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Gerber/Hart reveals future plans
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, 6500 N. Clark St., hosted several relatively informal, socially distanced gatherings the weekend of Sept. 12-13 to let community supporters know about its plans for the next few years. The various sessions—which ...
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MOMBIAN True stories, trans tales and more in new picture books
New books can be a delightful relief in these days of quarantine. Here are some of the many new LGBTQ-inclusive picture books that just came out last month. ( See Mombian.com for even more. ) The ...
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Submissions sought for Lambda Literary Awards
Submissions are now being sought for the 33rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards, which honors the best of LGBTQ+ literature. Due to COVID-19, the organization has implemented an entirely digital submission process using Submittable. Submissions are judged ...
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NATIONAL Marsha P. Johnson, Anchorage, electoral items, gay author dies
Marsha P. Johnson—the iconic transgender activist who was a central figure in New York City's LGBTQ+-liberation movement—will get a monument in her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, CNN.com reported. Throughout October, city and county leaders will ...
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E. Patrick Johnson's 'Sweet Tea' book released
Northwestern University Press announced the release of the book Sweet Tea, by E. Patrick Johnson, with a foreword by Jane M. Saks. This book is the stage version of Johnson's Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of ...
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New psychology handbook focuses on sexual, gender minority mental health
A comprehensive new psychology book, The Oxford Handbook of Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health, was recently released—and it features essays from dozens of academics across multiple countries addressing a variety of issues specific to this ...
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Ally opens Diverse Little Free Library in Norridge
Former elementary school teacher and healthcare non-profit education manager Lauren Erbach Barnfield is on a mission to bring diverse children's books to her Norridge neighborhood—with a Diverse Little Free Library located in her family's front yard. ...
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DANK Haus hosts 'Gay Berlin' forum with author
Chicago's DANK Haus German American Cultural Center hosted a virtual discussion event with Dr. Robert Beachy, author of the Randy Shilts Award-winning book Gay Berlin: Birthplace of a Modern Identity, on Aug. 6. The event began ...
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Trans advocate Jamison Green talks about increasing visibility
Jamison Green would really like to go hiking again. He last went on a serious hike three years ago, before he and his wife left the Bay Area. He's been an outdoorsman his whole life and ...
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Nigerian LGBTQ+ refugee-turned-activist on importance of compassion
Edafe Okporo came to the United States from Nigeria in 2016. Now, he's the founder of New York's first full-time LGBTQ+ refugee shelter. Along the way, he has gained insight to how one can make a ...
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BOOK REVIEW Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlaw
By Charles Leerhsen $28; Simon & Schuster; 304 pages That man there? He's just a nice guy. Kind and generous, respectful and friendly, he's a true gentleman, and he's never judgmental. He loves children and animals, ...
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'One Poem: A Protest Reading in Support of Black Lives' Aug. 18
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m., the Poetry Coalition—a network of 25+ literary organizations that includes Lambda Literary and Young Chicago Authors—will present "One Poem: A Protest Reading in Support of Black Lives." In this ...
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Gerber/Hart fall benefit Sept. 12-13
The Gerber/Hart Library and Archives fall benefit—"Saving LGBTQ History: Archives in a Time of Activism"—will take place Sept. 12-13 at the venue, 6500 N. Clark St. On those days, there will be a series of 90-minute ...
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BOOKS Yvonne Zipter: Looking at Chicagoan's life, poetry collection
Writer Yvonne Zipter nurtures nature and other ideas in her new book of poetry Kissing the Long Face of the Greyhound. Zipter grew up in Milwaukee and lived there until she was 24. She earned a ...
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NATIONAL Anti-trans killings, surveys, 'Trans Care' book, gay-bar news
Gay City News reported that an individual who the NYPD said was fatally stabbed at a Bronx apartment building on July 26 was a Black transgender woman, according to Princess Janae Place, an organization that supports ...
