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EXCLUSIVE: Family and friends mourn loss of Brianna Hamilton
Janiece Lewis said her older sister Brianna Hamilton was her first best friend. The two oldest of four girls, spending time together was, for them, "a different kind of love." In between playing Barbies and dress-up, ...
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Illinois high schoolers distribute anti-LGBTQ+ survey
At Anna-Jonesboro Community High School in Anna, Illinois, a student group calling itself the "Anti-Queer Association" distributed a survey asking others if they think "queers" should be allowed to use the school restroom with "normal people," ...
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CTA proposes reduced fare changes
During a time when the prices of just about everything seems to increase, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is proposing the opposite, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. The CTA has proposed slashing some fares to boost ...
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Mayor Lightfoot, DCASE reveal more fall, holiday event details
--From a press release
CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced more details for DCASE fall and holiday traditions as Chicago's vital arts and culture scene continues to safely and fully ...
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MUSIC Elton John's 'The Lockdown Sessions' now out
Elton John's The Lockdown Sessions is now out, courtesy of Interscope Records. An album of collaborations recorded remotely over the last 18 months, The Lockdown Sessions features UK #1 single "Cold Heart (PNAU remix)," with Dua ...
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Mayor Lightfoot: $20M+ in grants will support business, nonprofit recovery
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) announced today a $20M Chi Biz Strong Grant Program for small business and nonprofit relief and a ...
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On Spirit Day, celebrities and others reach LGBTQ+ youth around the world
--From a press release. Video below
New York, NY, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 - Yesterday, GLAAD celebrated Spirit Day, when participants around the world wear purple or go purple online in a united stand against bullying and show of support for LGBTQ ...
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LGBT Chamber of Commerce holding 25th-anniv. gala Dec. 7
The LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois will come together with sponsors, corporate partners, members and friends to celebrate its 25th anniversary with a gala. The gala (dress code: cocktail chic) will take place Tuesday, Dec. ...
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LGBT History Month: Staten Island museum throws open Austen's closet door
It's been a long time coming, but officials at the Alice Austen House on New York's Staten Island have thrown open the closet door, now fully embracing the lesbian pioneer and photographer who lived in the ...
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ATTRACTIONS Pizza pop-up, WNDR, Wrightwood
—Rewired's pizza pop-up: Rewired Pizza Cafe & Bar, 1102 W. Thorndale Ave., is getting in on the Halloween fun by paying homage to classic restaurant chains and "dressing up" as owner Daniel Barat's favorite pizza chain: ...
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Stage Left Theatre names new artistic director
Stage Left Theatre announced Bobbi Masters as its new artistic director. Masters has directed plays at theaters around the nation such as No Strings Theatre Company in Las Cruces, New Mexico (The Bald Soprano); and Kitchen ...
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THEATER E. Faye Butler to star in 'Fannie' Oct. 25-Nov. 14
Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., will host the run of Cheryl L. West's Fannie (The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer), which will run Oct. 25-Nov. 14. E. Faye Butler stars as U.S. civil-rights ...
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Hubbard Street Dance back on the stage with 'RE/TURN'
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) will present Fall Series: RE/TURN to herald its return to the stage at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St. The program will feature new premieres as well as audience favorites ...
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MOVIES 'Bolshoi Ballet' series to start locally Nov. 7
The "2021-2022 Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema" series is set to begin Sunday, Nov. 7 with Bolshoi Ballet: Spartacus—LIVE. Spartacus is considered a ballet tour de force, set to Aram Khachaturian's score. Bolshoi Ballet: Spartacus—LIVE is set t ...
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Author Margaret Atwood in anti-trans controversy
The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood has been called transphobic after she shared an article complaining about gender-neutral language on Twitter. According to PinkNews, the opinion piece—which Toronto Star columnist ...
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More than half of American Indian, Alaskan Native LGBT adults in the U.S. have been attacked
--From a Williams Institute press release
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that the estimated 285,000 adults in the U.S. that identify as American Indian or Alaskan Native (AIAN) and LGBT report high rates of ...
