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PASSAGES Singer/actress Olivia Newton-John dead at 73
Olivia Newton-John—the Australian singer who charmed generations of viewers in the 1978 blockbuster movie Grease and had such music hits as "Physical," with both garnering many LGBTQ+ fans—died Aug. 8 at age 73, according to media ...
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PASSAGES Journalist Chuck Colbert passes away at 67
Journalist Charles "Chuck" R. Colbert—who had written for several LGBTQ+ publications, including Windy City Times—passed away June 30. He was 67. He was a freelance journalist based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, according to his biography on The ...
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Montreal Pride Parade is canceled
Citing security concerns, the organizers of the Fierte Montreal Pride Parade abruptly canceled the Aug. 7 event at the last minute, The Washington Blade reported. The other events scheduled at the Esplanade of the Olympic Park—T-Dance ...
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Drag show finally takes place at UpRising Bakery and Cafe
After a series of events that encompassed everything from vandalism to meetings with village officials to a visit from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, LGBTQ+-owned Lake in the Hills business UpRising Bakery and Cafe finally held its ...
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Sky, Red Stars, Fire and White Sox all win; Cubs do not
The Chicago Sky (25-8) extended their franchise record with their 25th victory, defeating the Connecticut Sun (22-11) 94-91 on Aug. 7 at Wintrust Arena in a game that was nationally televised on ABC. Courtney Vandersloot led ...
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PASSAGES Lesbian writer/activist Elana Dykewomon dies at 72
Tributes have poured in following the death of Oakland-based esteemed lesbian writer/activist Elana Dykewomon, who passed away Aug. 7 at age 72, according to EuroWeekly. She received the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction in 1998 ...
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Billy Masters
"I wasn't trying to have his career because he sings, he dances. I'm barely a single threat. I'm just an actor."—Tuc Watkins, explaining how he emulated the career trajectory of Kevin Kline— to the best of ...
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SHOWBIZ Jane Lynch, Dwayne Johnson, 'Star Trek,' Beyonce, Shea Coulee
NBC has renewed the Jane Lynch-hosted game show Weakest Link for a third season, Variety noted. Season three will run for 20 episodes. The series is based on a British format distributed by BBC Studios that ...
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NATIONAL Okla. schools, Tenn. lawsuit, political items, Mich. library
Video below
Oklahoma public schools have started requiring students from kindergarten to college to complete "biological sex affidavits" if they want to compete in school sports, in accordance with a state law that took effect earlier this year, ...
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WORLD Zelensky, French position, UK drag-queen shows, triathlons
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he will ask Ukraine's government to look into legalizing same-sex marriage after the war with Russia ends, PinkNews reported. Ukraine's constitution defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Last ...
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Uganda government forces LGBTQ+ group to shut down
An LGBTQI+-rights group in Uganda said the country's government forced it to shut down, according to The Washington Blade. Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), in a press release, said Uganda's National ...
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BOOKS Inside Sinkhole, a darkly comic coming-of-age fiction
Davida G. Breier's debut book, Sinkhole, takes readers on a trip to rural Florida in the 1980s. Amidst golf courses, mobile homes and alligators, some things on the agenda: friendship, identity, sexuality, grief and murder. Breier ...
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Pritzker visits UpRising Bakery and Cafe
On Aug. 5, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker met with Corrina Sac, owner of Lake in the Hills business UpRising Bakery and Café, as well as leaders from Equality Illinois and Woodstock Pride and Illinois state Rep. ...
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TELEVISION 'They/Them' cast members reflect on making the film
They/Them (pronounced "They-slash-Them") is a new 2022 film from Blumhouse Productions in which the terrors of an LGBTQ+ conversion camp invade the lives of a diverse group of young people who spend a summer together. The ...
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Sky, Cubs and White Sox all win
The Chicago Sky (24-8) defeated the Washington Mystics (20-13) 93-83 at Wintrust Arena on Aug. 5. The Sky tied a franchise record with 24 wins in a single season—a record set during the 2013 WNBA regular ...