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BOOKS In fashion: Jay Manuel dishes on 'The Wig, The Bitch & The Meltdown'
Jay Manuel has been many things, including an make-up artist and a creative director—and he is probably best known as taking on the latter role for several years on the reality-competition show America's Next Top Model. ...
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Wizard World postponed until June 24-27, 2021
Wizard Entertainment, Inc. announced that its Wizard World Chicago convention, originally scheduled for Aug. 20-23 at Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, has been postponed due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The revised dates for the ...
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NUNN ON ONE TV: Ashley Romans bites into juicy role on AMC series 'NOS4A2'
Based on Joe Hill's novel of the same name, the AMC series NOS4A2 spins a vampire's tale in unexpected directions. Out actor Zachary Quinto is the ominous Charlie Manx, who battles the gifted Vic McQueen, played ...
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VIEWPOINTS 'All Boys Aren't Blue' is the audacious memoir of a Black queer man
George M. Johnson could not have known about this moment in history when he wrote his memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue, but for this white male reader, the sounds of courageous protestors in our streets were ...
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Five Worth Finding: Bill T. Jones book, Music Box thriller and more
—Story/Time: The Life of an Idea: This book came out in 2014, but this is an excellent time to appreciate this tome. In it, out gay African American dancer, choreographer and director Bill T. Jones reflects ...
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BOOK REVIEW Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man
By Mary L. Trump, Ph.D. $28; Simon and Schuster; 227 pages. You hadn't seen that container in ages. You really can't remember when you put it on the shelf. Sometime this year, six years ago, ...
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BOOKS Local activist Wanda B. tells her life story in 'Leader by Fault'
Founder of Stud 4 Life, Lawanda Green—or Wanda B.—is no stranger to giving back. Her organization has marched to stop the violence and does cancer walks in honor of her late mother, Dorothy Jean Green. And ...
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NUNN ON ONE PHOTOGRAPHY Peter Bussian focuses on New York's trans community
Peter Bussian is a visual artist who continually promotes international themes in his work. He's been published in The New York Times, LA Times, Paris Match and O: The Oprah Magazine, among others. Several galleries in ...
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BOOKS Joey Skladany entertains, instructs in 'Basic Bitchen'
With Basic Bitchen, Joey Skladany has probably put together one of the most entertaining cookbooks one might come across. With recipes for items such as Antidepressant Red Velvet Cake Pops and entertaining stories, Skladany aims to ...
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Printers Row Lit Fest officially cancelled
For the first time in its 36-year history, Chicago's Printers Row Lit Fest has been officially canceled. Organizers said the current city and state restrictions around large public gatherings due to COVID-19 made it impossible for ...
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BOOKS Skokie native writes about creating an LGBTQ family
Steve Disselhorst dreamed of being a parent since he was a kid growing up in Skokie. On June 16, his first book, Determined To Be Dad, was released, and it details his journey to fulfill that ...
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Library board president leaves post over anti-LGBTQ statements
Cook Memorial Public Library District Board President Bonnie Quirke has now resigned from her post, The Daily Herald reported. Quirke, 80, of Libertyville, had served on the board since 2005 and had been its president since ...
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BOOKS Photographer focuses on 'The People of the Pride Parade'
Alyssa Blumstein captured a celebratory photography book The People of the Pride Parade, which was released in honor of the Pride Parade's 50th anniversary. The images highlight the joyful moments through a collection of marches and ...
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Library board president criticized for anti-LGBTQ speech
Cook Memorial Public Library District Board President Bonnie Quirke was criticized for an old speech in which she accused libraries of promoting "the homosexual agenda," The Daily Herald reported. Quirke's remarks were uploaded to YouTube in ...
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Gerber/Hart celebrates Hot Wire: The Journal of Women's Music and Culture
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives hosted a look back at Hot Wire: The Journal of Women's Music and Culture with a panel, on May 27. The journal grew out of Not Just a Stage, an organization Toni ...
