Category Archives: News and Happenings
Grabby Awards Return to Chicago May 24th
GRABBY Weekend! Memorial Day Weekend!
Parties and porn Stars!
Thursday May 22, 2014 –
Grabby Official Kickoff Party with Chi Chi LaRue
Hydrate 3458 N. Halsted from 9pm till 2am $5 Cover.
Friday May 23, 2014 –
To Be announced please check back
Saturday May 24, 2014 –.
The 2014 Grabbys! THE MAIN EVENT!
@ Metro 3730 N. Clark
Red carpet / doors open at 5:00 PM.
Tickets now on sale CLICK HERE
GRABBY OFFICIAL AFTERPARTY
Charlies 3726 N. Broadway – 10pm till Close…
$10 online or $15 at the Door
Tickets available by Clicking HERE
Sunday May 25, 2014
Naked Sword Post Grabby Recovery Brunch at
North End 3733 N Halsted Doors open at 11am.
$10 Cover. $15 at the door.
Tickets will go on sale soon….please check back.
GRABBY AWARDS OFFICIAL SITE
IGNITE Chicago Rooftop Party for AFC May 16th
Light our fight. Ignite our future.
Igniting our 30th year of service –
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
IGNITE Fantastic Rooftop party coming May 16th!
Open bar, delectable world fare and dancing. Guests will also enjoy live glass artistry, roof-top views of the sunset over the skyline, and chances to win Luxury Vacation Packages in our raffle.
Friday, May 16 – 6-9PM | Tickets: $185
Ignite Glass Studio – Map
401 North Armour Street
Chicago, Illinois 60642
Valet parking will be available upon arrival at 401 North Armour Street.
Howard Brown Health Center and PrEP
Howard Brown Health Center provides access to Pre- and Post- Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) to reduce your chance of aquiring HIV. Preventing HIV is part of the full spectrum of primary care services offered at HBHC, and PrEP is offered as part of those services.
To limit the risk of HIV infection, HBHC offers PrEP and PEP to those most likely to be exposed to HIV and those who may have recently been exposed. PrEP is offered without judgment and our staff will work to help you access the medication without prohibitive costs.
Frequently asked questions:
What is PrEP?
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication that can reduce your risk of aquiring HIV. If you take PrEP as directed, it can reduce the chance that HIV will be able to infect your body. A once-daily pill is available for patients seeking PrEP.
Who can take PrEP?
PrEP can be taken by an HIV-negative person (in consultation with their heathcare provider) who wants to reduce their chance of acquiring HIV. PrEP is available through prescription only.
Where to get PrEP?
HBHC offers PrEP to patients in our primary care clinics. Staff are available to help patients make an appointment to see a healthcare provider for PrEP. HBHC also helps patients access assistance programs that may pay for the medication in part or in full.
For additional information or to make an appointment, call 773.388.8885 or walk in during our hours of operation. You can also send an e-mail to prep@howardbrown.org for more information.
Does PrEP have side effects?
Side effects may include upset stomach, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Patients who experience these side effects often experience them for only a short time while the body adjusts to the medication.
More serious side effects are extremely rare, and may include liver toxicity, renal impairment, and lactic acidosis. Discuss serious side effects with your provider before starting PrEP.
Payment
PrEP is covered by Medicaid and most private insurance plans. Co-pay assistance is available, and many patients with insurance pay nothing out of pocket. If you need help or do not have insurance, ask about patient assistance programs which may pay for the full cost of the medication. Low-income patients may qualify.
More info at HBHC/Prep
NEVERLAND Presents We Love Brazil at Hydrate May 2
After a SOLD OUT “Queen of Hearts” party that hit capacity early in the night, we are energized and ready to kick some ass on Friday, May 2nd, with WE LOVE BRASIL: A Carnaval extravaganza. Samba, feathers, headdresses, body–all the things that make Brazilian carnaval so sexy and desirable. In celebration of our special theme, we’re flying in the “2013 Best Brazilian Music Producer in the International Scene” DJ Sound Award winner MARCOS CARNAVAL. Marcos is a truly international DJ, who has held a residency at Pacha in NYC and was the first Brazilian DJ to hold a residency in Ibiza.
Miss Continental 2012-13 Sasha Colby will be delivering big showgirl late-night performances. This will be her Neverland debut.
