Top of the Line
The film I personally have been waiting for more than a year to slowly make its way to Chicago will be shown at the Music Box starting Aug. 18. Aimee & Jaquar is the true story of a love between two women in Nazi Germany. One is part of the German establishment, the other is a Jewish member of the underground, fighting for her life.
Congrats to pioneering lesbian writer and activist Barbara Smith, for being the only out lesbian featured in Essence magazine's special 30th anniversary issue in May. Queen Latifah and Toni Morrison were among the other featured women.
Click for details on Lambda Publications Night at the Theater to benefit the medical expenses of one of our delivery women who is living with cancer.
Celebrity-self-outing-for-publicity-of-the-week: Sinead O'Connor in Curve magazine ( finally a lesbian uses a lesbian magazine to come out in! ) . Conveniently, O'Connor has a new album out this week, but she claims she's upset with the way Curve issued a press release about their exclusive ( is she naive or just playing dumb? ) . She certainly didn't seem to mind getting major play on drool-at-the-lesbians Howard Stern during his nationally syndicated radio show. The magazine won't be out til the end of the month, but see www.curvemag.com .
Howard Brown Health Center hosts the Chicago premiere of Our House, a one-hour documentary about kids of gay and lesbian parents. It's sponsored by GLSEN, HBHC, PFLAG, Rainbow Families and ITVS. Director Meema Spadola, the daughter of a lesbian, will be present: Friday, June 16, 7:30 p.m.; June 17 at 1 and 3 p.m.; free, 4025 N. Sheridan, ( 773 ) 388-1600, VM 3351. The shows airs on WTTW-Channel 11 June 23, 10:30 p.m.
A power outage postponed Marie Kuda's slideshow/lecture last week at the Oak Park Public Library. The new date will be will be Thursday, June 29 for "Eleanor Roosevelt: A Second Life."
WTTW-Channel 11 airs After Stonewall: From the Riots to the Millennium, 10 p.m., Friday, June 16. The newest In The Life gay show airs Sunday, June 18, at midnight.
J.B. Pritzger held a private party at his home for LesBiGay Radio announcing the launch of their internet broadcast. See www.lesbigayradio.org .
Ellen DeGeneres' taped stand-up comedy act is expected to air on HBO July 22. Meanwhile, CBS has slotted her sitcom for a mid-season replacement show—but they have ordered just six episodes, a new trend of churn-and-burn, prove-it-or-lose-it. The networks just don't have the patience to let a show develop.
The Rhode Island Providence Journal Bulletin reported June 8 on the CBS Survivor show's gay character: "In [ the ] premiere of Survivor ... Richard Hatch coaxed and prodded his fellow castaways into a team-building huddle on the beach. Last night, the Newport corporate trainer took the discussion to a new level. 'I'm homosexual,' he told a circle of his mates. Conspicuously absent was Rudy, the crusty, 72-year-old ex-Navy SEAL—but not for long. Hatch's ability to impress, and even befriend, the island's straightest arrow would seem to bode well for his chances of surviving a while longer in the $1-million game show. It also illustrated, again, his insistence on asserting his true self in a psychological drama where being disliked means TV death."
Protesting a pattern of "disrespect and duplicity" on the part of San Francisco Gay Pride Parade organizers, entertainers and their supporters gathered Monday on the steps of San Francisco City Hall to release an Entertainer's Bill of Rights. "Queer entertainers object to Parade mismanagement and a policy that rewards non-gay performers from outside the Bay Area" with large sums of funds and larger visibility than what is given to gay entertainers, protesters said. Robin Tyler, Division, L.Z. Love, Blackberri, Joan Jett-Blakk, Tommi Avicolli Mecca, Hibernia Beach host Ken McPherson, Rainbow Flag creator Gilbert Baker, and others joined in.
StopDrLaura.com reports that Procter & Gamble is getting beaten up badly by far-right fundamentalist organizations for their decision not advertise on the Dr. Laura TV and radio shows. P&G's director of global marketing flew to Colorado for a meeting with James Dobson and Focus on the Family officials. Show your support by contacting P&G at ( 800 ) 331-3774, FAX: ( 513 ) 983-1100, Email: jager.di@pg.com, or visit URL: www.pg.com/about/contact1.htm.
