THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

—AIDS @ 30: Marking 30 years since the first diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, local service agencies reflect on the evolution virus that nearly decimated a generation, the community activism that challenged the government's silence and the progress in science and advocacy that slowed the path of AIDS. Windy City Times is documenting that history with its special series, AIDS @ 30.

—Colony collapse: Rogers Park-based HIV/AIDS-service organization Better Existence with HIV ( BEHIV ) closed its doors after 21 years of service to the community.

—Show and tell: Northwestern University professor Michael Bailey came under fire in February, after showing his class of more than 100 students a live sex toy demonstration in which a man penetrated his fiancé with a phallic device attached to a saw powered by a machine. Bailey, whose other controversies include writing about that transgender women are all sexual fetishists, later apologized for the demo ... sort of.

—Cook County Jail trans policy: In March, Sheriff Tom Dart announced that Cook County Jail instituted a policy for housing transgender detainees based on their gender identity, rather than birth sex. Combining policies from other jails in the U.S. the Cook County policy was hailed by some advocates as one of the most progressive transgender jail policies in the country.

—Thirty's company: In anticipation of mayoral elections, 30 LGBT groups form a coalition and put on an LGBT mayoral forum. The council goes on to launch the Chicago Policy Priorities for the LGBT Community, which detailing policy initiatives for the community. The coalition remains active, often speaking out on relevant community issues.

—Somewhere over the Rahm-bo: Bolstered by strong LGBT support, Rahm Emanuel secured a decisive win for mayor, beating out Gery Chico, Carol Moseley Braun and Miguel del Valle. Not everyone in the community supported the former White House chief of staff, who replaced Mayor Richard M. Daley.

—Mona-fide: Veteran lesbian activist Mona Noriega was selected by Mayor Emanuel to head the Chicago Department on Human Relations. Noriega is former head of the Midwest office of Lambda Legal and a key early leader of Amigas Latinas.

—The Capple-plan: James Cappleman made history when he became only the second out gay person on Chicago's City Council, after defeating Molly Phelan in a runoff election in April. The 46th Ward race got ugly at the end, with some accusing Phelan of distributing flyers with homophobic undertones against Cappleman. Cappleman is the first gay individual to be elected initially. ( Tom Tunney, the first out gay alderman, was appointed a month before being elected in 2003. )

—Yestergay: The Chicago History Museum unveiled the first major LGBT history project undertaken by a mainstream urban history museum in U.S. history, Out in Chicago. The exhibit documented the LGBT community over the past century and a half and featured prominent local LGBT activists.

—A more perfect union: Illinois became the sixth state to grant significant partner recognition to same-sex couples when civil unions went into effect June 1. The city celebrated the historic day with a public ceremony in Millennium Park, during which 36 couples were joined June 2. More than 3,700 same-sex couples tied the knot this year in Illinois.

—Chicken or the gay: Controversial fast-food chain Chick Fil-A rolled into Chicago in April, bringing with it the baggage of longstanding allegations that the company is anti-gay. Those allegations were later supported by revelations that the company donated $2 million to anti-gay groups in 2009 alone.

—The break-up: South Barrington megachurch Willow Creek Community Church quietly split with Exodus International, one of the largest promoters of ex-gay teachings. The split occurred in 2009 but was not made public until 2011. Exodus continues to maintain a following of an estimated 250 churches.

—Say my name: Transgender legal advocacy group Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois, launched its Name Change Mobilization project. The group stationed advocates at the Daley Center every month to help transgender people file name change requests and fee waivers. In total, 39 people got name changes through TJLP.

—Roller-coaster: Coming off a series of financial catastrophes in 2010, Howard Brown Health Center spent the year in recovery mode, but not without a new set of controversies that suggests the organization may be increasingly media-shy. HBHC saw the turnover of eight senior level staffers and the loss of major youth-specific transgender funding. Windy City Times received reports that many Brown Elephant employees have had their hours cut, making them ineligible for health benefits. Windy City Times reported on HBHC extensively this year, and in late October CEO Jamal Edwards announced that due to coverage, HBHC would no longer carry the paper at any of their locations.

—Proud mess: Chicago's 42nd annual Pride Parade saw unprecedented turnout and unprecedented chaos as an estimated 750,000 sardined into Boystown. Organizers woke to discover that the tires on 51 floats had been slashed, and matters got worse when crowds that were packed in at Belmont and Halsted exploded onto the route blocking parade traffic. So severe were the problems in 2011 that months after the event, organizers announced a new route and moved the start time back from noon to 10 a.m. in an effort to curb drinking in 2012. Not all were excited about the parade changes; Our Lady of Mount Carmel complained that they would disrupt Sunday services. Controversy ensued, and organizers moved the start time back to noon in response.

—Take Back Boystown: A string of violent incidents in Lakeview over the summer exploded controversy when residents started a Facebook page called "Take Back Boystown," following the Pride Parade. Following, two residents caught a late night Halsted Street stabbing on tape and leaked it to major media outlets. An estimated 700 people packed the neighborhood's Community Alternative Policing Strategies meeting in the neighborhood days later, throwing the LGBT community into a heated debate about crime, violence, racism and queer homeless youth. The result was a summer-long screaming match between concerned residents and youth advocates in a debate that seemed to embroil everyone, including Windy City Times.

