Category Archives: News and Happenings
GraveYard Glamour Ball Oct. 28
Civil Rights Agenda
Halloween Fundraiser
Graveyard Glamour Ball and will be held on Friday, October 28 in the Industrial Ballroom of the Ravenswood Event Center.
4011 N Ravenswood Ave
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love Halloween and I cannot wait to join other LGBT civil rights supporters and dance as DJ Bern and DJ Curley spin all night.
The event begins at 8pm and ends at midnight, and for $55 you receive a hosted bar for all four hours, as well as light food.
We will be raffling off amazing prizes and Jayson and I will also be judging a costume contest with prizes, so get your Graveyard Glamour on and join us on the red carpet!
Tickets are $65 at the door, so make sure you purchase your tickets online. See you there!!
New Gay Parties Set To Rock Chicago! Oct. 13
A new party concept is about to take Chicago by storm! Think you’re fearless? Think again. There are an infinite number of phobias (multiplying daily) with over 500 medical related phobias listed online. Some phobias have never been appropriately labeled. There are phobias with tongue-twisting pronunciations that might have been too difficult and fearful for even Einstein to attempt to pronounce. – Hippopotomnstrosesquipedaliophobia – fear of long words. What scares YOU? What do YOU fear? Producer and phobia visionary, Experience the incredible fun and fear of EVENT-A-PHOBIA! Do you dare come to our sneak preview? Be brave — take a deep breath and get ready to be AFRAID.
EVENT-A-PHOBIA™ is a new and exciting concept, which cleverly and uniquely allows people to finally address that serious, and unspoken subject — FEAR via entertainment and merriment.
clowns – coulrophobia
snakes – snakephobia
spiders – aracnophobia
bogeyman – bogyphobia
heights – acrophobia
confined spaces – claustrophobia
Will Harrison aka visuwil® of visuwil LLC.
is known for his creative, whimsical, and edgy theme settings.
To express and bring to life his phobia theme, he incorporates extraordinary costumed artists, extravagantly masked models, 3D props, eye-popping decor, stimulating live music, and, of course, your favorite flow of libations all staged within a selected nightlife or social environment.
Do you dare enter this unusual realm of phobias?
Do you dare attempt to face your own personal fears?
Come experience the EVENT of all EVENTS!!!
DJ Phil DaBeatz
EVENT-A-PHOBIA™ parties make it FUN to play with your fears — “visualize your innermost fear … and play with it”
Thursday, Oct, 13th HYDRATE 11pm-4am 3458 N. Halsted
Rosie O’Donnell NOW PLAYING in Chicago on OWN Gives Interviews Today
The out, proud mom of four is ever funny, packed with high-energy and AUTHENTIC – a talk show with a heart – no two days of THE ROSIE SHOW will be alike. Rosie will cover current events, spotlight hometown heroes and newsmakers, showcase the arts, celebrate kids and families, as well as feature well-known and upcoming talent. All done here in Chicago at Harpo Studios. The other day in Chicago, I went to Millennium Park, to a Broadway concert. I’m acting as if I’m allowed to live like this, and the people in the city are allowing me. It feels good to be here. I even had to wait for a table at Gino’s East. I walked in, and they said, “Name?” I said, “Rosie.” They said, “Hi, Rosie. Welcome to Chicago. Sit down, it’ll be 20 minutes.” It wasn’t like there was a line outside—and there were empty tables, too! I thought, Well, this is going to take some getting used to, but it’s a good lesson!”
AS YOU MUST KNOW BY NOW,
Rosie O’Donnell is bringing her wisdom, talent and brilliant sense of humor (and don’t forget NICE!) to THE ROSIE SHOW. Airing begins October 10th on OWN.
At the heart of the show is Rosie’s genuine desire to entertain, inspire and connect with America. As a down-to-earth mother, passionate advocate for children and all-around inquisitive individual, Rosie will relate to her audience in meaningful ways-touching their hearts, sparking their minds and making them laugh.
I caught up Rosie today in between press meetings. Shows will be taped and aired the same day to be relevant.
“I am very excited to be here in Chicago. I really didn’t know much about Chicago. I had only been here a few times. BUT WOW! Chicago is EPICALLY BEAUTIFUL! I got a Segway tour last week and we covered about 10 miles.
I was stuck in a hotel downtown for my first couple months here, but now have purchased a condo in Lakeview. One of the producers had owned the condo, it was totally redone and I told him I wanted it. Furnished. Leave me a couple night shirts and even some toilet paper. Everything! So I bought it!”
“It’s in a cool neighborhood, I can walk everywhere, walk to restaurants…I love it. Eveveryone keeps warning me about the WINTER. The COLD. My new place has a heated garage and even the roof deck has this melting device – so I think I am ready! I am just very excited to be here. The outpouring of love and support has been truly wonderful!”