Meanwhile, one of the largest Stop Dr. Laura demonstrations held to date was June 5 outside the live, noontime broadcast of WCBS in New York. More than 400 people rallied outside the Trump Building.
The New York Times hosted a panel on "Hollywood and the Homosexual" June 12 in New York. Op-Ed columnist Frank Rich moderated, and panelists included: Dawson's Creek exec. producer Greg Berlanti; screenwriter and playwright Arthur Laurents ( West Side Story ) ; playwright Paul Rudnick ( Jeffrey, In & Out, Swoon ) ; and film producer Christine Vachon ( Boys Don't Cry, Go Fish, and the upcoming Hedwig and the Angry Inch. )
SmartWomen is a social/networking group directed toward educated, professional and creative lesbians who seek other like-minded lesbians within seven metropolitan areas ( now including Chicago ) . They go to events and otherwise find ways to meet and greet. See www.egroups.com or e-mail SmartWomenChicago-subscribe@egroups.com .
Cheerleader' duty
Reeling 2000: The 20th Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival is hosting a special benefit screening of the acclaimed But I'm A Cheerleader, Wed., June 28, Pipers Alley, 1608 N. Wells, 7 p.m. reception, 8 p.m. screening. Tickets are $15, available at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark, ( 773 ) 293-1447. Outlines has a limited number of FREE passes to the film: e-mail outlines@suba.com or fax ( 773 ) 871-7609 by June 21 to enter for our drawing. Jamie Babbit's debut feature is a "candy-colored satire about the absurdity of 'curing' homosexuality." Megan ( Natasha Lyonne ) is a model teen that straight-laced parents dream of. But when friends and parents begin to notice things of concern, they band together to "save" Megan from lesbianism. They send her to "rehab" camp, run by "ex-gay" Mike ( RuPaul Charles ) .
RuPaul
judge tom
Judge Tom Chiola, the first openly gay candidate to be elected to any federal, state, county or local office in Illinois, is seeking retention to his position of Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Chiola was elected in 1994; Circuit Court Judges must stand for retention every six years and must receive 60% "yes" votes to be retained.
Chiola's name will appear at the end of the general election ballot Nov. 7 with about 80 other judges seeking retention.
Write it down
The Oak Park Area Gay & Lesbian Assoc. gala is Friday, June 16, at Mar-Lac Banquets, 104 S. Marion St., Oak Park, 7 p.m., ( 708 ) 848-0273. The group recently held its annual elections and awards. The Carol Zientek Distinguished Service Award went to Mel Wilson and Helen Bishop. The Bryan Findlay Founders Award went to Ethel Cotovsky. Co-chairs for 2000 are Julie Kreiner and Ray Johnson; Treasurer is Sara Durbin. Bishop stepped down as co-chair, and she and her partner Susan Grider are moving to the Bay Area. Board members-at-large are Cotovsky, Lynne Clark, John Dames, Sam Halferty, Chuck Huffman, Donna Karpavicius, Betsy Stith and Wilson.
We received a sad letter in the mail from Donna Quinn, head of Chicago Catholic Women, a 25-year-old agency which has pushed for progressive causes including women's rights and gay rights. Quinn is shutting the doors on CCW. "One big question that future generations will ask is about the issue of discrimination—Gender Discrimination," Quinn wrote to supporters. "Why does the Catholic Church hold in its policies the violent and immoral practices that say girl babies who grow up to be women are not good enough to preach or to celebrate the Eucharist?" Quinn and CCW should be in our Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame as supporters—their very public support of Chicago gay rights is part of the reason we have more freedoms today.
Sam's Wines & Spirits holds a benefit for Open Hand Chicago, Thursday, June 22, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Everyone shopping at Sam's during that time will be given a 10% discount off purchases, and Sam's will donate 5% of that discount directly to Open Hand. See www.samswine.com, 1720 N. Marcey St., ( 312 ) 664-4394.