—Rebirth: Following up on a broken promise by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit on behalf of three transgender individuals who had been denied new birth certificates reflecting their chosen genders. The department vowed to update its surgery-based policy to make it easier for transgender people to change their gender markers, for real this time. It also issued the new birth certificates.

—Home sweet homo: Ald. Tom Tunney ( 44th Ward ) and the City of Chicago unveiled plans in May to renovate the former 23rd District Town Hall police station at 3600 N. Halsted into affordable community housing for LGBT seniors. Heartland Housing, Inc. and the Center on Halsted will develop the site, which will include up to 90 rental units and also provide new retail space. The planned facility is believed to be the first of its kind in the Midwest.

—Cocktail suit: Alleging conspiracy to destroy and steal the bar, owners of Boystown bar Cocktail, slapped their landlord, management company and a former employee with a $10 million lawsuit in July. Following, owner John "Geno" Zaharakis announced he would sell off the bar to a close friend ( that deal fell through ) . In August, Cocktail's liquor license was temporarily revoked for a failure to pay sales taxes. The license was reinstated in mid-September, revoked again due to tax debts in November and reinstated in December.

—Daddy more bucks: International Mr. Leather ( IML ) drew the scorn of some activists when the annual event continued at the Hyatt Regency downtown, despite a workers boycott on the hotel. IML organizers said its contract could not be broken and that an alternate location could not accommodate the thousands who flock to the annual event.

—Family ties: HIV/AIDS-service organization Vital Bridges merged with the Heartland Alliance in July, a move that advocates say bolstered the services of both organizations and secured the financial future of Vital Bridges for years to come.

—Heartbreak hotel: More than 350 North Side residents, many of them LGBT, found themselves without a place to sleep after two single room occupancy hotels suddenly announced they were closing over the summer. The Sheffield House and the Belair Hotel were sold, forcing disgruntled residents to eventually relocate, despite successful efforts by Lakeview Action Coalition postpone the move-outs.

—Mayoral appointments: Inspired by a national campaign the resulted in LGBT appoints by President Obama, a coalition of LGBT community organizers launched a project aimed at sending LGBT leaders into city positions with new Mayor Emanuel. According to Equality Illinois, more than 400 Chicagoans applied, and more than two dozen LGBT Chicagoans were appointed through the project.

—Grab Magazine fire: An August fire in Lakeview leveled the office of Grab magazine, also home to the magazine's publisher, Stacy Bridges. The community rallied around Bridges and other building residents, collecting donations for victims of the fire.

—Queer query: Illinois liberal arts school Elmhurst College made history in August when it became the first to ask prospective students if they identified as LGBT on admissions applications. The question will be used to link incoming students to LGBT-specific groups, services and identity-based scholarships.

—Into the fold: Community media staple Gay Chicago stopped printing in September, just months after it went from bar magazine to newspaper. The paper stopped publishing online shortly after, concluding its 35-year history as a source for LGBT news, culture and events.

—Walking history: LGBT leaders kicked off efforts to establish a walking LGBT history museum along Halsted Street in Boystown. The Legacy Walk, which will feature plaques about historically-significant LGBT people and events, is scheduled to unveil on Lakeview's rainbow pylons in 2013.

—Oh, holy fight: A group of Illinois Catholic Charities lost their state foster care contracts, after refusing to place children with civil union couples. The Charities sued the state, lost and finally dropped their appeal in November, after repeated attempts to amend civil-union law in the Illinois House failed. New faith-based agencies will take on the caseloads of the of those dioceses.

—Good Greaves: First-term Mayor Rahm Emanuel gave the boot to the City's Advisory Council on LGBT Issues, taking with it its 11-year director, Bill Greaves. Greaves and the otherwise all-volunteer council were cut in the 2012 city budget amid community protest. The new Council on Gender and LGBT Issues, which also replaces the council on women's issues, will take its place in January.

—Gray days: Lesbian activist Vernita Gray was laid off from her community outreach specialist position in the state's attorney's office, after nearly nearly two decades on the job. She was scheduled to depart in February in an initial round of cuts, reinstated later and finally cut in December. She has been on medical disability leave for more than a year.

—USCA: The U.S. Conference on AIDS, the nation's largest AIDS Conference, spent its 15th year in the Windy City, drawing 2,600 service providers from around the country to Chicago. It was the first time the conference has ever been held in the Midwest.

—Occupy: Anti-corporate greed protest "Occupy Chicago" hunkered down outside the Chicago Board of Trade, in mid-September, following a nationwide-wide protest over economic inequality that began in New York City. LGBT groups like Gender JUST and Gay Liberation Network jumped into the fray, which appeared largely supportive rights for LGBT people. The protests are ongoing.

Passages

—Roger "RJ" Chaffin: One of Chicago's most prominent gay businesspeople, Chaffin, 59, died in June after a short illness. Chaffin directed International Mr. Leather for 18 years and helped to raise thousands of dollars for AIDS and LGBT organizations. He was a well-known business activist with the Northalsted Area Merchants Association, as owner of the now-closed RJ's Video and Rajin' Rae Jean's. He was NAMA president from 1998-2004. Chaffin was also involved in LGBT media. Chaffin was a member the Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.