PHOTOS FROM THE LAST NEVERLAND PARTY by Jennifer Catherine
TWO HUGE EVENTS IN ONE!–The night kicks off at 9:30pm with Drag Carnage Carnaval with an all-star showgirl cast. At 11:30pm the Neverland dance party begins, with an opening set by Alex-q and live drums by Mo Kabre.
Hosted by Kim Chi, Shea Coulee, and Eddie Couture
PRE-SALE $15 / DOOR $20—LAST NEVERLAND SOLD OUT!!!
GET PRE-SALE TO ENSURE YOU GET INTO THE PARTY.
Hydrate 3458 N Halsted St
Michael Urie talks about Buyer and Cellar and Working for Barbra Streisand
Michael Urie is finally getting out of the cellar — and hitting the road.
The former “Ugly Betty” star will kick off a mini North American tour with Jonathan Tolins’ critically acclaimed, utterly charming and often wacky one-man show “Buyer & Cellar.” The tour makes it first stop in Chicago May 6TH!
Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling gay actor in L.A., Alex takes a job working in the mall in Barbra Streisand‘s Malibu basement. (Yes, she really has a STREET of stores in her basement that display her various collections. She has photos of it in her book My Passion for Design.)
He is employed to watch over the collections and keep things dusted. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs?
BUYER & CELLAR is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs. – The only factual element of Jonathan Tolins’s whimsical fantasy is the actual existence of a subterranean street of shops that Streisand had built in her barn to display her collections.
“This is like a Fantasia!” exclaims Michael. “It’s not a real story. Alex is not a real person. And Barbra Streisand probably DOES NOT have someone working in her basement. This whole story came from Jonathan Tolins imagination!”
Urie talked to us recently about what it’s like playing the fictitious store manager of Babs’s personal shopping mall.
It’s a pretty funny thing for we mortals to imagine. A street of stores! Although I myself am a collector and have lots of “stuff” – I wish I had a room or shop in my place to display everything!
Do you think the play is kind to her?
URIE: I do. I think there are snipes taken, mostly by Barry (Alex’s boyfriend, voiced by Urie), but I know Jon (Tolins) and I, and the director (Stephen Brackett), took great care in rehearsals to make sure it was fair and kind, and only what we found funny, as opposed to malicious. Barry is mean, and he says mean things, but the opinion of the piece and the narrator is love … with the caveat that having a mall in your basement is funny.
JONATHAN TOLINS (Playwright) is the author of Buyer & Cellar, which was named Best Unique Theatrical Experience by the Off-Broadway Alliance when it premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. He explains,””What you’re laughing at is her need to control and to take herself so seriously. You’re not laughing at someone who’s actually a mess and endangering her life — she’s funny because she wants everything her way.”
How did you set about portraying Streisand on stage?
Urie: “As I say in the beginning of the play, I’m not going to do an impression. Really good impersonators can be uncanny and really funny impressionists.
I wanted the comedy of Barbra to come out of her behavior and not from gags. So I didn’t want to cross my eyes for instance. I just don’t want to gild the lily when it comes to sharing the fun of her idiosyncrasies. I’m only emulating her. So it’s a few faces here, and a few cadences there, the fingernails. I think what I focus on the most is the rhythms. I really watched her and studied her in Meet the Fockers. It’s a modern Barbra but playful and a bit silly.
Do you think that you will meet her some time?
Urie: “If she ever comes to show I would probably poop my pants! I hope someday that I can meet her. I don’t know what she’s really like. I feel that in private she’s probably more like when she’s acting than when she’s being interviewed. I have the sense that she’s more truthful as an actor. I was able to take gems—the voice and some of the cadences—from some of her interviews, but I kept going back to the movies, because I felt that’s more her.
At the end of the day, she really considers herself an actor more than anything. And it would make sense that she would give the most of private part of herself as an actor. She’s clever and witty at times in interviews and she makes good points, but she’s not alive and spontaneous, which is what I wanted for this show. She play-acts with my character. I didn’t want the withholding Barbra, because even in the in-depth interviews it feels like she’s withholding. I mean we all do—no offense! It’s still work when you’re being interviewed, whereas acting is more like play.”