Lucky for Chicago, Oprah grabbed Rosie when she did. Rosie had an offer on the table from NBC for a show. “Something kept me from signing on the dotted line. I had the contract on my desk for over week. But network TV didn’t feel right. And then, Oprah and I had a 4 hour meeting, and that was it.”
The Rosie Show is destined for greatness. This is just what OWN needed. The network has gotten off to slow start but the Rosie Show is just the shot in the arm, the network needs. O’Donnell isn’t worried about her new home on OWN. “I have tremendous faith in Oprah’s ability to do almost anything,” she says. “When she puts her mind to anything, it gets down. People ask if I feel pressure. I feel nothing but privilege, really.” She lated added, “If you look at the launch of any cable channel, it takes three years. The people are just waiting for us to fill up the programming. Its going to be a huge hit like everything else Oprah touches.”
OPRAH SAID, “In 25 years of doing my show, only one competitor ever seriously challenged me in the ratings: Rosie O’Donnell. From the day Rosie took her place among the crowded field of talk show hosts, I knew she had that “It” thing: She was as sharp as she was authentic, as forthright as she was funny. During six seasons of NBC’s The Rosie O’Donnell Show, she not only won 11 Emmys—she knew how to use her screen time to truly connect.”
One thing that sounds really great about the new show, is its not about quantity, but quality of guests. Rather than trying to cram in 3 guests a day for 5 minute spots, the show will feature one guest on for several segments.
“Since I’ve been off the air, television has become saturated with celebrities. In America we’re addicted in a way that’s embarrassing. So it’s not going to be all about celebrity. It’ll be a celebration of humanity, of connection, of authenticity and love.
Because it’s on at 7, we’re going to do a hybrid between a late-night show and a daytime show. We’ll incorporate the audience. We’ll use Twitter. We’ll use Facebook. We’ve come up with a new kind of talk show that mixes the old single-topic format with fun and social media. So it will have a reality feel. We’ll have to get the kinks out, but the same way I knew the first one would work, I know this will work.“
Watch for a star studded opening week including a who’s who list of stars! Appearances by Salma Hyek, Lisa Kudrow, Gloria Estefan, Roseanne Barr, Sharon and Kelly Osborne, Ricky Lake, Gloria Steinem, Wanda Sykes, the cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Kevin Bacon, Fran Drescher , but she still has a wish list of other stars. “Adele has throat issues but as soon as she’s up and healthy she’ll be on,” she says. “I want to have Melissa McCarthy on. Never seen anyone as funny their first time as host of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Emma Stone… Ryan Gosling I think is an amazing actor. I have a huge wish list.”
“I’m going to come out and do stand-up with a mic. I don’t really tell jokes and my stand-up was always more about stories, so I need a mic and a stand. I felt like Henny Youngman [without it]. I’ll do about ten minutes of stand up, then take questions from the audience like Carol Burnett did. So we’re gonna have a real lengthy sit down interview, not always a celebrity with something to promote. Then we have a human interest segment and we play a game at the end of every show…. This will be more fun than anyone imagined. I cheat, but it’s still fun.”
Whether it’s hilarious comedy and game segments, (Rosie LOVES The Price is Right) a live performance by a major recording artist, a celebrity visit, or a discussion of an issue important to Americans, THE ROSIE SHOW’s candid exploration of a wide variety of subjects will encourage all of us to laugh, love and live our best lives.
JERRY NUNN, freelance writer in Chicago, asked Rosie if we would see her at Sidetrack for Sunday ShowTunes anytime soon. “OH MY GOSH, WHEN? I didn’t know about it!! Will they play THE RINK with Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli?? Very few people know the words to that. I could have a solo. I know all of the words! I could perform it!” – so keep an eye out for Rosie at Sidetracks!
* I have RCN and OWN is part of a news and information package I had to buy, for an additional $5.95 a month. But hey, it’ll be worth it!
BestGayChicago.com
Whoopi Goldberg to Speak at Chicago House Luncheon
That surprising remark was made by Whoopi Goldberg to the audience at the Absolutely Fabulous 2002 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Pride Awards in 2002. Given Whoopi’s history of public support for gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues, and the multiple lesbian and bisexual characters she has played on film, the announcement that Whoopi is bisexual probably shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
“There was a time I played on
both sides of the street.
Now I just go straight down
the middle of the street.”
Goldberg will be in Chicago Friday, November 4, 2011
for The 3rd Annual Speaker Series Luncheon
to benefit Chicago House.
Time: 11:30am-2:00pm
Where: Palmer House Hilton, Grand Ballroom
17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL
GET TICKETS ONLINE
Love Sucks Comes to Chicago November
Pride Films and Plays
presents the award-winning play
LOVE SUCKS, the company’s first fully staged production
Love Sucks by Rob Mersola, a not-so-romantic comedy of bad manners, opening November 3. In Love Sucks, we follow six romantically challenged philanderers through a 48-hour maze of the bars, back seats, and bathroom stalls of New York’s Lower East Side.