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BAMtheatre starting virtual classes
In response to the stay-at-home and social distancing orders implemented by the COVID-19 pandemic, BAMtheatre has reimagined its musical theatre-focused programming through a host of virtual master classes, workshops, choirs and other activities to keep students ...
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BOOK REVIEW Calamity: The Many Lives of Calamity Jane
You can call yourself whatever you want. Nobody says you can't have a different name every day, if that's your wish. Reinvent your life, create a new past, change your birth year, and tell new stories, ...
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PASSAGES H.G. Carrillo, author
ARTICLE UPDATED May 30, 2020
A tribute to H.G. 'Hache' Carillo Writer/professor Herman "H.G." Carrillo (known for his 2004 novel Loosing My Espanish) passed away April 20 due to COVID-19. After initially publishing a tribute to Carrillo online, Windy City ...
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Gerber/Hart Library hosts virtual panel on The 10% Show
The 10% Show was the focus of a May 13 virtual panel hosted by Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. A cable access Chicago-based LGBTQ monthly newsmagazine, The 10% Show ran for 21 episodes between 1989-1991 and covered ...
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BOOKS New book explores life of astronomer-turned-activist Kameny
Dr. Eric Cervini—a Harvard and Cambridge-trained historian sometimes known as the "Hunky Historian"—reveals the secret history of the fight for LGBTQ rights that began a generation before Stonewall in his new book, The Deviant's War: The ...
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Comedian Cameron Esposito's new memoir digs into queer liberation, Catholic upbringing
Catherine Buck
Cameron Esposito's new memoir, Save Yourself, is the story she needed when she was younger. The lesbian comedian tracks the story of her Catholic upbringing and queer liberation, including an early interest in the priesthood and ...
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Autobiography reflects on heyday of Chicago LGBT media
Fort Lauderdale-based author Rick Karlin, a native Chicagoan who for many years wrote about food and entertainment, among other topics, for LGBT papers in the Windy City, said that the machinations of the local gay media ...
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Virtual reading of Terrence McNally work on April 16
In honor of Terrence McNally, who recently passed away at age 81 of complications from COVID-19, four actors—each participating from a remote location—will perform a live online reading of Mothers and Sons on Thursday, April 16 ...
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BOOK REVIEW An Indefinite Sentence: A Personal History of Outlawed Love and Sex
Coming out was difficult enough. Even if everyone supported you and very little changed, you changed; still, though you had doubts and fear, it was something you had to do. Now read the new book An ...
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BOOKS Jen Manion talks 'Female Husbands' and writing process
In their new book, Female Husbands: A Trans History, Jen Manion illuminates the stories of people assigned female at birth who transed gender to live as men and also marry women in the United Kingdom and ...
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36th annual Printers Row Lit Fest put off to
Labor Day weekend
CHICAGO ( April 10, 2020 ) Out of an abundance of caution, and prioritizing the safety and well being of its guests, authors and vendors, the Near South Planning Board has postponed this year's Printers Row ...
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Historians seek responses from LGBTQ people
Writers/historians St Sukie de la Croix and Owen Keehnen are again seeking responses—this time for a third volume of the Tell Me About It series. Participants will answer up to 15 questions about their lives. People ...
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Virtual reading of Terrence McNally's Mothers and Sons April 16
In honor of Terrence McNally, who recently passed away at age 81 of complications from COVID-19. Four actors, each participating from a remote location, will perform a live online reading of Mothers and Sons on Thursday, ...
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BOOKS
Legendary Chicago 'lesbian of conscience' tells her story
In Emily L. Quint Freeman's no-holds-barred 262-page memoir, Failure to Appear: Resistance, Identity and Loss, she provides a gripping true-life story of a lesbian of conscience who became a fugitive, on the run for over nineteen ...
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CAKE postponed until June 2021
Because of coronavirus-related concerns, Chicago Alternative Comics Expo ( CAKE ) and CAKE-related activities are being postponed until a proposed date of June 2021. In a statement, organizers said, "Though the quality of the predictive information ...