—Christina Santiago: A well-known LGBT advocate and the manager of programming for Howard Brown Health Center's Lesbian Community Care Project, Santiago died in August when strong winds toppled a concert stage at the Indiana State Fair, killing seven. Santiago was 29 years old. Santiago was active in Amigas Latinas as board programming chair, and she helped organize Dyke March Chicago. Santiago's wife, Alisha Brennon, survived the collapse. Brennon has filed suit against the companies involved in concert, a challenge to Indiana's lack of same-sex partner recognition, she said.

—Iftikhar "Ifti" Nasim: A Pakistani-born poet, radio host and gay activist, Nasim died in July following a sudden illness; he was 64. Best known for his award-winning poetry and over-the-top style, Nasim maintained a vivid presence in Chicago's LGBT scene for the past 35 years. He founded Sangat Chicago, a South Asian LGBT organization, and was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1996.

—Lois Bates: A pillar in Chicago's transgender community, Bates died in November at age 41. She was an active member of Lakeview Action Coalition and was a co-founder of the Chicago Transgender Coalition. Her past work included serving as program director of the Minority Outreach Intervention Project and as vice president of Chicago Windy City Black Pride. She also served on the HIV Prevention Planning Group as well as the Chicago Area Ryan White Services Planning Council. In addition, Bates was a minister and a member of the Pillar of Love Fellowship United Church of Christ.

—Paul Varnell: A longtime Chicago-based activist/ journalist, Varnell died in December due to complications of pneumonia and a stroke. Varnell penned items for Windy City Times and Chicago Free Press among other publications. He was a founding writer at the Free Press, and he regularly lobbied local mainstream papers for better coverage of gay issues.

—Michael "Mangina" Gabaldon: A figure in Chicago's gay community whose drag persona was as famous as his own name passed away in June. Michael "Mangina" Gabaldon died peacefully, according to friends, at Illinois Masonic Medical Center at age 40.

—Joey Kafka: a co-owner of Lakeview's Kafka Wine, Co., Kafka died in June at age 38. Kafka was a well-known figure in Chicago's LGBT community as he regularly sponsored HIV/AIDS related causes.

—Ketty Teanga: Teanga, known to many as Circuit nightclub regular "Miss Ketty," died in September at age 64. Teanga's "La Noche Loca" ran at Circuit for 15 years, and in 1998 she recieved the ALMA Community Leadership Award. She was also crowned by Chicago's Puerto Rican organization Paseo Boricua.

—Alicia Backus: Amember of the tradeswomen's community, Backus passed away in September. Backus was 42. Backus was an ironworker with Local Union 1 in Chicago. She encouraged other women to get involved in the craft.

—Ralphj Hannie: A longtime bartender at Spyner's Pub, Hannie died in August at her home with her partner of 18 years, Janice Kohl, by her side after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 51.

—Raymond Hudd: A well-known millinery designer known as "The Madhatter of the Midwest" passed away peacefully in July in Muskegon, Mich., at the age of 86. Over his 50-year career, he designed more than 500 hats for Phyllis Diller. In 2002, the Chicago History Museum retains more than 100 of his creations.

—Jami Bantry: A founder of Center on Halsted's monthly T-out Mic, Bantry passed away after a long battle with lymphoma at age 65. Bantry made her career as an architect and later volunteered at the Center on Halsted.

—Mark Beaubien Jr.: The Illinois state representative died June at age 68. The Republican from Barrington Hills voted for the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act and in favor of adding "sexual orientation" to the Illinois Human Rights Act.

—Hugh Andrew Mathis: The successful fundraising executive at Resurrection ( Medical Center ) Development Foundation died unexpectedly in January. He was 41. Mathis was a board member of Gerber/Hart Library and Hell in a Handbag Productions theater company.

—Joyce Sloane: She was behind Second City, who found and nurtured celebrities such as John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Chris Farley died in February at the age of 80. Sloane served on the board of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

—Ronald Schwed: One of the first members to join the American Veterans for Equal Rights Chicago Chapter ( GLBVA/AVER ) after the group was founded in 1991, Schwed passed away in March.

—Fred Rice: Chicago's first Black permanent police superintendent died Jan. 10 after a long illness at age 84. Rice appointed the first police liaison to the LGBT communities in 1984.

—The Rev. John C. "Mr. Tupperware" Gould: Gould passed away unexpectedly in his Chicago home Dec. 29, 2010; he was 54. Gould, who beat HIV for more than 20 years, also loved his volunteer work for non-profit organizations including Stop AIDS Chicago, Vital Bridges and Felines, Inc.

—Joseph J. Maggio: He passed away suddenly at his home on Jan. 17; he was 58. Maggio is survived by his life partner of 31 years, Jim Keup.

—Mabel Holle: A member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League and a women's sports activist, Holle died in Lake Forest in December at age 91. In, 1988, Holle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y., as a member of the All American Girls League.