Love Sucks was recently named Best Production of a Comedy by the L.A. Scenie Awards, and Backstage Magazine hailed it as “90 minutes of down and dirty fun!”
PFP Artistic Associate John Nasca directs the comedy, which features PFP Artistic Ensemble members Valerie Heckman, Cyra K. Polizzi, Chad Ryan, Kevin Webb, and guest artists Edward Fraim and Adam Habben.
Executive Director David Zak says, “We are excited to take the next step in the growth of Pride Films and Plays. With scene study classes running at Center on Halsted beginning October 6 and the Screenplay Finale Weekend at COH October 20-23, this is an exciting time of growth for us.”
Love Sucks will be performed at Hydrate, 3458 North Halsted, with press opening Thursday, November 3 at 8 pm. Show times thereafter are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm through November 26. All tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets, or by calling 1 800 838 3006.
Director John Nasca is an Artistic Associate of PFP and co-founder and Artistic Director of Glitterati Productions. His directing credits include Gypsy, Mr. Shaw Goes to Hollywood, Beautiful Thing, The Ritz, and Moon Over Buffalo. He is also a 3-time Jeff-recommended costumer and the proud recipient of an After Dark Award. His costume work includes Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (Hartzell Productions), Anyone Can Whistle (Pegasus Players), Noises Off for producer/director Michael Leavitt, the Midwest premiere of Metropolis for Academy Award-winner Joseph Brooks, and Phantom (Porchlight). For Hell in a Handbag Productions, he designed Pussy on the House, Die! Mommie, Die!, Poseidon: An Upside-Down Musical, and Lady Ex. Other favorites include Follies, The Miracle Worker, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, Me and My Gal, The Little Foxes, Rigoletto, Annie, The Great White Hope, Tintypes, The Women, On the Waterfront, and at Drury Lane, Something’s Afoot.
About Pride Films and Plays
Pride Films and Plays, based in Chicago, links an international network of writers with professionals working in film and theater. PFP fosters excellent writing for the stage and screen that speaks not only to the LGBT community, but is essential viewing for our friends, family, and co-workers. Using stories with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters or themes, Pride Films and Plays develops human stories that become a cultural bridge to understanding. Through readings, contests, classes, screenings, and full theater productions, PFP engages artists and audiences in the full developmental process needed to make great artistic experiences. For more information, visit Pridefilmsandplays.com.
Mary Chapin Carpenter in Chicago area Oct. 15th
Acclaimed singer-songwriter, fierce animal lover, and long-time activist, Mary Chapin Carpenter‘s most recent album, The Age of Miracles , is a testament that she has indeed traveled so far, as her first song,”We Traveled So Far,” says.
Mary has been a dedicated supporter of organizations including Noah’s Wish, Campaign for a Landmine-Free World, Artists Against Hunger and Poverty, and other organizations.
Her music is poetic, pure and graceful, with her charm and storytelling evident throughout. “Zephyr” is my favorite track with lyrics: “I tried to be constant just like a star / I tried to be steady and yar / But the storms keep breaking over my head / I’m aching for blue skies instead”. A good ole-fashioned country song in “I Put My Ring Back On” about giving a relationship another go. “Holding Up The Sky” poetically and tenderly expresses her experience battling her health concerns, and feeling helplessness, scared and wanting to be free from pain.
When country singer Chely Wright publicly came out, the ONLY music artist who was publicly been supportive was Mary Chapin Carpenter. Others have been so privately but apparently do not want their fans to know they are LGBT friendly…”only one of those artists — Mary Chapin Carpenter — made a public statement about my coming out,to the positive.” said Chely….. “Mary Chapin Carpenter said, ‘Chely should be commended for what she’s done.’ My other artist friends reached out to me privately and said they loved me and that they were proud of me, but when asked publicly they said no comment…”
The Age of Miracles is the twelfth studio album from five-time Grammy award-winning Carpenter, including one Grammy-winning and two Grammy-nominated albums. By combining folk, country, acoustic, rock and blues, Carpenter has proven herself to be an artist for whom the conventional boundaries of the music business disappear; she has always professed a love for all kinds of music, and those influences come together in songs that speak to the most personal of life’s details as well as to the most universal.
Don’t miss this Chicagoland appearance!
Dominican University October 15th! Get Tickets Online!
Mary Chapin Carpenter
World Gym – Voted #1 in Chicago! Try it Now For Free and Sign up For Deals
Are you looking for the best gym
in the Lakeview/Uptown area?
WORLD GYM! at Montrose and Sheridan.
And there is no better time than NOW to try them! FREE DAY PASSES available Now thru Oct. 19th to give them a try!