Michael and his partner actor/writer Ryan Spahn have been together 5 and half years. And he hinted marriage is quite possibly in their cards.”We first met at a karaoke bar in Burbank. I noticed him and thought he was interesting and cute, but Ryan says he doesn’t remember meeting me. Our mutual friend tried to set us up, but I cancelled because a good friend of mine died. He’d had some unlucky dating experiences, so my excuse—my friend died—was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The ball was in my court, I guess, and I never rescheduled. Part of that was me being a flake. Part of it was, I was on TV. I was never a “man-whore,” but I enjoyed dating; I was enjoying the attention of being on Ugly Betty. A year later, a friend mentioned Ryan, and I told her to set something up. She said Ryan wasn’t interested. That’s when I felt bad.
The show moved to New York, and Ryan did, too. We supposedly kept crossing paths, but I didn’t realize it because by this time I didn’t remember what he looked like. It was sort of cruel. One night we were both supposed to meet a mutual friend, and she never showed up, so Ryan and I ended up getting a drink together. Of course, once he finally met me, I was completely irresistible!”
See more of the couple in OUT MAGAZINE
EVERYONE is saying this is must see Broadway! Even if you are not a Barbra fan, you will thoroughly enjoy this show!
Broadway In Chicago presents BUYER & CELLAR, starring Michael Urie. In Chicago for a limited engagement beginning May 6, 2014 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut). Producers Darren Bagert ), Dan Shaheen , Ted Snowdon and Daryl Roth (“Kinky Boots,” “Love Loss and What I Wore”) bring this hilarious new comedy to Chicago.
Sneak Peak on YouTube
Broadway in Chicago – Buyer and Cellar
Michael Urie
Michael Uri
My Private Chef of Chicago – Bloomingdales Event April 19th
Get a Taste of Spring with Chef Tong at Bloomingdale’s Home and Furniture Store
Bloomingdale’s Home & Furniture Store is celebrating the approaching warm weather.
In anticipation of Spring, Bloomingdale’s welcomes Chef Christopher Tong to demonstrate the preparation of a savory Spring menu.
A favorite with Bloomingdale’s shoppers, Chef Tong will prepare a Spring focused menu featuring:
Cold Cucumber Soup with fresh Dill
Herb-Marinated Chicken Breast, Orzo Pasta Primavera tossed with Arugula Pesto
Strawberries marinated with Balsamic Vinegar, fresh Mint and ground Pepper.
The demonstration will take place on Saturday, April 19, 2014 from 2-4 p.m. at the Bloomingdale’s Home & Furniture Store at Medinah Temple, 600 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago.
For more information about this Bloomingdale’s event, contact 312.324.7678.
My Private Chef is enjoying popularity as one of Chicago’s favorite private gourmet dining services. Trained in European-style fine cuisine,Chef Tong established his reputation at fine restaurants and hotels in Florida, California, and Chicago. Now he has adapted his impressive skills to the world of private entertaining. My Private Chef offers enticing cuisine for a wide range of events, from intimate dinners to weddings to corporate parties.
Chef Chris says: “Every event is different and I’ve met some wonderful people including many celebrities. Being part of very special occasions makes my work worthwhile. I also love conducting cooking demonstrations where I get the feeling that audience members will go home and try some new dishes!”
For more information about My Private Chef, contact Event Services at 773.370.8131 or visit our web site: www.myprivatechef.net
Spring Arrivals at J Prince Studio in Boystown
One of Chicago’s top interior designer and event planner, Ramsey Jay Prince has set up a permanent shop, J PRINCE STUDIO, on North Broadway, and has something for everyone.
The boutique is a beautiful mélange of Prince’s trademark, luxurious style with carefully selected one of a kind vintage and salvaged pieces with seasonal couture items also for sale. This is the urban Fashionista’s one stop shop for their home, fashions, and gifts.
Lots of new spring arrivals! Including one-of-a-kind mens swimsuits, shorts and shirts! Check out the Spring Fashion Show and Sale! Friday April 25th at MiniBar.
Spring Fling Fashion Show and Sale. See the hottest looks in Spring/Summer sportswear and swimwear. You will be able to purchase some of the looks right off the runway in the pop up shop with a portion of all sales to benefit Chicago House ! Doors at 8 show at 9
Besides lots of wonderful gift items and decor for the home, the store has gotten a very unique line of swim suits, underwear and summer clothes that no one else in the city is carrying.
Cute shorts and fun shirts plus hot swim suits!
Stop in and see what’s new!
3744 N Broadway.
b/t Waveland Ave & Grace St in Lakeview.
Chicago Gay Mens Chorus Upcoming Shows
Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus (CGMC)
celebrates the best of last decade of Broadway with “Bouncing of the Walls: Broadway Our Way.”
