for Black gay men to be cognizant of how we are impacted by our lack of justice, but also, how we too, impact this innate right for others,” stated Boykin. “Events like these continue to challenge and illuminate this fact.”
I’m most excited to talk about the plight of the gay Black male and how we can change or eliminate some of the stereotypes bestowed upon our community. Another topic that’s been bugging me for some years now, interracial dating within the gay community. I’ve discovered, in my own personal experience, a bit of a stigma with White males dating Black males. I’m curious to hear what the panelists may have to say about that.
This forum is a first-time collaboration between the Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus, the Communities of Color Collaborative,a new initiative launched by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago in June 2009, Project CRYSP and LifeLube.org, as well as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (set for February 7, 2010).
The event will take place at the University Center, 525 South State, on the second floor.
Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for appetizers and socializing, and the program begins at 7:00 p.m.
Admission to the event is free. Come out! It’ll be sure to be an explosively epic conversation.
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