Memberships as low as $19!
They give the most for the best price in town.
And on Oct. 19th They are hosting an OPEN HOUSE.
-No enrollment fees
-Sweet deals
-Food and cocktails
-Free Fitness Assessments
Stop in and tell them you saw it here!
World Gym Chicago 909 W. Montrose 773-348-1212
My Private Chef at Chicago Botanical Garden for Food Network Hawaiian Food Oct 2
Chef Tong, from My Private Chef, Prepares Chef Tong’s cooking demonstration will take place on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois. Chef Tong will prepare Hawai‘i-style Chicken Curry with carmelized Apples, Pears and Bananas; served with Coconut rice. People who are casual cooks or lovers of gourmet food get to ask questions and come away with a fabulous recipe that you can try at home. Chef will give tips on preparation and serving. And, everyone gets to have a taste. The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority will be demonstrating lei making with fresh flowers and will provide coffee, tea, cacao and macadamia nut samples. Come join the fun! Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden and Garden Chef Series is free. Parking is $20.00. For more information about this Garden Chef Series event, call 847.835.5440 or visit Chicagobotanic.org. 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. For more information about My Private Chef, contact Event Services
a Hawaiian-Themed Dish during
Food Network Magazine FREE Weekend
at Chicago Botanic Garden.
Put on your grass skirt and Hawaiian shirt for delicious tropical food! You will learn how to prepare a Hawaiian-themed dish by Chef Christopher Tong during the
Food Network Magazine and Hawaiian Islands weekend at Chicago Botanic Garden’s popular annual Garden Chef Series.
at 773.981.8131 or visit them online: Myprivatechef.net
Coyote Art Festival in Wicker Park Sept 30-Oct 2
The Coyote is back!
Early in 2008, the Around the Coyote organization set sail on a new course. No longer was the “Around the Coyote” art festival to be an open, Wicker Park Bucktown, neighborhood festival. Around the Coyote was to transform into a professional, serious, curatorial organization, “convincing the broader art community that they have moved up in quality and that they were becoming something more edgy and interesting”.”
The end result…… early 2010, Around the Coyote “Bites the Dust”…… But the Coyote remained alive.
With the support of the neighborhood, in the fall of 2010, The Flat Iron Artist Organization brought the Coyote back by sponsoring “Beyond the Coyote”, drawing several thousand visitors to the neighborhood.
This fall the Coyote is alive in Wicker Park. We continue to honor the artistic spirit of Wicker Park Bucktown and invite you to join us September 30th, October 1st and 2nd.
$10 donation at the door.
Start at 1579 N. Milwaukee @ Flat Iron Bldg.
More than 150 neighborhood artists pay tribute to the Around the Coyote art fest with a showcase of works spanning painting, sculpture and photography. The fest also features performances, a silent auction and refreshments. Grab an event map to find out which local bars and galleries host live music, exhibits and giveaways in conjunction with the fest.
Flat Iron Artists
ALEXANDRA BILLINGS Oct 7-8, An Improvised Evening With Katharine Hepburn
DARK BLUE THEATRICALS
and STAGE 773
are proud to announce
ALEXANDRA BILLINGS !
Returning to Chicago in
“KATIE’S CORNER: LIVE!”
An Improvised Evening With
Katharine Hepburn
PRODUCED AND DIRECTED
BY SEAN ABLEY
“KATIE’S CORNER is an evening of fun, fun, fun, no matter what you go in expecting. Alexandra Billings is a masterful actress and her sustained speech patterns and overall demeanor as the aging Hepburn are deliciously & devilishly perfect.”
KATIE’S CORNER: LIVE! returns to Chicago after a previous, sold-out performance in April 2011, and extended runs in Los Angeles and Fresno, CA. The performances will feature Chicago favorites Honey West, Molly Brennan (500 Clown), David Cerda (Handbag Productions, The Joan Band), Mitchell Fain and many more surprise guests.
Performances October 7-8, @10:30pm
Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont , Chicago IL, 60657
Box office – 773.327.5252 or Stage773.com
BestGayChicago.com
Chicago Antique Market Randolph Street this Saturday Sept. 24
The Early bird gets…the DEALS!
And helps Charity!
Chicago Antique Market Randolph Street this Saturday!
Chicago House will be on site collecting gate donations during the early buy! Early buyers get the BEST deals, and $10 in shopping vouchers!
Come early, stay late…and shop til you drop!
This European-style, indoor-outdoor urban antique market in the historic West Loop neighborhood features 200 select purveyors of high quality, amazingly priced “finds”, offering unlimited creative inspiration and hours of fun. Shoppers can find furnishings, vintage clothing, jewelry, collectibles, etc.
Early Buying for Chicago House!