CGMC reimagines audience’s favorite modern day musicals of Broadway from the last 10 years with dazzling dances and sensational songs. This show brings the Great White Way to the Great Middel West. “Bouncing of the Walls: Broadway Our Way” will revisit memorable Broadway shows including: “Wicked,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Kinky Boots,” “Newsies” and many more.
WHEN/WHERE: Chicago Gay Mens Chorus
- Saturday, May 3, 2014 – 7:30pm
- Emmanuel Lutheran Church – 920 3rd Avenue; Rockford, IL 61104
- Saturday, May 17, 2014 – 8:00pm
- North Shore Center for the Performing Arts – 9501 Skokie Boulevard; Skokie, IL 60077
- Saturday, May 31, 2014- 8:00pm
- Harris Theater – 205 East Randolph Street; Chicago, IL 60601
- Sunday, June 1, 2014 – 8:00pm
- Wentz Concert Hall – 717 East Chicago Avenue; Naperville, IL 60540
Tickets range from $20-$50 depending on the venue and service fees. For ticket information and general information about the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, please visit www.cgmc.org or call 773-296-0541.
About Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus
Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus (CGMC) was founded in 1983 and has grown to become one of the Midwest’s largest volunteer LGBT arts organizations. The chorus has entertained audiences across North America with innovative musical programming, original musical revues, five popular productions celebrating the Sidetrack showtune experience, full-length book musicals including The Wizard of Oz, The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore, and traditional choral concerts, all punctuated with its signature joyous irreverence. Inducted into the City of Chicago’s Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2001 and under the artistic direction of Patrick Sinozich since 1997, CGMC continues to be an integral part of Chicago’s civic and cultural community by carrying out its mission to entertain, educate, comfort and motivate.
Chicago Gay Mens Chorus is also the beneiciary of this years HEATWAVE event in November.
This will sell out! Book your room early! www.HeatwaveChicago.com
About Face Theatre Chicago WONKA BALL May 9th
About Face Theatre invites guests to “come on down” and celebrate its 18th year with a throwback to daily doubles, Plinko, free spins and lifelines at WONKA BALL 2014: The Gayme Show! on Friday, May 9, 2014 at 8 pm at Macy’s on State Street in the 9th Floor Event Center, 111 N. State St. in Chicago.
AFT’s annual fundraiser will celebrate TV’s iconic game shows with an evening of classic challenges, live entertainment, music and dancing, sumptuous edibles and an open bar with signature cocktails. Guests will be tempted to “make a deal” with a raffle and silent and live auctions – all with exciting prizes worthy of a Showcase Showdown! Like Lets Make a Deal and Price is Right!
The evening will also include the annual presentation of the prestigious 2014 Leppen Leadership Awards and the About Face Youth Theatre MVP Award. Tickets are currently available at www.aboutfacetheatre.com or (773) 784-8565.
WONKA BALL 2014: The Gayme Show! Co-Chairs are Benjamin Sprunger and Betsy Sylvester.
Proceeds from the WONKA BALL 2014: The Gayme Show! will support About Face Theatre’s award-winning mainstage programming, new play development series and nationally-recognized educational program. Since 1995, About Face has created exceptional, innovative, and adventurous plays that advance the national dialogue on gender and sexual identity and have entertained and challenged audiences in Chicago, across the country and around the world. Support from Wonka Ball enables About Face to thrive as Chicago’s celebrated center for LGBTQA arts, an inclusive home where diverse artists, youth, audiences and community partners come together for artistic exchange and cultural dialogue.
EVENT DETAILS:
Event: WONKA BALL 2014: The Gayme Show!
Date: Friday, May 9 from 8 pm – 11 pm;
Location: Macy’s on State Street, 9th Floor Event Center, 111 N. State St. in Chicago
Details: Featuring games, music and dancing, sumptuous edibles, an open bar with signature cocktails, a raffle and live and silent auctions.
Tickets: $150.
Sad News for Gay Illinois Teens – Conversion Therapy Ban Shot Down
Illinois House Shoots Down Ban On Gay Conversion Therapy
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) – An effort to ban the controversial practice of “conversion therapy” to turn gay, lesbian and bisexual youth heterosexual has been defeated in the Illinois House.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) lost on a 44-51 roll call vote Thursday.