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Local business gives historic Edgewater storefront new life with holiday pop-up
--From a press release
Oct. 20, 2021 - Chicago, IL - The iconic former Granville Pictures storefront at 6200 Broadway in Edgewater is getting a second life with a holiday pop-up from local business City Grange. For nearly 90 years ...
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Reeling: Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Fest names winners
--From a press release
CHICAGO, Illinois — The 39th Reeling: Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival today announced the winning films from its 2021 program, which included 33 feature films and 54 short films curated in nine programs. This year's submissions ...
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'Out of the Shadows, Into the Streets' LGBTQ+ Representation in the Media' panel Nov. 4
--From a press release
In recent years LGBTQ+ people have increasingly seen representations of themselves, celebrations of their lives and stories, and coverage of LGBTQ+ issues across media channels. This has led to a worldwide rise in understanding, cultural acceptance, ...
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Lyric Opera presenting 'Florencia en el Amazonas' Nov. 13-28
During Nov. 13-28, Lyric Opera of Chicago will run the company premiere of Florencia en el Amazonas—the first Spanish-language work to be presented as part of Lyric's mainstage opera season. There will be evening performances on ...
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SPORTS Chicago Bulls win season opener
On Oct. 20, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons 94-88 in the Motor City to win the team's first season opener since 2016, according to NBA.com. It's also the first time the team (1-0) has ...
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Celebrities support trans employees in Netflix walkout with video
As the Netflix walkout in response to the company's continued support of Dave Chappelle's special The Closer was underway at the streamer's Los Angeles headquarters Oct. 20, a video that includes activists and Netflix talent alike ...
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SAVOR Lure Fishbar
Recently, I had a biscuit sandwich in the Gold Coast. The item was very good—but I'm not sure it was worth the $11 price tag. This was the same feeling my dining companion and I had after dining at Lure Fishbar, ...
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Black Alphabet returns to host annual film festival in November
By Cris Villalonga-Vivoni
The Black Alphabet Film Festival (BAFF) is returning to Chicago after the pandemic forced the organization to cancel last year's event. On Nov. 5-7, BAFF will showcase 21 films and shorts about the Black queer experience ...
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Alphawood chooses LGBTQ+ individual to head foundation
Alphawood Foundation Chicago announced Chirag G. Badlani as its newest executive director, effective Nov. 8. Badlani succeeds Jim McDonough, who retired this month after leading the foundation since 2012 and who will remain Alphawood's legal counsel ...
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Gov. Pritzker announces campaign to increase COVID-19 booster rates among older Illinoisans
--From a press release
CHICAGO — With 1.5 million Illinoisans currently eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination booster shot and millions more set to become eligible in the coming weeks, Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) ...
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COVID Two more states and D.C. removed from Chicago's travel advisory
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) removed two states and the District of Columbia from its weekly COVID-19 travel advisory on Oct. 19. The advisory now includes 45 states and two territories following the removal ...
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Portrait series 'Still Searching' highlights missing Black women, children
--From a press release, video below
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. On Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Damon Lamar Reed, Nicole So Random, and 345 Art Gallery will collaborate to present Still Searching Art Exhibition at 345 Art Gallery in Chicago, ...
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LGBT History Project: Tee A. Corinne: Photographer of lesbian sexuality
By Victoria A. Brownworth
Over her decades as a lesbian photographer and artist, Tee Corinne said, "I'm one of the most obscure famous artists." Famous? Yes. Obscure? Certainly not within artistic circles nor within the queer art world where she ...
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EI celebrates Pritzker for increase in LGBTQ leaders appointed to state boards, commissions
--From a Equality Illinois press release
CHICAGO — On October 1, 2021, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker released his 2021 Boards and Commissions Appointment Demographics Report. The bottom line of the report is that a wider cross section of Illinoisans are applying and ...