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2011 Time: 8 – 10 am
Where: Randolph Street Market, 1340 W Washington
Advance Ticket: $20 Day of Ticket: $25
(PS – Whoopi Goldberg is just weeks away! Do you have your tickets yet??)
Rosie is Ready to Launch in Chicago and Moving to Lakeview!
AS YOU KNOW,
Rosie O’Donnell is now in
Chicago, filming at Harpo Studios.
At her annual Rosie Theater Kids Gala recently in New York City, O’Donnell showed off her new girlfriend, Michelle Rounds. A knockout blond with a stunning figure, Rounds is a corporate headhunter for an I.T. company, People reports. And apparently the two women share a love of coffee.
“They met at a Starbucks a few months ago,” a source tells People. “They are adorable together and are very, very happy.”
The Rosie Show debuts on Oprah Winfrey‘s OWN network on Oct. 10.
Rosie reportedly just purchased a new $2.5 million townhouse in Lakeview! 6,000 sq. foot with a huge huge rooftop. The seller is an executive at the Oprah Winfrey Network, which will air O’Donnell’s new show, the sources told the Tribune. Somoene told me Rosie accidentally got LOCKED OUT. Stuck on the roof of her new digs! She and her realtor had to shout down to passerbys on the street, to get help!
The daytime host joked about her new gal pal, onstage at her gala, that she had just bought a new red bra “with the underpants that match and everything.”
The Emmy-winning working mama has four children with her ex-spouse Kelli Carpenter, whom she married in 2004. They divorced in 2007.
“(The divorce was) humbling. And humiliating,” O’Donnell told Oprah in the October issue of O magazine. “In the O’Donnell family , no one had ever been divorced.”
BEST GAY CHICAGO has been invited to a test taping for the new show – we’ll keep you posted!
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Arrives in Chicago
In 1989 when the economy was unstable, Mitchell Gold and his partner, Bob Williams, naively created The Mitchell Gold Co. Since then, despite tough economic times and upheaval in the furniture industry, sales have reached in excess of $100 million. The combination of Gold’s years of marketing experience with Williams’ talents as art director set the course for Mitchell Gold and changed the furniture industry.
One of their earliest ideas, “Relaxed Design,” was based on trends they saw in the apparel industry. Designing furniture Bob Williams would want in his own home – comfortable, classic, affordable – he dressed his pieces in relaxed slipcovers of pre-washed fabrics like denim, khaki and velvet. He also addressed the need for a less-intimidating shopping experience by limiting choices to avoid confusing consumers. Along the way, Williams has received numerous awards, including Design 100 awards from Metropolitan Home magazine.
The company is now a leading home-furnishings brand, carried in such national chains as Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Williams Sonoma Home, and Bloomingdale’s, as well as in more than 60 independent retailers nationwide. In addition, there is a growing chain of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Signature Stores – and they have arrived now in Chicago at 1555 N. Halsted, Lincoln Park, across from the new Apple store.
The grand opening happened last week was filed with hundreds of Chicago’s designers, movers and shakers. And DJ Lady Bunny. Bunny is a longtime freind of Gold and Williams and spins at every store opening.
Also there was very special guest: expert photog Tipper Gore, was there. Since moving on with her spirited journey through life, she’s had the chance to document some of the most photogenic people and places. Mitchell and Bob have decided they just love her so much, they needed to share her talent with the world, and they now carry a signed collection of her work in their stores. To celebrate Tipper’s skilled camera work and introduce her to Chicago’s interiors crowd, they’re having a 20% promotion on all of Tipper’s work.
In the mid 90’s, Gold and Wiliams lead the way in gay media advertising. They were one of the very first companies, to stand up and place major ads in LGBT media. Here was a nationally recognized furniture brand, portraying gay couples in ads! Recently, Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams received the Public Visibility Award from GLAAD for including LGBT stories in the advertising for their company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and for their personal efforts to advocate for LGBT equality. “As with other forms of media, advertising has the power to change hearts and minds,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “Companies that promote fair, accurate and inclusive images of the LGBT community in advertising send an important message to their customers, to corporations and to any consumer who sees their ads. We will be recognizing those companies that do just that, and in so doing, set a standard to which other companies may aspire.”
Also in attendance was 2011 HGTV Design Star winner Meg Caswell. Her show GREAT ROOMS airs on HGTV weekly 5pm (C) on Saturdays.
Her Design Studio is at 1242 N. Wells, is in an old firehouse with some antiques and accessories! You can see it, on some of her shows. Currently by appointment only. 773-883-6004
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
1555 N Halsted Street
Lincoln Park Centre
Chicago, Illinois 60642
312-397-3135
Powerful New Music Video “I Will” Released: Emotional Story Line Seeks To Stop The Stigma of HIV
This week the groundbreaking music video “I Will” made its debut at Chicago’s Jackhammer in front of a large crowd and rave reviews. Singer/songwriter Marshall Titus and Photographer/Director John Gress were on hand for a Q & A session with the night’s host Jay Lacey.
