Horizons and Color Triangle join forces
Horizons Community Services and the Color Triangle Coalition have expanded their relationship in an effort to raise consciousness of race and racism in Chicago's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Established in 1997, the Color Triangle is comprised of more than 20 organizations and businesses. Objectives include "raising the LGBT community's awareness of race and racism and developing plans and activities that maximize cooperation and inclusion while recognizing and celebrating the diversity of the community."
The newly expanded relationship establishes Horizons as the "home" for Color Triangle, providing voice- and postal-mail services as well as website links. In addition, Horizons will provide the Color Triangle with fiscal sponsorship, assistance with information dissemination, administrative support, and assistance in further establishing community contacts.
"We are extremely pleased to strengthen our relationship with the Color Triangle," said Roger Doughty, Horizons' Executive Director. "This arrangement appropriately commits Horizons to continue in its support for efforts against racism of all forms in Chicago's LGBT community."
"I am pleased that the Color Triangle Coalition will have a permanent community home with Horizons," stated Mary F. Morten, founding project director for the Color Triangle. "This is the beginning of an exciting new phase in the Coalition's development."
"The Color Triangle Coalition is a community-based response to combating racism in our community," stated Neena Hemmady, Color Triangle Coalition member. "This relationship appears to be a perfect match."
In other Horizons news, this past Tuesday, a pool of state legislators were on hand to present the "Member Initiated Funds" that they collectively contributed to support Horizons' programs and services in Chicago's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Quad City Gay Pride
festival planned
The first Gay Pride weekend in the Quad-Cities takes place July 29-30. Pride Fest 2000 will be in downtown Rock Island, and will be the first gay-sponsored outdoor festival in the area. The Quad-Cities area is along the Illinois/Iowa border.
Pride Fest will include guest speakers, a flea market, games, live bands and other entertainment. Next year organizers hope to have their first Gay Pride Parade.
Christians gather
in DeKalb
Hundreds of Christians are expected to attend the largest ecumenical gathering of welcoming churches and individuals ever held: Witness our Welcome 2000: God's Promise Is for You ( WOW2000 ) . This event will take place Aug. 3-6 in DeKalb, Ill., at Northern Illinois University just outside Chicago.
Among the speakers are Rev. Janie Spahr, an openly lesbian Presbyterian minister and founder of "That All May Freely Serve"; Rev. Jimmy Creech, who was defrocked by the United Methodist Church for performing a union ceremony for two men; Rev. John Selders, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and coordinator for the Urban Leadership Project of The Night Ministry of Chicago; Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, the chief ecumenical officer for Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches; and many more.
To register, or for more information about sponsoring organizations, see www.wow2k.org, or call 800-318-5581.
Baseball player Billy Bean at HRC gala Aug. 5
Former pro baseball player Billy Bean, who came out and quit baseball after he got tired of living in the closet, will be the keynote speaker at the the Human Rights Campaign annual Chicago fundraising dinner, Saturday, Aug. 5 at the Hyatt. Call 1-800-494-TIXS or www.boxofficetickets.com .
Awardees include the Mildred's Circle of Howard Brown Health Center and American Airlines.
LCCP Jazz Brunch Cruise Sept. 17
The 5th Annual "Cruising Because We Care 5" Jazz Brunch Cruise sponsored by the Lesbian Community Cancer Project is Sunday, Sept. 17.
The fundraiser begins with a champagne reception on the Odyssey cruise ship on Navy Pier at 10 a.m. Registration begins at 10:45 a.m., boarding starts at 11:15 a.m. and the boat sets sail from 11:45 a.m. until 2 p.m. Brunch, live music, and a live auction round out the event for more than 600 "cruisers" on Lake Michigan.
This year's co-chairs are Patricia Gilbert, Kasey Reese and Javier Barajas. Proceeds will help LCCP expand its health services and advocacy activities. Tickets for "Cruising Because We Care 5" are $90 or $125 with champagne reception. Tickets can be reserved through table captains or by calling LCCP at ( 773 ) 561-4662.