Cassidy, a lesbian who helped spearhead the legalization of same-sex marriage in Illinois, told her colleagues people are born heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, and so-called “conversion therapy” can only harm the youths it purports to treat. SEE MORE AT CBS
Legacy Project Teams with Equality House to Showcase LGBT Contributions
This coming weekend, the Legacy Project will officially unveil its first-ever satellite-installation at Equality House in Topeka,Kansas – across the street from the infamous Westboro Baptist Church.
The event is part of a series of planned weekend festivities — following GLSEN’s National “Day of Silence” on April 11th — to protest the bullying and harassment faced by Lesbian, Gay,Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) students and their supporters.
The grand opening of the Legacy Project installation at Equality House will begin with a two-hour reception starting at noon on Saturday April 12th. Following the open house, those gathered will join the anti-bullying march to the Kansas State Capital, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church.
“We’re very proud and excited to be part of this important occasion,” said Victor Salvo, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Legacy Project in making the announcement. “This ground-breaking initiative in America’s heartland is a natural extension of our continuing mission to redress the redaction of LGBT figures and events from history, which is central to the Legacy Project’s comprehensive strategy to challenge the ignorance which fuels anti-gay bullying.”
The partnership with Equality House began in the spring of 2013 when the Legacy Project honored Aaron Jackson for his bold and pioneering work in creating Equality House. After touring the Legacy Walk in person, Jackson proposed the Legacy Project’s first-ever exhibit outside of Chicago be located at Equality House in the shadow of the Westboro Baptist Church – renowned world-wide for its unbridled anti-gay hatred and “God Hates Fags” mantra. After nearly a year of planning, the installation of the new permanent display in Kansas was completed in mid-March 2014.
“Most people learn about people like themselves all the time,” said Salvo. “But the selective editing done to the lives of LGBT historic figures forces LGBT youth to grow up without any historically significant role models – leaving them unaware of the contributions people just like them have been making for centuries, unable to see that they are among the newest generation of a long line of gifted people who have made a difference in the world we all share.”
“Public ignorance about the accomplishments of LGBT people forces sexual minorities to exist in a void – socially isolated, culturally marginalized, without historical relevance, and subject to the political and cultural biases that permeate our society — leaving them vulnerable to the violence such ignorance can incite.”
“Recent statistics have revealed that every hour fifty (50) teens attempt suicide in the United States. The majority of them are LGBT youth bombarded by the message that they are ‘less than’ others,” continued Salvo. “That is why the Legacy Project is urgently committed to making sure our kids know that people like them matter – and have always mattered – even if nobody has ever bothered to tell them. The significance and symbolism of bringing that message to the doorstep of the Westboro Baptist Church – of all places – should be lost on no one.”
The Legacy Project is funded entirely by donations. Its permanent exhibit at Equality House will be open to the public year-round, free of charge.
Included in the Equality House installation in Topeka are tributes to:
Jane Addams | Social Justice Pioneer
Bayard Rustin | Civil Rights Visionary
Alan Turing | The Father of Computer Science
Alexander the Great | King of Macedonia/Greatest Soldier of All Time
David Kato | Ugandan LGBT Activist/Martyr for LGBT Civil Rights
Frances Perkins | U.S. Secretary of Labor/Architect of FDR’s “New Deal”
Fr. Mychal Judge | Roman Catholic Priest/”The Saint of 9/11″
Leonard Bernstein | Renowned Conductor of the New York Philharmonic
Sally Ride | First U.S. Woman in Space
Michelangelo | World Famous Artist and Sculptor
Tchaikovsky | Legendary Composer
Barbara Jordan | Iconic U.S. Congresswoman
George Washington Carver | Renowned Agronomist
Eleanor Roosevelt | First Lady/Influential Activist and Diplomat
Two Spirit People | Indigenous North American LGBT People
Sumner Welles | Asst. Secretary of State/Founder of N.A.T.O.
Baron Von Steuben | Secretary General of the American Revolutionary War
Josephine Baker| World War II Hero/U.S. Civil Rights Activist
Brown Elephant Resale in Boystown Is Moving
Sad news today….
In July, Howard Brown Health Center’s (HBHC) flagship Brown Elephant Resale Shop in Lakeview will move to a new location at 3020 N. Lincoln Avenue. For over two decades, the popular Brown Elephant shop, currently on Halsted, has been an outlet for gently used vintage clothing, furniture, electronics, and other items in the Lakeview community.