The music video was very well received and immediately went viral, having been sent to over 100 bloggers nationwide. It is hoped that the music video will be watched by tens of thousands of people over the next few weeks and start to spur discussions in gay communities throughout the country. Titus and Gress created “I Will” out of a desire to both move and educate the gay community about the tendency to stigmatize those who are HIV positive.
The music video, with the help of a very moving plot and superb acting, tells the powerful story of an African-American charecter who discovers that he is HIV positive. The video follows his initial struggle with the diagnosis and reveals subsequently the growth that happens to him through a process of self-acceptance with the love and support of his friends. The lyrics, “on this walk of faith, I will be strong, I will be brave,” mirrors the inner strength that the protagonist summons within himself to overcome his fear both of the disease and of the rejection oftentimes met with the disclosure of one’s status.
It is hoped that “I Will” will spark discussions about the tendency for gay men, out of fear to separate themselves on the basis of HIV status. This fear and division are causing many people to not get tested.
The result is that the HIV transmission rate continues to climb for gay men and shows no signs of abating. “I Will” strives to inspire gay men to stop dividing the community on the basis of HIV status. Titus and Gress hope that if fewer people live in fear, more people get tested and more people will be treated with dignity and tolerance.
Watch I WILL now on YouTube.
SEPTEMBER 21st! Stop The Stigma: A Day With HIV In America
Positively Aware magazine released a video in order to help publicize the second annual A Day with HIV in America. The national campaign features an online photo essay project focused on destigmatizing and demystifying HIV. Because whether you’re negative or positive, we are all affected by HIV.
On Sept. 21st, grab your digital camera or smartphone. Take a snapshot and capture a moment of your day. Each photo tells a story. So, get in the picture, and tell your story. Photo submissions will be posted on www.ADayWithHIVInAmerica.com. Select pictures will be published in the November+December issue of Positively Aware. Submit your photo by Sept. 26 to artdirector@tpan.com.
BestGayChicago.com
Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame 20th Anniversary
The persons honored in 2011 are:
Eleven individuals and four organizations will be inducted in November into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, the country’s only known government-sponsored hall of fame that honors members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities.
“It makes us proud that, even 20 years after our first ceremony, there are still important figures from the past and a constantly growing list of current Chicagoans whose accomplishments and community contributions merit being honored by the Hall of Fame,” said Lourdes Rodriguez, co-chairperson of the Hall of Fame Committee and of the Friends of the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.
“Though municipal budget problems have restricted government financial support for the Hall of Fame this year, we are grateful that individual Chicagoans have stepped forward to assist us, through Friends of the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, in maintaining a needed and historically significant institution,” said Gary Chichester, the other co-chairperson of the committee and of the Friends organization.
The Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame was established in 1991 under the auspices of the Advisory Council, with support from the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and then-Mayor Richard M. Daley. Its purpose is to recognize the achievements of LGBT Chicagoans, their contributions to the development of the city, and the help they have received from others. In 2011, it marks its 20th anniversary, holds its 21st annual induction ceremony, and enjoys continuing status as an official recognition by city government of Chicago’s LGBT residents and their allies.
Individuals
Paul Adams (1954-2000), an early AIDS campaigner who helped form Chicago for AIDS Rights (CFAR) and turned his status as a Mr. Windy City contest winner into an effective activism vehicle. Other involvements included Open Hand Chicago, the Pink Angels anti-crime group, Chicago Anti-Bashing Network, and a press column.
Greg Cameron, 53, an arts administrator and fundraiser. He formerly served as deputy director and chief development officer at the Museum of Contemporary Art, creating partnerships with LGBT groups. He has helped lead and fund several LGBT organizations and is now chief operating officer of broadcasters WTTW and WFMT.
Antonia “Tata” Flores (1958-2008), founder in 1987 of Chicago’s Dykes on Bikes motorcycle contingent, which appears in parades as a symbol of lesbian visibility. She coordinated and hosted its activities for the rest of her life, ran lesbian-affirming nightclubs, and aided diverse community causes before her death of breast cancer.
Grant Lynn Ford, 72, a former Assemblies of God minister who became an LGBT press pioneer and a dynamic Metropolitan Community Churches pastor in the Chicago area and in Florida, where he now lives. He was founding publisher of GayLife in 1975 and ran for election as 44th Ward alderman in 1978.
Robert Garofalo, M.D., 45, a national expert on promoting the health of LGBT youth and of youth affected by HIV/AIDS. He was director of youth services and deputy director at Chicago’s Howard Brown Health Center and now directs Children’s Memorial Hospital’s Gender, Sexuality and HIV Prevention Center.