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Ald. Maria Hadden encourages community to be active participants
By Cris Villalonga-Vivoni
AIt was Chicago Ald. Maria Hadden's friends who convinced her to run for city council as the 49th Ward's alderperson. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Hadden moved to Rogers Park 20 years ago after graduating from The ...
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Lightfoot, Chicago to celebrate WNBA champion Chicago Sky Oct. 19 with parade, rally
--From a press release
CHICAGO — The City of Chicago will celebrate the 2021 WNBA Champion Chicago Sky on Tuesday, Oct. 19, with a downtown parade and rally. The parade will begin at 11AM when the team departs from Wintrust ...
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3Arts awards nearly $1M to women artists, artists of color, Deaf, disabled artists
--From a press release
CHICAGO, IL (OCTOBER 18, 2021)—3Arts, the Chicago-based nonprofit grantmaking organization, will award Chicago artists with nearly $1 million in unrestricted cash grants during the 14th annual 3Arts Awards, taking place ...
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Billy Masters
"But we can curl your hair and put lotion on your face at the same time."—William Shatner's response to Prince William's criticism of space tourism. Are there any people less likely to be discussing hair than ...
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Colin Powell dies from COVID-19 complications
Colin Powell—the first Black U.S. secretary of state, whose leadership in several Republican administrations helped shape the country's foreign policy in the last years of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st—died from ...
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Legacy Walk plaques added for Pauli Murray, Matthew Shepard
The Legacy Project unveiled two bronze plaques recognizing LGBTQ+ historical figures Pauli Murray and Matthew Shepard on Oct. 16. The plaques, part of Northalsted's half-mile Legacy Walk, recognized Murray and ...
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Colorado becomes first state to require trans care as essential health benefit
Colorado has become the first state in the country to include transition-related care for transgender people as part of the requirements for essential healthcare in the state, The Washington Blade reported. As part of the change, ...
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BOOKS Twelfth (and final) 'Boystown' cover revealed
Boystown author Jake Biondi has revealed the cover of the twelfth book of his series—while simultaneously sharing that the next installment will be the final one. Boystown: Season Twelve: The Final Season will be released in ...
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Chicago Sky win their first WNBA championship
The sixth-seeded Chicago Sky defeated the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury 80-74 in game four of the 2021 WNBA Finals on Oct. 17 to close the series and secure the franchise's first WNBA championship in front of a ...
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NATIONAL Foster-parent case, stars speak out, Texas youth, 'Queer Eye,' HIV
Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Lambda Legal, together with the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), along ...
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WORLD Plus magazine, The Guardian, Dutch princess, anti-trans ruling
The largest circulated HIV publication in the country, Plus, unveiled its 25 Amazing People of the Year, per a press release. Just a few of the individuals are actor Billy Porter; Mandisa Nikita Dukashe: South African ...
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SHOWBIZ Superman, TheWrap, Oscar Wilde, Billy Porter, Cher, 'Dragula'
The ongoing comic Superman: Son of Kal-El, by writer Tom Taylor and artist John Timms, launched in July and saw Jon Kent officially take up the mantle of the Man of Steel now that his father, ...
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SPORTS Red Stars top KC 2-1 on Fan Appreciation Night
On the team's Fan Appreciation Night (Oct. 16) at SeatGeek Stadium, the Chicago Red Stars (10-8-5) defeated Kansas City (3-13-6) 2-1 in NWSL action. The Red Stars scored behind an own-goal from Kansas City's Kristen Edmonds ...
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Wizard World Comic Con returns to Chicago
After being canceled last year because of the COVID pandemic, Wizard World Comic Con Chicago returned to Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on Oct. 15-17—and thousands of people attended. People ranging from attendees to vendors ...
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Theater review: This Wide Night
Title: This Wide Night. Playwright: Chloe Moss At: Shattered Globe Theatre/Interrobang Theatre Project at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets: $25-$45; SGTheatre.org. Runs through: Nov. 13 The landlord calls ...
