Kevin Remembered
It has been almost a year since my Uncle Kevin has passed away. I miss him very much and can not believe, or understand why someone would take his life.
My Uncle Kevin was a very kind, funny and loving man. I have so many memories with him, but will no longer have any new ones because of this person who has taken his life.
My family and I are going through a very rough time, and we ask for all the help we can get and want to prevent this from happening to anybody else. I ask you to try and imagine if a loved one of yours had this happen to them, how would you feel and what you would want others to do to help. This is how we feel and again ask for all the help we can get to find this person. Thank you for all you have done already.
I love you and miss you Uncle Kevin.
Nicole Clewer
Niece of Kevin Clewer, 13 yrs old
Landmark Kindness
Please allow me the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the manager of the Landmark Century Center Cinema in Chicago for the way a recent incident I experienced was handled.
I have been a long-time patron of this cinema, enjoying the convenient location, comfortable stadium seating and most of all the wide variety of films that are rarely seen the other chains. Recently, I attended The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, a film that had two very derogatory anti-gay references in the first 20 minutes or so. ...
I was unsure how to handle the situation, but was certain I did not wish to subject myself to further bigotry, especially since I was paying for it! I decided to approach the manager and request a refund. The manager on duty patiently listened to my complaint, apologized for the offence, assuring me it is not Landmark Cinema's policy to practice discrimination of any kind and immediately issued a refund of the full ticket price.
His responsiveness, empathy and professional handling of the situation were truly a welcome surprise. He reiterated that my business and presence were both very welcome at this cinema. Rest assured that he has guaranteed that this moviegoer will check the listings for Landmark Century Cinema first.
I encourage all members of the GLBT community to patronize those businesses that welcome us ( and our money! ) and to continue to avoid those who don't.
William M. Gates, Chicago
Marriage Now
On March 14 [ San Francisco ] County Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer ruled it is unconstitutional to prohibit same-sex couples from accessing the same legal protections afforded to heterosexual couples. The members of Equal Marriage NOW! are delighted with this ruling. We are looking forward to having California join Massachusetts in unabashedly standing up for marriage equality. An appeal is expected in the case ... .
While we are thrilled with this latest development in California, the members of Equal Marriage NOW! are admittedly a bit envious. When we see [ San Francisco ] Mayor Gavin Newsom along with other public officials diligently working for marriage equality, we are left wondering why our public officials are not doing the same. It is our firm belief that marriage equality will be a reality one day in Illinois, but we also believe in order to get there sooner rather than later we need our elected officials to take courageous stands similar to the one Mayor Newsom took.
If there is one thing that we have learned from civil-rights struggles in the past, it is that the burden of creating change ultimately lies on those that are disenfranchised. If we are to obtain our rights in the near future, the LGBT community must unite in this struggle. Every LGBT citizen must reflect upon him or herself and question what it is he or she can contribute to the struggle for equality. Nothing is too small nor too great. The ball is rolling, and if we come together as a community it will not be long before we shed our status of second-class citizenship.
We urge you to join our efforts to make marriage equality a reality here in Illinois.
If you would like more information on how to get involved, please visit our Web site at www.equalmarriagenow.org, or join us at our bimonthly meetings. We meet on the first and third Monday of each month at the John Merlo Public Library. The library is located at 644 W. Belmont just west of Belmont and Broadway and our meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. We hope to see you there!
Equal Marriage NOW!