Ted Grady, 42, co-owner of Chicago’s J&L Catering, through which he has helped to underwrite and sponsor many nonprofit groups. He has also helped to lead and raise funds for such causes as About Face Theatre, Equality Illinois, and Chicago House, and he works on global LGBT issues with Chicago’s Heartland Alliance.
Marcia Hill, 53, a participant, promoter, organizer, and official of LGBT sports teams and events for almost three decades. She was a chief force in growing the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association from about 200 members in 1983 to almost 4,000 today. She was also active in helping Chicago to host the 2006 Gay Games.
Tony Jackson (1876-1921), a pioneer in early-20th-century popular music. He brought musical influences from his native New Orleans to Chicago, gained fame as a talented and colorful performer, mentored such jazz figures as Jelly Roll Morton, wrote the 1916 hit “Pretty Baby,” and lived as an openly gay man when that was rare.
Owen Keehnen, 51, a writer, interviewer, editor, and activist. His articles have appeared in local and national LGBT newspapers and magazines, and his work includes short stories, novels, and historical essays. He has served on the board of Chicago’s Gerber/Hart Library, and a book of his interviews will appear this autumn.
Brett Shingledecker, 48, co-founder of People Like Us, which operated as Chicago’s only exclusively gay and lesbian bookstore from 1988 to 1997. The store became not only a source of books for thousands of customers but also an LGBT community information center, and it donated gift certificates to numerous organizations.
Jon Simmons (1955-1994), a city government liaison to LGBT Chicagoans under three mayors. Before being appointed by Mayor Eugene Sawyer in 1988, he had been Joseph Holmes Dance Theatre’s executive director and a freelance writer and researcher. He was found murdered in Beverly Hills, Calif., while on a 1994 vacation.
Organizations
Good Shepherd Parish Metropolitan Community Church, the first Midwestern congregation of the LGBT-oriented Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. Active for some 37 years, the Chicago congregation met for the last time in 2007 after serving thousands of persons who were seeking religious support.
Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles, the umbrella group for a succession of instrumental ensembles that began in 1979 with the Chicago Gay Pride Band. Today, its four major components are still helping to promote LGBT equality and social acceptance through music, frequently appearing in parades and concerts.
Friends of the Community
Jenner & Block LLP, a distinguished national law firm headquartered in Chicago, which often has represented LGBT individuals and organizations in successful precedent-setting cases, besides providing pro bono legal assistance to others and financially sponsoring LGBT charitable and community organization events.
The Night Ministry, a social service organization that is Chicago’s leading provider of emergency housing for runaway and homeless youth, of whom LGBTQ youth constitute a disproportionate (20 to 40 percent) number. It also provides them with HIV testing, counseling, and referrals.
The chosen nominees will be inducted at the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame’s annual ceremony, which will take place on the evening of Wednesday, November 9, at the Chicago History Museum,1601 N. Clark St., Chicago. The event will be free and open to the public.
Gay Lesbian Hall of Fame
Best Gay Chicago GAY SEGWAY Tour September 22
Join Michael and Derrick of BEST GAY CHICAGO and Absolutely Chicago Segway Tours on Sept. 22nd for an LGBT evening Segway Tour! (Photo of Steve and Drew) $10 parking available in the MILLENIUM PARK GARAGE – If you enter from the street level, the address is 337 E. Randolph Street
Something fun and different! Explore Chicago on the most original Segway tour Chicago has to offer.
The guided sightseeing tour covers 7 to 8 miles along the Chicago Lakefront. View the spectacular Chicago architecture, statues and fountains while we glide through the fragrant garden paths of Grant Park, Millennium Park, the Museum Campus, and Soldier Field.
Other highlights of this tour will be the sun setting on the skyline, viewing the skyline in all of its evening splendor is breathtaking. The buildings all look like they are highlighted in gold.
Capture the memory with the many photo opportunities of Chicago attractions along these spectacular Chicago tour routes. Invitations are being sent out all over the LGBT community – so it should be a fun networking event with a diverse group of people. Bring a friend or just make some new friends!
Segways are easy to learn and safe to ride.
This special tour is limited to 30 people.
Normally $65, this tour is being offered at $55.
Includes rentals, tour and taxes.
(gratuity to your tour guide that night is appreciated!)
Thursday, Sept. 22nd!
The tour is at 6:15 pm -8:15….People should arrive at 5:45-6:00
To make a reservation Call 312-552-5100 ask for Timmie.
NOTE – EAST MONROE GARAGE is closed.
Follow the Segway signs inside the parking structure.
Afterwards, we can swing by Downtown Bar, if people are up for it!
Dog Adoption Sat. Sept. 10 in Andersonville
Over a dozen dogs need a home, this Saturday, Sept. 10th!!
Dogs who really need
Loving and Happy Homes will be on hand and available for adoption at the event –
These dogs are all saved from Kill-Shelters and REALLY need your support!
