"February Frolic," a benefit for the Lesbian Leadership Council's Lavender Fund, was held at the Beauty Bar Feb. 29.
About 40 people attended the event, which featured readings by local authors and a performance by drag queen Marilyn Black.
Laura Stempel, one of the 2012 council co-chairs (with Betsy Rubinstein being the other), read from one of her works and introduced the other authorsWomen and Children First Bookstore co-owner Linda Bubon and writer, playwright and performer Barrie Colewho each read one of her own stories. All three readings got laughs from the audience and later in the evening the crowd cheered as Black performed her act.
Of the organization, Stempel said, "We raise money and every dollar we take in we give small grants to the communities we serve through our Lavender Fund."
The Chicago Dyke March Collective, Chicago Books to Women in Prison, Affinity, Amigas Latinas, the Chicago Women's Health Center Trans inclusion program and Links-North Shore Youth Health Service: Sappho's Sisters were last year's grant recipients, with the awards totaling $15,000. Since 2004, the Lavender Fund has awarded 27 grants totaling $78,000 for LBTQ projects in the Chicago area.
Former co-chairs Jane Saks and Evette Cardona attended this year's event, along with Cardona's partner, Mona Noriega, and council members Pat Ewert, Debrah Goodman, Jane Haldiman, Joy Messinger and Melba Poole, among others.
The Lesbian Leadership Council is one of five leadership organizations under the umbrella organization, the Chicago Foundation for Women. According to its website, the council "was the first of the five to create its own vehicle to support communities of interest through the Lavender Fund and is inclusive of women and individuals who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning.
"The council provides leadership opportunities, hosts networking events, community-wide educational programming and has been a successful fundraising group within the Foundation. The council focuses on issues affecting women and girls in their community which include access, representation, civil rights and equity."
See www.cfw.org for more.