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POLITICS Milwaukee gets RNC in '24; Chicago among DNC hopefuls
Milwaukee will host the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC). According to Politico, RNC committee chair Ronna McDaniel tweeted, "I am excited to announce that the RNC has voted unanimously to select Milwaukee as the host city ...
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Indiana Gov. Holcomb signs bill banning most abortions
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed a bill that would ban most abortions—making it the first state to pass a restrictive law against the procedure since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this ...
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Actress Anne Heche in critical condition after car crash
Actress Anne Heche reportedly crashed her car into a house in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles on Aug. 5, setting both the vehicle and the house on fire, according to CNN. She is now ...
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Casting announced for queer-centered play 'St. Sebastian'
Refracted Theatre Company announced casting for its world premiere of Andrew Kramer's dark comedy St. Sebastian, directed by Artistic Director Graham Miller. The play features Nolan Robinson, Mack Spotts and ...
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ALMA Chicago hires new executive director
The Association of Latinos/as/xs Motivating Action (ALMA) has hired its first executive director. Manuel Hernandez will step into the role, according to a press release. The statement describes Hernandez as "a Puerto Rican New York City ...
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Kinsey Institute exhibiting iconic Tom Fox HIV/AIDS photo series
An exhibition of 60 iconic photographs documenting Indiana University alumnus Tom Fox's battle with AIDS in the late 1980s will hang in the Grand Hall of Maxwell Hall on the Indiana University-Bloomington campus. "Wild Horse Running: ...
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CDPH, community partners provide monkeypox update as Market Days nears
With the event known as Northalsted Market Days happening Aug. 6-7—and with tens of thousands of people expected to attend—the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and community partners held a press conference Aug. 4 about ...
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Sinema plans to sign on Senate Democrats' climate, health and tax bill
U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) announced Aug. 4 that she will "move forward" with Democrats' massive climate, prescription drug and spending bill, after fellow party members appeared to reach an agreement about her concerns with the ...
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Cook County Commissioner Morrison calls for hearing to address monkeypox outbreak
-- From a press release
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Aug, 4, 2022 —Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison (District 15) has introduced a resolution calling for a public hearing in the Cook County Health and Hospitals Committee that will convene Monday, Aug. 8, ...
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UpRising Bakery allowed to hold drag brunch, other events
UpRising Bakery—a Lake in the Hills business extensively vandalized after scheduling a brunch event featuring drag performers—will be able to host the rescheduled event and other programs after reaching an agreement with Lake in the Hills ...
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Angelica Ross to be first trans lead in Broadway's 'Chicago'
Trans actors have made all sorts of impressions on Broadway, but former Chicagoan Angelica Ross has set a precedent. Next month, the leading role of fame-hungry murderess Roxie Hart will be played by Angelica Ross. Ross ...
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Judge: Kevin Spacey owes almost $31 million
On Aug. 4, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana confirmed that embattled actor Kevin Spacey must pay House of Cards producer MRC nearly $31 million for alleged sexual misconduct behind the scenes of the ...
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PASSAGES Chicago Latino Theater Alliance Executive Director Myrna Salazar dies at 75
The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) announced that co-founder and Executive Director Myrna Salazar passed away Aug. 3—two weeks after celebrating her 75th birthday. According to a press release, "Salazar ...
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TELEVISION Darwin Del Fabro ('They/Them') talks horror, love scenes and inner strength
Queer Brazilian singer/actor Darwin Del Fabro is one of the cast members of the horror movie They/Them (pronounced "they-SLASH-them")—a slasher movie (get it?) set ...
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Brittney Griner found guilty, sentenced to nine years
On Aug. 4, a Russian court found out WNBA star Brittney Griner guilty of drug smuggling and possession charges—and sentenced her to nine years in prison. The widely expected verdict came after a monthlong trial ...
