VIEWS Tracy Baim - 4087 - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News

Simon Said Former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, who passed away last week, was perhaps one of the kindest and most sincere politicians Illinois has ever sent to Washington. He stayed true to his progressive roots and was a long-time ally for the GLBT community. The integrity he brought to his work is rare indeed, and he will be missed immensely.Saddam Didn't Say The capture of Saddam Hussein, while certainly a welcome relief for those who suffered under his regime, will hopefully not cloud the truth as we head into the 2004 election cycle. The Democrats were quick to tear at each other, especially those attacking Howard Dean for his anti-war stance. But Dean was actually the more presidential sounding as he admitted this was a good day for the president, and that politicking was for another time. Will Saddam reveal anything of importance now that he is in custody? All we know for sure is that Bush was not honest with the American people in his evidence and reasons for sending young men and women to die in Iraq. If the Democrats fight each other too much about who is the more patriotic, the party itself will lose when trying to face off against the war chest of Bush and his allies. A New Identity Heading into 2004, we have some changes to announce at Windy City Media Group. This was an exciting year, as we moved our offices after being in Lakeview since 1987. The advertising growth in Windy City Times has been strong, but the economy continues to impact some niche publications. BLACKlines and En La Vida are both heading into their ninth years serving the African-American and Latino communities. They have always been labors of love for me and the people who contribute to the papers. But their separation, in the year 2003, seems more artificial than ever. There are many identities we all have, multi-racial, multi-cultural, religious, health status, gender, and more. So, beginning in February, BLACKlines and En La Vida will merge into a new publication, called Identity, which will cover all areas of race, gender, culture, health and spiritual identity. From African-American, Latino, Asian, and other racial groups, to transgender and intersex, to religion and HIV, this new glossy magazine hopes to cover these topics more in-depth for our community. In addition, because most people now use the internet for guides and resources, we are moving our 15-year-old OUT! Resource Guide exclusively online after the 30th edition ( on the streets next week ) . All of the advertisers are now online as well, but we will make a stronger push to keep a comprehensive resource guide for businesses and non-profits online for our 50,000 weekly Web users. Windy City Times will continue as the city's oldest and most comprehensive weekly newspaper for the city and suburban GLBT community. We have exciting features coming up, and a crew of more than 50 local and national writers to keep you informed and entertained in 2004. Nightspots, our weekly bar guide, has really blossomed after 13 years in newsprint. It is now a weekly 4-color glossy nightlife guide, and it has more than doubled in advertisers since the switch in format. And finally, Windy City Radio continues Sundays 11-midnight on WCKG, 105.9 FM, a 50,000-watt station with reach into Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin, Western Michigan and Northwest Indiana. We are very excited about the far reach of the show, with listeners calling in from all over the region to speak with our guests ( ranging from local folks to national stars such as Megan Mullally and Kathy Griffin ) and to win great prizes provided by our advertisers. Thanks so much to all of our dedicated readers and advertisers. We wish you all a great holiday and prosperous New Year. Playing Games The Town Hall meeting last week to debate the possibility of a Gay Games in Chicago was an important part of the process to decide if this city should bid to host the 2006 Gay Games. I am very glad more than 50 people turned out to show they care enough to give input. While the room was split about 50/50 for and against, people were very professional and courteous—and impassioned—about their views on whether Chicago should wade into the middle of an international gay sporting battle with Montreal. We are still meeting with city and state officials, and we are still gathering input. I just want to personally thank everyone who was part of the original bid, and those who have stepped forward to offer their input on a potential new bid effort.

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