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Five Worth Finding: From an absorbing memoir to cool socks
—Ordinary Girls: A Memoir: In this hard-hitting memoir, Jaquira Diaz writes of struggling with depression and drug abuse while growing into her identity as a queer, biracial girl in Miami and Puerto Rico. And as Diaz ...
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SPLC releases 'Hate and Extremism' report
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual "Year in Hate and Extremism" report, identifying 940 active hate groups across the United States in 2019. The number of hate groups represents a slight decline from the ...
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BOOK REVIEW Ian McKellen: A Biography
Author: Garry O'Connor. $29.99; St. Martin's Press; 356 pages Any old stick would do. When you were a child, that's what it took to become a wizard: a stick became a makeshift wand, an old towel ...
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Gerber/Hart will be closed to the public until March 31
In support of efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, Gerber/Hart will be closed to the public until March 31. Upcoming programs will be postponed or canceled: The March 25 Disappeared: Chicago's Lost Lesbian Bars film ...
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Women & Children First delaying, cancelling events
Because of coronavirus-related concerns, most of the March events at Women & Children First bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St., have been rescheduled for late spring and summer dates. In addition, events with Eli Clare, Nadina LaSpina, ...
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BOOK REVIEW The Trans Generation
By Ann Travers $25; New York University Press; 261 pages Boy or girl? That's a common enough question, if you're an expectant parent. You might've even wondered it yourself: will you need pink things or blue, ...
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'The Boys in the Band' writer Crowley dead at 84
Mart Crowley—best known for writing the '60s seminal play The Boys in the Band, about a group of gay friends at a birthday party—died March 8 at age 84, media reports stated. Writer Michael Musto broke ...
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Non-binary author Jacob Tobia holds reading in A'ville
To celebrate the paperback release of their debut book, Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story, non-binary author, actor and producer Jacob Tobia held a reading and book-signing event March 5 at Women & Children First in Andersonville. Tobia ...
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MOMBIAN Needing more than a moment: LGBTQ representation in children's media
The Academy Award-winning songwriters behind Disney's Frozen, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and husband Bobby Lopez, announced recently that they are working on Universal Pictures' movie musical adaptation of The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang's award-winning graphic novel ...
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Women's History Month events planned at Chicago's Feminist Bookstore
CHICAGO, IL ( March 3, 2020 ) - Chicago's only feminist bookstore—one of only ten feminist bookstores left in the U.S.—is celebrating Women's History Month with author readings and conversations, an in-store concert, and a panel ...
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NATIONAL Cartoonist's memorial, mayor dies, Idaho bill, panic defense, political news
A public celebration of the life and work of Howard Cruse, a pioneer in the LGBTQ cartooning movement, will be held in New York City on Saturday, March 28, 6-8:30 p.m., at The LGBT Community Center, ...
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BOOK REVIEW Headcase: LGBTQ Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Wellness
Edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano. $29.95; Oxford University. Press; 287 pages You had a flu shot this year. You watch your cholesterol, eat better, stay active, and brush twice a day. So why do ...
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Local LGBTQ writers'group marks 40 years
Writing another chapter, LGBTQ writers group Newtown Writers celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Randy Gresham founded the group in August 1980, when he moved to Chicago from Atlanta. He had been involved with some mixed ...
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High-school seniors can pursue journalism award
The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association ( NINA ) will award a $1,000 scholarship this spring to the high school senior picked by the association as the 2020 Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year. NINA ...
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BOOKS Ross Mathews drops names, opens hearts in celebrity tell-all
Until recently, the dishy and endearing celebrity stories featured in Name Drop were tales Ross Mathews—a Chelsea Lately alum and current RuPaul's Drag Race judge—only divulged over happy hour. Name Drop—dedicated to "everyone who never got ...