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Sexual-misconduct report findings force Chicago charter-school leader to leave
A Chicago Public Schools inspector general's report substantiating allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct with a student forced Tim King, the head of a prominent charter school network, to resign recently, WBEZ reported. King, who founded Urban ...
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Judge: W. Va.'s Medicaid program must cover transgender care
In West Virginia, U.S. District Judge Chuck Chambers ruled that the state's Medicaid program must provide coverage for gender-confirming care for transgender residents, ABC News reported. Chambers made the ruling on Aug. 2 in a lawsuit ...
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Attorneys general file brief in Indiana trans case
A coalition of 22 attorneys general, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and New York counterpart Letitia James, filed an amicus brief in the case of A.C. v. Metropolitan School District of Martinsville opposing the school ...
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ART Wrightwood 659 to show 'The First Homosexuals,' 'Michiko Itatani'
The Lincoln Park space Wrightwood 659, 659 W. Wrightwood Ave., will show two exhibits—"The First Homosexuals: Global Depictions of a New Identity, 1869-1930" and "Michiko Itatani: Celestial Stage"—on Fridays and ...
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'Dining Out for Life' taking place Aug. 11
The annual event known as Dining Out for Life will take place Thursday, Aug. 11. People can join the Chicago restaurant community in ensuring essential services are available to people living with HIV during the daylong ...
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The Chicago Sky launch The Net: A Mental Health Initiative
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (Aug. 3, 2022)—As issues of mental health make headlines in sport—and women's sports in particular—the WNBA championship team Chicago Sky launched "The Net," (A Network of Mental Health Support in ...
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SAVOR Museum of Ice Cream; Epic challenge; Cafe Sophie closed
After 2 million visitors across seven sold-out locations, the Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) has found its latest sweet spot in the historic Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave. MOIC can be distinguished by its pink ...
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MacArthur Foundation expands support of Chicago area media, storytelling, partnered with Field Foundation
-- From a press release
August 3, 2022—The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation today announced the renewal of a three-year, $3 million grant to the Field Foundation'sMedia & Storytelling program, which provides grants to a diverse set of Chicago ...
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Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame Announces 2022 Inductees
--From a press release
The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, the only city-sanctioned LGBT Hall of Fame in the world, was founded in 1991 to honor Chicago's people and entities, nominated by the community, who have made significant contributions to ...
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Hollywood medium Tyler Henry at Hard Rock Live on Nov. 17
-- From a press release
Medium Tyler Henry—the openly gay star of the NETFLIX series Life After Death with Tyler Henry and E! Entertainment's megahit television show Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry—will bring his national live show to Hard Rock Casino ...
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Bailey faces backlash after abortion/Holocaust comment
Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is facing backlash after footage from 2017 showed him comparing abortion to the Holocaust, according to NBC Chicago. "The attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesn't even ...
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NU sued by student on school's Qatar campus
On July 28, Northwestern University was slapped with a civil-rights lawsuit in Illinois Northern District Court, according to Law.com. The lawsuit was brought by Disparti Law Group on behalf of a student of the university's Qatar ...
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Cubs keep Contreras, Happ; White Sox win; Sky lose
In the wake of a 6-0 loss at the St. Louis Cardinals (55-48) on Aug. 2, the Chicago Cubs (41-61) did not trade catcher Willson Contreras or outfielder Ian Happ, WGN-TV noted. Both were listed in ...
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Voters preserve abortion rights in red state Kansas
In the first abortion-related election since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Kansas voters have rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have specified that the right to terminate a pregnancy is not protected, ...
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LGBTQ trailblazer Jim Obergefell wins primary in Ohio, advances to November election
-- From a press release
Washington, DC — Today LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed candidate Jim Obergefell advanced to the November election after running unopposed in the Democratic primary for Ohio state House District 89. He is the named plaintiff of the ...
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HRC commends White House Monkeypox (MPV) Coordinator appointments; calls for greater federal response
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, commended the Biden Administration for appointing Robert Fenton and ...
