IFCON 2016 to take place Sept. 1-5
Asians & Friends Chicago will host the International Friendship Conference ( IFCON ) 2016—a conference for the LGBT Asian/Pacific Islander community—Sept. 2-5.
Based in the DoubleTree by Hilton, Magnificent Mile, IFCON 2016 will feature city tours, a Spirit of Chicago cruise on Lake Michigan and a gala dinner. Members from chapters of Asians & Friends and Long Yang Clubs will attend, representing chapters from cities like Cleveland, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and Toronto.
—Thursday, Sept. 1: There will be a pre-IFCON welcome party.
—Friday, Sept. 2: Registration will take place in the hospitality suite at 12-6 p.m., and there will be a buffet at 6-9 p.m.
—Saturday, Sept. 3: The hospitality suite will open at noon, there'll be a trolley tour at 12-4 p.m., and there'll be a dinner-boat tour on the Spirit of Chicago at 5-7 p.m. ( A la cart tickets can be bought at ifcon2016.org/ifcon-2016-single-event-registration/ . )
—Sunday, Sept. 4: An IFCON board meeting and break-out sessions will take place. In addition, a banquet will take place at 7-10 p.m. at th eDouble Tree Hotel ballroom.
—Monday, Sept. 5: There will be a farewell lunch.
The goal of the conference is to foster safe, supportive environments for gay men of Asian descent, Angel Abcede, president of Asians & Friends Chicago and co-chair of IFCON 2016, said in a statement. "Oftentimes, we find ourselves a minority within a minority in the United States, suffering from racial stereotypes and body-shaming. The phrase we hear on meet-up apps is 'No fats, no fems and no Asians.' But that's not the case at IFCON. Here we're valued for what we look like, our cultural heritages and what we represent as a brotherhood."
Email chicago@ifcon2016.org or visit IFCON2016.org for more information and to register.
'1,000 Mile March' Aug. 6 in Chicago
The symbolic 1,000 Mile March—which will retrace a portion of the historic August 1966 march into Marquette Park in order to celebrate and amplify the triumphs and ongoing challenges of conditions Martin Luther King Jr. confronted in communities across Chicago 50 years ago—will take place Saturday, Aug. 6 at 9 a.m. at 63rd Steet and Kedzie Avenue.
King referred to the August 1966 march into Marquette Park and the other efforts of the Chicago Freedom Movement that summer as the "first step in a one thousand mile journey."
The Aug. 6 event will involve walking through nine city blocks into Marquette Park. The march will be followed by a rally with celebrities, artists and activists at the Takin' It to the Streets Festival and Summit in Marquette Park.
Register at MLKMemorialChicago.org; a $10 registration fee is requested to cover march expenses, but can be waived for interested participants unable to supply the fee.
LCHJ holding 'Cuba Libre' event Aug. 18
Legal Council for Health Justice ( LCHJ ) will host its annual summer party at Sidetrack in Lakeview on Thursday, Aug. 18.
This year's travel theme is "Cuba Libre: Holiday in Havana" and will feature cuisine by 90 Miles Cuban Cafe, cocktails by Sidetrack, entertainment by Angel d'Cuba, the Grand Raffle, a huge silent auction and more.
All proceeds directly support the Legal Council's programs providing free, immediate legal help to low-income individuals with HIV, people at risk of homelessness, and children with disabilities.
Cuba Libre tickets start at $75 and are available by visiting www.cubalibre.gesture.com or calling 312-427-8990.
'State of LGBT Health Symposium' Aug. 18
The inaugural State of LGBT Health Symposium will take place Thursday, Aug. 18, 1-4 p.m., at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law's Aspen Hall, 375 E. Chicago Ave.
This symposium will feature a keynote lecture by Karen L. Parker, director of the Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office of the National Institutes of Health, followed by a panel discussion with Northwestern faculty.
Visit isgmh.northwestern.edu/calendar_event/state-of-lgbt-health-symposium/ .