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Women & Children First to host authors Lucy Knisley, Mikki Kendall
CHICAGO, IL ( January 31, 2020 ) - Women & Children First is proud to host more than a dozen events this month ( February ) including book launch parties for local authors like Lucy Knisley ...
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Area author Jacobi addresses love, loss in acclaimed book
Glenview-based author Yehuda Jacobi often received some pivotal advice from his late partner, Arthur. Jacobi recently recalled that Arthur would say, "Everybody is going through something. You may not see it in their face. Give them ...
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BOOK REVIEW Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy
By Hallie Lieberman, $26.95; Pegasus Books; 359 pages Double-A. It has many uses, that little word-dash-letter. It's good for future baseball players. Good for a pre-teen girl. Great, if you're a student trying to bring ...
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LGBTQ+ nonfiction writing class starts Feb. 13
StoryStudio Chicago, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave., is offering a new course on writing stories from a queer perspective. Conceived by author Jeremy Owens, this class focuses on LGBTQ+ nonfiction writing, and it starts Thursday, Feb. 13, ...
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'She Shot Him Dead' among newest Newberry offerings
The seminar series "She Shot Him Dead: Husband-Slaying in Turn-of-the-Century Chicago" will take place Tuesdays Feb. 11-March 10, 6-7:30 p.m. at Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St. Rachel Boyle, a public historian and co-founder of Omnia ...
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Kathy Acker tribute Jan. 10
"Re: Acker"—a tribute to experimental writer/artist Kathy Acker ( 1947-1997 )—will take place Friday, Jan. 10, 7-9 p.m., at M. LeBlanc Gallery, 3514 W. Fullerton Ave. This dialogue between international and local respondents, curated by Noa/h ...
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Season's readings: Books to choose
So, it's a wrap. Everything's under paper and under the tree. You're done with all your shopping, except for one person. Or two. Maybe four. So what do you get for that hard-to-buy-for person who never ...
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BOOK REVIEW Toil & Trouble
By Augusten Burroughs $27.99; St. Martin's Press; 320 pages Halloween is over this year, but not for you. Your decorations are still up because the season is young. There's plenty of time left for skeletons, monsters, ...
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LGBT neuropsychologist mom pens book about life with very young kids
Dr. Bethany Cook is a 42-year-old licensed clinical psychologist ( and member of the LGBT community ) with a specialty in neuropsychological assessment. She's also a music therapist, a trainer of therapy dogs and is an ...
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MOMBIAN Holiday gift guide for LGBTQ children's books
It's time for my annual gift guide to some of the year's best LGBTQ-inclusive children's picture books! There were happily more books published this year than I can include here, so please visit Mombian.com for a ...
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W&CF hosts 'Honeypot' book launch party, author discussion
One month after the release of Honeypot: Black Southern Women Who Love Women, Andersonville bookstore Women & Children First hosted a launch party and conversation with author E. Patrick Johnson Dec. 5. Johnson is also Northwestern ...
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December at Women & Children First to include Drag Queen Story Hour
CHICAGO, IL ( December 3, 2019 ) - As 2019 comes to a close, Women & Children First is proud to announce our 19 Bestselling Books of 2019! Once again, this list brilliantly reflects our feminist ...
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Season's readings: Books to choose
So, it's a wrap. Everything's under paper and under the tree. You're done with all your shopping, except for one person. Or two. Maybe four. So what do you get for that hard-to-buy-for person who never ...
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Pioneering gay cartoonist Cruse dies at 75
( WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, Nov. 26 )—Howard Cruse—a pioneer in the LGBTQ cartooning movement and the author of Stuck Rubber Baby, a 1995 award-winning graphic novel about the intersection of race and sexuality in the South—died Nov. ...
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NU professor talks about delving into the heart of 'Infectious Blackness'
The tale of Michael Johnson took a turn this past July—when he was released from a Missouri jail 25 years early. In 2013, Johnson—a Black man who was a college student—was arrested in St. Charles, Missouri, ...
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