Saturday, September 10, 2011 9:30am – 5:00pm
Famous Fido Rescue and Adoption Alliance
5430 North Clark Chicago, IL 60640 Rear Parking Lot
Please call us at: 773.907.0305
or visit us us at: Famousfidorescue.com
Big Gay Brunch Club Chicago Goes to ROY’S Sept. 18th
1st Course is a Variety of Mini Muffins With a Passion Fruit Whipped Butter
BIG GAY BRUNCH CLUB Chicago goes Hawaiian this month @ Roy’s, Sunday September 18th.
Nowhere else will you find a culinary experience quite like the flavors, textures and colors found in Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. Combining the freshest local ingredients with European sauces and bold Asian spices, each creation leaves you with the feeling that you’ve just found paradise.
Roy’s restaurants feature the finest seafood, with a focus on delicacies from the oceans surrounding Hawaii. Tonight you may find Ono, Opakapaka and Onaga in addition to an array of hand-cut meats, sushi and fresh shellfish—not to mention an award-winning wine list that was designed to perfectly enhance every meal.
BRUNCH is a special treat at Roy’s! The Brunch season is technically over at Roy’s but they are hosting this special BGBC Brunch just for us! Normally, BGBC says, THE MORE THE MERRIER! But for this special brunch, it is being capped at 60 people.
$36 includes food, beverages, tax and gratuity.
Main Course, you can choose from ….
Hawaiian Sweetbread French Toast w/ Candied Pecans, Blackberry Coulis
Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes w/ Maple Syrup
Maui Wowie Salad w/ Avocado, Lemongrass Poached Shrimp, Caper Lime Vinaigrette
Hawaiian Omelet w/ Portuguese Sausage, Scallions, Tomatoes, Peppers, American cheese
Egg White Omelet w/ Scallions, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sprouts, Peppers, Bok Choy
Unlimited P.O.G. mimosas, O.J. mimosas or Bloody Marys
Offerings also include coffee, ice tea and soda
RSVP on Facebook – will be confirming reservations the week of the event.
BestGayChicago.com
Lakeview East Festival of the Arts 2011 Sept. 10-11 in Boystown
The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the seventh annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts. The Festival takes place Saturday, Sept. 10 and Sunday, Sept. 11 on Broadway Avenue, just north of Belmont. Lakeview East is a dynamic and diversified neighborhood community rich in culture, history and the arts. The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce works hand in hand with their local residents and business owners and is pleased to offer its neighbors and the Chicagoland area with one of the premier fine art outdoor festivals. The 2011 Lakeview East Festival of the Arts showcases more than 150 juried artists featuring world class original paintings, sculpture, photography, furniture, jewelry and more. Artists in almost every medium will be represented including photography, printmaking, mixed media, ceramics, clay, collage, fiber, glass, sculpture, furniture and more. Unique and original artwork is on sale in all price ranges. In addition to the art on sale, the Festival features live demonstrations and entertainment stages where some of Chicago’s favorite musicians play throughout the weekend. This year, sculpture artist Lucy Slivnski will contribute her designs to the Chirsty Webber urban garden.
September 10 & 11 Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm
Along Broadway • Belmont to Roscoe
LAKEVIEW FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
Over 150 Juried Artists Showcased!
GREAT ART • MUSIC • FOOD •Beer and Wine Garden – SCULPTURE GARDEN
Celebration of Life Planned to Honor Christina Santiago Sept. 10
On September 10th at 1pm, friends and loved ones will gather to remember and celebrate the life of Christina Santiago. Santiago was killed in the Indiana State Fair stage collapse on August 14, and is survived by her wife, Alisha Marie Brennon, who was injured in the collapse. The celebration in memory of Christina Santiago’s life will be held at the Chicago History Museum, and is open to the public. Santiago, a self-identified ‘Nuyorican’ lesbian feminist, was committed to empowering queer women of color and advocating for access to healthcare in the LGBTQ community. She was a board member and programming chair for Amigas Latinas, and worked full-time as the manager of programming for the Lesbian Community Care Project (LCCP) at Howard Brown Health Centers. Amigas Latinas, LCCP, and Howard Brown have worked closely with Brennon to plan this event. Celebration of the Life of Christina Santiago Saturday, Sept 10, 2011 at 1pm @ Chicago History Museum 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL The Chicago History Museum parking lot is located at the corner of Stockton and LaSalle. CHM is also accessible by the #22 Clark bus and by the Sedgwick Brown and Purple lines. Event is open to the public. For more information, contact Marissa Ellenby at Public Communications Inc. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to several funds created in Santiago’s honor: Howard Brown and LCCP are collecting donations for two funds. The first provides assistance to Santiago’s relatives. The second supports the work of the Lesbian Community Cancer Project. (Howardbrown.org)