"Cruising Because We Care 5" is not for women only. Men are encouraged to support their sisters and join the cruise ( last year's cruisers were 40% male ) .
LCCP is pleased to welcome Adlab, Alize, American Airlines, Burstein Family Foundation, Chicago Free Press, Cheetah Gym, Gay Chicago, Outlines/Blacklines, Subaru, Tanzy, and Taittinger as early corporate sponsors. Individuals interested in donating items for the pre-event raffle or on-board live auction, securing blocks of tickets, becoming a table captain, or learning about corporate sponsorship opportunities, should call Jackie Thaney at ( 773 ) 871-0273 or jackie@thirdcoastmarketing.com .
Founded in 1990, LCCP promotes lesbian health with a focus on cancer-related issues. The agency provides support, information, education, advocacy and direct services to lesbian and non-lesbian women and their families of choice. For more information about LCCP, visit www.lccp.org or call ( 773 ) 561-4662.
'The Future of the
Queer Past' history
conference in Chicago
The Future of the Queer Past: A Transnational History Conference, is being hosted Sept. 14-17 at the University of Chicago.
This is expected to be the largest queer history conference ever held, with 200 historians from around the world speaking on 50 panels, as well as films, exhibits, and performances.
This four-day conference is designed to compare historical developments across national boundaries and to explore the connections among them. It offers scholars a rare opportunity to meet one another and to collectively chart the development of this field, assess its strengths and weaknesses, and explore new directions for its future. All are welcome to attend.
The conference's fifty panels examine significant historical processes and events such as:
t the contested globalization of sexuality, colonialism and the representation of sodomy, and the influence of the American occupation on gay life in Germany and Japan,
t the homoeroticism and homophobia of the nation-building project in Mexico, Argentina, Ireland, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Israel, Germany, China, Taiwan, and the United States,
t concepts of transgenderism in the Spanish Empire and the politics of transgenderism in modern Britain and the U.S.,
t the circulation of antihomosexual politics in Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and Cold War France, Canada, and America, and the transnational emergence of queer social movements,
t the changing place of same-sex "friendship" in the social order from the 11th-19th centuries, and the emergence of homosexuality, bisexuality, transgenderism, and heterosexuality as categories of experience and subjectivity.
Presenters include Julie Abraham, Alan Bray, George Chauncey, Anna Clark, John D'Emilio, Carolyn Dinshaw, Lisa Duggan, James Green, Ramon Gutierrez, Judith Halberstam, David Halperin, Alice Hom, Jonathan Katz, Elizabeth Kennedy, Martin Manalansan, Joanne Meyerowitz, Esther Newton, Nayan Shah, Alan Sinfield, Siobhan Somerville, James Steakley, Marc Stein, Susan Stryker, Valerie Traub, Randolph Trumbach, Martha Vicinus, and many more.
For information on the conference program, registration, and housing arrangements, visit their website: humanities.uchicago.edu/cgs/queerpast html or call ( 773 ) 834-4509.
Organized by the Lesbian and Gay Studies Project of the Center for Gender Studies and the Department of History of the University of Chicago, with the assistance of an external advisory committee.
Chamber, CPNA
cruise Aug. 30
The Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the Chicago Professional Networking Association will host Cruisin' on Out, Wed., Aug. 30.
The evening lake cruise will be an opportunity to meet new people and catch up with old friends. The event features a premium open bar and food buffet, plus dancing to music by DJ Anthony Christian. Cost is $65 per person or $125 per couple before Aug. 5. After Aug. 5, the cost is $75 per person or $140 per couple. Tickets are available through The Chamber, 3713 N. Halsted Chicago, IL 60613-3906. Tickets may also be ordered over the phone at ( 773 ) 871-4190, or via email at info@glchamber.org, or on line at www.glchamber.org/cruise.html .
The party takes place aboard the Musette I, a beautifully appointed 120-foot yacht. Space is limited to 350 people so seats should be reserved early. Check-in at Navy Pier begins at 7 p.m.
The boat will depart promptly at 8 p.m. and return to the dock at 11 p.m.