“The new location will offer our loyal customers a warm, inviting retail experience,” said David Ernesto Munar, HBHC’s President and CEO. “The Lincoln Avenue space will enhance our ability to meet the health needs of LGBTQ people and our allies. The store is better suited for the resale operation and collection of donations. A flexible floor plan and private offices will allow us to host community events and on-site services.”
HBHC established the Brown Elephant in the 1980s to support a full continuum of affordable health-related programs and services for low-income LGBTQ people and allies. The revenue generated by donations and purchases support essential health care for thousands of uninsured and under-insured patients each year.
The current location at 3651 N. Halsted will keep normal business hours (daily from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) until the end of June. Effective July, HBHC’s Brown Elephant locations will be:
Brown Elephant in Lakeview
3020 N. Lincoln Avenue
773.549.5943
Brown Elephant in Andersonville
5404 N. Clark Street
773.271.9382
Brown Elephant in Oak Park
217 Harrison Street
708.445.0612
Tax-deductible donations of household items, furniture, electronics or apparel can be made at any location. To learn about pick-up options go to http://www.howardbrown.org/hb_brownelephant.asp or dial 773.549.5943 Ext. 1.
“The Brown Elephant is much more than a resale store but a way for individuals to give back to their community,” Munar said.
In the months leading up to the move, HBHC will host a series of community town-hall meetings at the store on Halsted and its new location to invite public input on LGBTQ health needs and topics. Public input will support a community health needs assessment, conducted by HBHC every five years. The schedule of discussion topics and meeting facilitators is forthcoming.
“We are so grateful to the tens of thousands of shoppers and donors who have generously supported LGBTQ health via the flagship Brown Elephant for over two decades,” Munar said. “As we plan for the shop’s new location, there is not a more fitting use of the space on Halsted than to invite community input to help shape future health and wellness initiatives to better serve the community.”
Dining For Life April 24th in Chicago
Designer Mondo Guerra (Under the Gunn, Project Runway All-Stars), Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s popular show Chopped, Pam Grier (Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown) and chef Daisy Martinez from Food Network’s ¡Viva Daisy! contributed their images and voices to Dining Out For Life hosted by Subaru® for the HIV/AIDS fundraiser’s new animated superhero-themed Public Service Announcement.
The fearless foursome encourage diners to “Take Action and Be a Hero” by participating in Dining Out For Life hosted by Subaru, bringing food-lovers and restaurants together to help AIDS Service Organizations across the country on one incredible day of dining on Thursday, April 24th. “We are all heroes in the fight. The important thing to keep in mind is that we need to continue the conversation about HIV/AIDS,” noted Mondo Guerra.
ShootersINC came to the table with production led by Mark Reidenauer and Matthew Licht. Senior Designer Mike Mullen created the retro-styled comic book look for the animation, and also created and animated caricatures of the four celebrity heroes. View the 2014 Dining Out For Life® PSA here.To find restaurants near you participating in Dining Out For Life hosted by Subaru, please visit diningoutforlife.com.
To keep up with the latest event and HIV/AIDS news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For mouth-watering food photos, follow Instagram: DiningOut4Life.
On Thursday, April 24th, 2014, celebrate food, friends and a great cause at our 20th annual Dining Out For Life! Last year, Chicago raised over $115,000 to continue its mission of providing housing with life services to men, women & children living with HIV/AIDS. This year we hope to raise even more! You can help make a difference by joining us along with 60 other cities throughout North America and Nigeria and dine out on Thursday, April 24th!
Dine Out. Fight AIDS.
About Dining Out for Life®
Dining Out For Life began in Philadelphia in 1991 and has since grown into an international event held in 60+ cities across North America – raising an average $4.25 million annually. The idea behind the single-day event is simple and effective: Dine Out, Fight AIDS. Each restaurant donates a percentage of the day’s food sales, which goes to local organizations to fund care, prevention, education, testing, counseling and other essential HIV/AIDs services. For more information, visit www.diningoutforlife.com or Facebook/DiningOut4Life.
AIDS Foundation Chicago IGNITES in May
Ignite Sparks a New Era for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Annual fundraising event takes on a new look and ignites hope for the HIV community
WHAT: Light up your night at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s annual spring event Ignite: Light our Fight. Ignite Our Future on Friday, May 16. Kindle your creativity with live glass blowing demonstrations by top artists. Enjoy drinking cocktails, worldly cuisine and dancing the night away to music from DJ Moose. This year, the event will take place at a new location: Ignite Glass Studios, offering guests a chance to enjoy the modern space both indoors and out. The event will kickoff AFC’s 30th year of service.