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SPORTS Sky one win from first WNBA title after routing Phoenix
On Oct. 15 at Wintrust Arena, the Chicago Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury by 36 points (86-50)—the largest margin of victory in a WNBA Finals game—to take a two-to-one series lead in the best-of-five series. The ...
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Jury selection in Smollett trial starts Nov. 29
The Jussie Smollett saga continues. Almost three years since out actor Jussie Smollett (TV's Empire; the film Alien: Covenant) was allegedly attacked in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, Cook County Judge James ...
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LGBT History Month: '40s and '50s instant photography gave LGBT people 'Safe/Haven'
Two men dressed in drag for a tea party, and two women cuddled up at the beach. Today these might be benign photographs but, in the early 1950s, they were memories shuttered away from public view. ...
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SPORTS Sky's Vandersloot named to All-WNBA Second Team
Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot has been named to the 2021 All-WNBA Second Team, per a team press release. This is the fourth consecutive season and fifth time overall Vandersloot is an All-WNBA honoree. It also ...
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Attorneys general file pro-transgender brief
A coalition of 20 attorneys general, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and New York counterpart Letitia James, filed an amicus brief in the case of Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools, opposing the plaintiffs' efforts ...
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LGBT Chamber of Commerce to build 1,000 school supply kits for underserved kids
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Back 2 School Illinois (B2SI), the state's largest free school supply program, in partnership with the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, will host a build-A-kit event at the Center on Halsted on Monday, ...
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Chicago Plumbing Code allows all-gender multiple occupancy restrooms
--From a Community Restroom Access Project (CRAP) press release
CHICAGO — The Community Restroom Access Project (CRAP) applauds passage Thursday by the Chicago City Council of the plumbing code modernization ordinance that will allow businesses and building owners to ...
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SAVOR Brunch at Cobblestone
Recently, there have been a few restaurants I've visited multiple times—if for no other reason than to see if there is consistency in the quality (especially, if good) or some sort of improvement (if the food ...
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Dozens of celebrities, companies set to take part in Spirit Day on Oct. 21
--From a press release
New York, NY, Thursday, October 14, 2021 - Today, GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, announced a preliminary list of celebrities, shows ...
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CIFF, featuring LGBTQ+ films, running through Oct. 24
North America's longest-running competitive film festival, this year's event expands throughout Chicago with presentations at venues across the city, including at AMC River East 21; the Music Box Theatre; the Gene Siskel Film Center; special drive ...
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Kit Kat Lounge hosting Kamayan feast Oct. 24
Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club, 3700 N. Halsted St., in honor of Filipino American History Month, will host a special "diva-infused" Kamayan feast featuring Chef Jordan Andino on Sunday, Oct. 24. Andino is the creative ...
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MUSICALS 'Pretty Woman' tickets go on sale Oct. 15
After a pre-Broadway run in Chicago and being on Broadway, Pretty Woman: The Musical, based on one of Hollywood's most beloved romantic stories of all time, returns to Chicago. The production will run at the CIBC ...
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THEATER Broken Nose presenting looter drama 'Primer' Nov. 15-Dec. 5
Broken Nose Theatre, a pay-what-you-can theater company, will run the world premiere audio drama Primer, described in a release as "a deeply honest look at the prioritization of property over people. Ensemble member Spenser Davis wrote ...
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Andersonville celebrates Halloween with 'Halloween on Catalpa' Oct. 30
--From a press release
CHICAGO (October 14, 2021) — Families are in for a special treat this year as Andersonville once again hosts its socially-distanced "Halloween on Catalpa" event and celebrates the return of ...
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Activists speak about former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's LGBTQ legacy
by Max Lubbers
LGBTQ+ advocates reflected on former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's legacy at Center on Halsted Oct. 13, discussing his role in the city's Human Rights Ordinance and outreach to the LGBTQ+ community. A display of 1980s Windy ...