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Lollapalooza lit up with LGBTQ+ acts in 2022
The annual outdoor festival Lollapalooza ran July 28-31 in Chicago, displaying a wide spectrum of talent—including many LGBTQ+ acts—this year on nine stages. The music carnival began as an eclectic ...
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THEATER 'Cabaret' coming to Metropolis Arts on Sept. 15
Musical Broadway classic and hit film Cabaret re-creates the decadent and complicated world of 1929 Berlin at the Arlington Heights venue Metropolis Performing Arts Centre on Sept. 15-Oct. 22. Cabaret is Kander and Ebb's legendary musical ...
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LGBTQ+-inclusive program for seniors receives Aging Innovations Award
AgeOptions' Thrive with Pride program for LGBT+ older adults recently received a 2022 Aging Innovations Award, one of the highest honors presented by USAging to its members. USAging is the national association representing and supporting the ...
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Staffers, older LGBTQ+ residents establish ties at The Admiral at The Lake
Before Ken Irvine moved to the senior living community The Admiral at The Lake, he was an expert at maneuvering conversations so people wouldn't find out he was gay. ...
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Utah school district removes LGBTQ+ books from libraries
A Utah school district removed 52 books from its library shelves due to parent complaints mainly concerning LGBTQ+-focused material, LGBTQ Nation noted. A spokesperson for Alpine School District tells The Salt Lake Tribune that the district ...
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Chicago Sky's James Wade named WNBA Coach of the Month for second straight time
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (Aug. 2, 2022)—Chicago Sky General Manager/Head Coach James Wade has been selected as the WNBA Coach of the Month for July, the league announced. This is the second month in a row Wade has won ...
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Homeless-services agency Care for Friends temporarily moves to Edgewater
Care for Friends, a Chicago-based homeless-services program, has temporarily moved to Edgewater after being in Lincoln Park for 54 years, according to a press release. The program is now based at the Church of the Atonement, ...
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Showrunners send abortion-protection letters to Hollywood execs
Recently, more than 400 TV creators and showrunners—all of them women (including Shonda Rhimes, Issa Rae, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Natasha Lyonne and Ava DuVernay)—sent letters to top executives at Hollywood studios ...
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Oak Park Festival Theatre's 'The Winter's Tale' running thru Aug. 20
Oak Park Festival Theatre's The Winter's Tale will run at Austin Gardens (167 Forest Ave., Oak Park) through Sunday, Aug. 20. The Winter's Tale marks Oak Park Festival Theatre's return to the stage after a devastating ...
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Courtney Vandersloot named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week
-- From a press release
CHICAGO—The Chicago Sky's Courtney Vandersloot was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the league announced. This marks the second time this season and eighth time in Vandersloot's 12-year career to receive the honor. Vandersloo ...
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California governor declares monkeypox emergency
Following New York and Illinois, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a monkeypox emergency in his state. "California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, ...
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Pritzker issues monkeypox public-health emergency declaration
-- From a press release
CHICAGO—Gov. JB Pritzker issued a proclamation declaring the monkeypox virus a public health emergency and declaring the state of Illinois a disaster area regarding the disease. The declaration, which applies to the entire state, will allow ...
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Brave Space Alliance plans to raise salaries, urges partner agencies to follow suit
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — Aug.1, 2022 — Brave Space Alliance, the South Side LGBTQ+ Center, announced a sweeping new plan to increase the organization's base salary to $43,000 for entry-level staff, equivalent to an hourly wage of $20.67/hr. ...
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PASSAGES Janan Lindley, wife of longtime activist/former bar owner Marge Summit
Janan Lindley died in hospice at home with her wife, Marge Summit, by her side July 29 of cancer. She was 82. Lindley was born June 20, 1940 and was raised in New Orleans. She studied at Loop College and from ...