AFC will honor two of distinguished advocates—Michael Bauer, Civic Leadership Award; and Robert Mink, Volunteer of the Year Award.
Funds raised through Ignite will support AFC’s policy, outreach and public education programs. AFC is the largest source of private HIV/AIDS philanthropic support in the Midwest. To learn more visit www.aidschicago.org.
WHEN: Friday, May 16, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Ignite Glass Studios, 401 North Armour Street, Chicago, IL 60642.
TICKETS: Admission: $185 — Includes heavy appetizers, live glass-blowing demonstrations, open bar and dancing.
For tickets and information, www.aidschicago.org/ignite or call (312) 334-0935.
Gay House Music Legend from Chicago Dies
Frankie Knuckles
one of the major founding forces of house music, passed away yesterday at the age of 59. He died unexpectedly at his Chicago home on Monday.
Scarlet Bar – Chicago and Beyond
After the Chicago Fire of 1871, the city was reborn and rebuilt, bigger and better than ever before.
Similarly, after the fire at Scarlet bar in 2009, the bar was rebuilt and it was born anew.
General manager Robbie Baldwin remembers, “I was here helping with the new layout and the rebuilding and ended up just staying on as a full time employee and became General Manager.”
Year after year Scarlet places high on various top lists; Best gay bar in Chicago, One of the top 100 bars in Chicago, Best in Boystown, and even the Best Gay Club for Straight Folks! It’s almost as if after the fire, new energy was brought to the space.
It was in 2010 that Robbie crossed paths with designer Traver Rains, formerly of the outrageously successful Heatherette and currently of T Rains designs. “I walked into Spin one night and saw him sitting at the bar and introduced myself to him, ” remembers Baldwin. “We started chatting, he was in town scouting a location for an upcoming fashion show. We exchanged phone numbers and a few weeks later he called and said he wanted to come by Scarlet with then Chelsea Lately’s “Staff Homosexual” Guy Branum for a night of music, laughs and a great party to benefit the Trevor project. And they did! It was great fun!” (Photo at Scarlet of Johnny Weir and Traver Rains)
These days Traver is frequent fixture in Boystown, always hanging out at Scarlet and Taverna 750 when he is in town. “We’re kind of like family now, ” says Robbie. “He has designed shirts and hoodies for Scarlet but he really focuses his time on philanthropy and his photography.”
Another Scarlet regular is model/actor Austin Armacost, who first came into the public eye by way of The A List -New York, reality show. He dated designer Marc Jacobs for a short time.”After visiting Chicago for more than ten years, I find SCARLET to be the best place to just let loose!” says Austin.
“Fun crowd, fun staff, they are not cunty like some of the bars! I have celebrated my last three birthdays at SCARLET and I will be there on March 27th! I love the team there. I can dance on a speaker in my underwear and everybody is just like that’s SCARLET!”
You never know who you might see there. Brad Goreski, Jaslene Gonzalez, Candis Cayne…
Originators of The First Ward Ball, Frat Night, Liquid Brunch, Red Cup Party and Dance-off with Your Pants off, Scarlet strives to keep things fresh. “The gay community is constantly changing and evolving and you have to keep offering them something different to keep them interested. So we are always doing different themes. People know when they come here they can expect a crazy, fun, unique and memorable experience!”
Scarlet prides themselves on their list of DJ’s and their sound.
The Examiner once said, “If you’re a gay or female, chances are a drink doesn’t feel complete without dancing. And if it’s been a rough week, that preference becomes a legitimate need. If your preferences run to techno or rap, well, you can head to just about any club in the city. But if you’re looking for a DJ who will mix infectious top 40’s so seamlessly you won’t experience one of those annoying I’m-going-to-bob-my-head-because-I-have-no-idea-what-this-song-is lulls, then head to Scarlet.”
The Scarlet/Red Bull stage is always packed for Chicago PrideFest and Market Days. “Our internal motto at Scarlet is “We sell FUN” and that’s exactly what we try and do when we have our acts at these bigger events. The Djs will be playing great music you want to dance to, the Scarlet boys will be jumping around on stage and Trannika Rex, as always will be screaming into the mic and MC’ing. It’s over the top and it’s ridiculous!” says Robbie.