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Brave Space Alliance's 'Out 'N Brave' panel on beauty, coming out
By Cris Villalonga-Vivoni
Coming out is one of the most terrifying yet liberating experiences that an LGBTQ+ person must endure to achieve happiness. Brave Space Alliance (BSA)—Chicago's South Side, Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ resource ...
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SPORTS Blackhawks drop season opener against Colorado
On Oct. 13, the Chicago Blackhawks fell in an early hole and couldn't recover, falling 4-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in the season opener. Colorado scored thrice in the first 10 minutes of play, which proved ...
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SPORTS Chicago Red Stars power past Orlando 1-0
The Chicago Red Stars, behind an early Kealia Watt goal and a clean sheet from Cassie Miller, defeated the Orlando Pride at home (Bridgeview's SeatGeek Stadium) Oct. 13 by a score of 1-0. During the game's ...
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SPORTS Chicago Sky lose in OT to Phoenix; finals tied at 1-1
On Oct. 13, the Chicago Sky fell to the Phoenix Mercury 91-86 in overtime in game two of the 2021 WNBA Finals at Phoenix's Footprint Center. Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot dished out a team-high 20 points ...
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'Tapping into Ca$h' : CaSera Heining lives double life as DJ Ca$h Era and radio producer
Minutes before DJ Ca$h Era hosted Lollapalooza's first drag show, the Black queer woman behind the stage name was pacing nervously behind the scenes and listening to a drag queen animatedly remind her they were "making ...
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LGBTQ History Month: Pauli Murray, architect of history
By Victoria A. Brownworth
(Note: The pronouns she/her are used in keeping with Murray's own writings, but Murray was a transmasculine and gender-nonconforming lesbian.) Some say Pauli Murray is the most important U.S. activist many have never heard of. An ...
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Trans employees plan Oct. 20 walkout at Netflix [UPDATE]
Netflix's trans employee resource group is planning a company-wide walkout Wed., Oct. 20, to protest statements made by co-CEO Ted Sarandos regarding Dave Chappelle's latest comedy special The Closer, according to The Verge. "Trans Lives Matter. ...
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Rosa Escareno named interim head of Chicago Park District
Former Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Commissioner Rosa Escareno has been named the interim general superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District. In an Oct. 13 statement, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ...
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MOVIES Holiday comedy short centers on Muslim family and BIPOC queer relationship
The short film The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night follows Noor, a Muslim queer woman, and her experience with bringing her Puerto Rican partner home to meet her family for the first time. When Noor's ...
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BOOK REVIEW Activist Peter Staley's Memoir 'Never Silent' is a real-life thriller
--From marksking.com
"Attention must be paid to such a man." — Arthur Miller Peter Staley's much-anticipated new memoir, Never Silent, opens with almost unbearable nail-biting suspense, sweeping us into the behind-the-scenes machinations of an ACT UP takeover of ...
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OP-ED The Black church was one of R. Kelly's enablers
The long-awaited justice for R. Kelly's survivors finally came last month when a New York federal jury found him guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. For nearly 30 years, underage Black girls and their families have ...
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MUSIC Janis Ian's last Chicago concert May 14
In what is being advertised as her last concert in Chicago, LGBTQ singer Janis Ian will be performing at the Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 8 p.m. Tickets ($48-$50) will ...
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ART Contemporary yet timeless exhibition 'Young, Gifted and Black' arrives at Gallery 400
To be a Black art collector is to stand on the shoulders of a proud lineage. Throughout history, Black patrons have supported Black artists when nobody else did. Bernard Lumpkin—a New York City-based art patron, educator ...
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SPORTS White Sox eliminated from playoffs
The Chicago White Sox's season has ended. The Houston Astros advanced to their fifth consecutive American League Championship Series on Oct. 12 by defeating the White Sox 10-1 at Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field in game four ...
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THEATER 'A Rocky Horror Picture Party' at The Den on Oct. 30-31
Haven is presenting Science Fiction / Double Feature: A Rocky Horror Picture Party—an immersive Halloween experience that brings to life in vivid technicolor the world of the cult-classic film—directed by ...
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