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Chalk Howard Street outdoors for the first time since 2019 on Aug. 27
-- From a press release
CHICAGO, IL (Aug. 1, 2022)—Chicago's only chalk art festival, Chalk Howard Street, announced its entertainment programming and vendors list, as it makes a full return outdoor and in person for the first time since 2019. National ...
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Vallas speaks at event of group known for anti-LGBTQ+ views [UPDATE]
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO and current mayoral candidate Paul Vallas spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois—a group that has been criticized for its transphobic and homophobic rhetoric, The Chicago Reader reported. The group hosted ...
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Billy Masters
"Mike, you's in danger, man."—Whoopi Goldberg paraphrases her line from Ghost (or, as Barbara Walters always called it, The Ghost) in response to Pence's former aide Marc Short revealing what almost happened to the VP on ...
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Senate vote on marriage bill pushed back to September
Hope for a quick vote on the Respect for Marriage Act in the U.S. Senate this week has faded, but U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said over the weekend that she has 10 Republican senators willing to ...
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Lollapalooza to be in Chicago for at least the next 10 years
Get ready to see a lot more musical acts, crop tops and (mostly younger) people in Grant Park for at least the next decade of summers. Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced July 31 that the ...
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Vandersloot reaches mark in Sky win; MLB teams split
Courtney Vandersloot dished out 12 assists—passing Lindsay Whalen to become number three all-time on the WNBA assists list—as the Sky (23-7) edged the Connecticut Sun (20-10) 95-92 in overtime at Mohegan Sun Arena on July 31. ...
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SAVOR Travelle at the Langham maintains high standards
For years, The Langham has been considered one of the top hotels not only in Chicago, but throughout the world, with the luxury stop having stops from Hong Kong to Boston to Sydney. And for years, ...
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UpRising Bakery cancels more events; Indiana passes severe abortion ban
There have more setbacks for the LGBTQ+-owned UpRising Bakery and Cafe, where damage still remains after the Lake in the Hills establishment was vandalized last weekend with hate messages, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Owner Corinna Sac ...
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WORLD Cuban referendum, Gay Games, Berlin attacks, Indian trans men
Cuba's parliament announced that the country will hold a referendum on the legalization of same-sex marriage and surrogate parenthood, Deutsche Welle reported. The referendum on the new family law is scheduled to be held Sunday, Sept. ...
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SHOWBIZ Comic Con, WNBA player, Timothee Chalamet, Kate McKinnon
Out Magazine listed at least seven LGBTQ+-related characters and projects that were unveiled at San Diego Comic Con. Some of them include Michaela Coel (from TV's I May Destroy You) as a queer character in the ...
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NATIONAL Lesbian activist dies, school report, Robin Roberts, Joe Rogan
Rita Addessa—a civil-rights activist and the first executive director of the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force (PLGTF, later the Pennsylvania Lesbian and Gay Task Force)—passed away July 9 at Penn Hospice in Philadelphia at age ...
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Lesbian fighter Amanda Nunes recaptures UFC title
On July 30, Amanda Nunes—a Brazilian lesbian who's considered one of the best mixed martial-arts fighters of all time—recaptured the UFC women's bantamweight title from Julianna Pena in a match in Dallas' American Airlines Center, ES ...
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Red Stars lose; Fire tie Atlanta; Cubs fall but White Sox split
On July 30, the visiting Chicago Red Stars (5-3-5) lost to the first-place San Diego Wave (7-3-4) 1-0. Jaedyn Shaw scored for the Wave. Vanessa DiBernardo took home Star of the Match, per a press release. ...
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Gene Siskel Film Center running 'Pioneers of Queer Cinema'
In partnership with the UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. Clark St., presents differing, often radical explorations of sexual orientation and gender identity in the series "Pioneers of Queer Cinema." ...
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Cook County prosecutor resigns, cites no respect for Kim Foxx's leadership
A top Cook County prosecutor resigned, saying he "can't continue to work for an administration I don't respect," according to Yahoo! News. Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Jim Murphy stepped down July 29 after 25 years ...
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