Scarlet throws numerous off site large scale events and the manage a team of Djs and talent. They have done several events with Macy’s and last year they were invited to Milwaukee PrideFest for a 2 hour DJ set and brought along Traver Rains who did a fashion show of his clothes. This year Scarlet will be doing 6 hours at Milwaukee Pridefest with DJs, dancing boys and the Trannika Rex Show plus ….who knows …maybe a surprise guest? At press time, contracts were still being negotiated. Don’t Miss Scarlet bar and friends Friday June 6th in MKE.
“It’s all very exciting!” exclaimed Robbie. “This year we are returning to Six Flags Great America OUT IN THE PARK private night and we have been invited to the St Louis Six Flags for their very first OUT IN THE PARK. Two of our DJ’s will also be playing the HEATWAVE LGBT charity event at Key Lime Cove in the Fall AND possibly we might be doing something in San Francisco later this year,” tells Robbie.
“We have really worked hard to develop a brand and we enjoy taking the brand on the road into other markets. One day it would be great to have several Scarlet bars in several cities.”
Scarlet Bar Chicago
3320 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657 773-348-1053 FACEBOOK
| (773) 348-1053 |
Austin Armacost will Celebrate Birthday at Scarlet March 27th
Model and Actor AUSTIN ARMACOST will be in Chicago next week celebrating his birthday at his favorite bar SCARLET for what is sure to be a fun night of drinking, dancing and debauchery!
Fun starts about 9pm!
Remembering Vernita Gray
Vernita Gray, who passed away last night after a tenacious battle with cancer, served Chicago’s LGBTQ community with distinction for over 40 years as was one of its early leaders and strongest advocates. She organized a gay and lesbian hotline in 1969 and hosted support groups from her home. She was instrumental in forming the first Lesbian Caucus of the nascent Gay Liberation organization and the first Chicago lesbian newspaper – Lavender Women.
ville, Center on Halsted’s community newszine, had a chance to sit down with Vernita this past winter about the future of the LGBTQ movement.
“In 1969, I didn’t really have a clue about a career, what I wanted to do with my life. As an African-American woman coming out as a lesbian, I knew I wanted to be free and wanted to be afforded all the opportunities in our culture to be who I really was. I knew that I did not want to be a closeted lesbian,” Gray told the Times’ Tracy Baim as part of the Chicago Gay History project in 2007. “I knew that I wanted to be gay and wanted to enjoy my life with other gay people.”
It wasn’t long before Gray immersed herself in activism. That same year she helped develop a telephone hotline, and started organizing support groups for gay and lesbian Chicagoans at both local colleges and in her own home, according to her biography on the website of the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, into which she was inducted in 1992.
Audio Archaeology offers Vintage Records, Nostalgia and Vinyl Lifestyle
This place is way cool! If you like nostalgia, vinyl, cool bar sets, consoles, vintage furniture and some local artwork, this store is a treasure at 1324 W. Devon.
Repurpose. Refurbish. Revinylize.
“Records represent more than just a superior sound; they’re a little bit of nostalgia – in the richness of the music, the style of the album design, even the smell of the vinyl. It’s the tangible feel as you stack albums on a changer, and pause to flip to the B-side.” explains owner John Arnsdorff of his new store Audio Archaeology.
“As a child, I combed thrift shops for 78 records, and took tube radios apart so see how they worked. Audio Archaeology is the culmination of a lifetime of collecting, decorating and tinkering.
If you have an idea for a unique system, or if you’re looking for something classic, we can help. From Mid-Century Modern consoles or Bakelite Portable Record Players to Contemporarily-styled Systems and Component Turntables, we have something for every purpose. We offer a full line of Crosley record players, for a new take on classic styles.”
Owner Arnsdorff, with friend and Marketing Director Nick Kuttin ( aka Nikutn ) have created something very special here.
“I’ve been an antique collector pretty much my whole life and I’ve always had a thing for archaic technology and also for music and really started getting back into vinyl the last few years,” said Arnsdorff. “I love the sound, especially of the older systems. The things they’re making today, there are some you can find that are high-end audiophile, but most of it’s kind of pedestrian. I’ve enjoyed finding things, fixing them up, refurbishing them.” – (Taken from Windy City interview HERE).
PLUS they plan to feature an artist every month. This months event takes place this Saturday, March 22nd from 7-11pm. Sean Walker.
There’s more to a ‘vinyl lifestyle’ than just music! Check out the awesome home accessories and gifts, sure to compliment a modern, classic style.
SHOP LOCAL!
