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Local writer from Hillman Grad Productions Mentorship Lab to tell stories about immigrant experiences
Growing up on the South Side of Chicago without any sort of U.S. citizenship, Ruben Mendive said he started developing his identity as a writer while he was sitting in front of the TV, devouring "every show that came out ...
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Booksellers launch "Boxed Out" campaign, a look at consumer choices
--From a press release
(New York, New York) 20% of independent bookstores across the country are in danger of closing. Today, theAmerican Booksellers Association launched the "Boxed Out" campaign to draw attention to the high stakes indie bookstores face this ...
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Author/academic John D'Emilio on new book, future endeavors
Queer Legacies: Stories from Chicago's LGBTQ Archives is a new book by Gerber/Hart Library and Archives President and University of Illinois at Chicago History and Women's and Gender Studies Professor Emeritus John ...
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Out Illinois State coach dives into new position
Logan Pearsall, an accomplished college diver who has since transitioned into master's level diving, was competing at the 2017 FINA World Masters Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He was doing a challenging inward dive from a one-meter ...
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Joseph Baar Topinka preserves legacy of mother: Pro-gay Republican Judy
Riverside resident Joseph Baar Topinka is still impressed with the resolve and stamina with which his late mother, longtime GOP politician Judy Baar Topinka, was able to "slug it out" in the political arena. "She got ...
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'Making Sweet Tea': Out NU dean talks about new documentary
Performer and Northwestern University Dean E. Patrick Johnson discussed his new film and the importance of reclaiming storytelling agency in a virtual Q&A Lambda Legal hosted Aug. 9. Johnson, dean of Northwestern University's School of Communication, ...
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Asha Ransby-Sporn talks building on the anti-racism movement's legacy
With anti-racism protests happening around the United States, in what some media outlets are saying is the largest movement in this country's history, demands to abolish the police have increasingly been a part of the rallying ...
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Local lesbian couple celebrate 50 years together
When Alice Cozad and Linda Young met each other as freshmen at the University of Iowa they knew almost instantly that they would be together as a couple for the rest of their lives. "The electricity ...
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Teen LGBTQ+ activist aims to inspire with Be You Tiful Initiative
Allison Frank is a 16-year-old lesbian activist from Lincolnshire's Stevenson High School who found her passion for activism and began the Be You Tiful Initiative. It all started when Frank was feeling overwhelmed in a makeup ...
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Cicero student finds his voice
When Jorge Martinez-Arevalo was in eighth grade, he was elected president of an LGBTQ+ after-school club at Unity Junior High School, in Cicero. During his eighth-grade year, the club, which is known as NJAW (short for ...
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Chicago man takes face masks into luxury
During COVID-19 David Altman is encouraging people to wear their heart on their face with masks that his brand Vintage Luxe Up is currently making out of vintage luxury designer silk scarves. Altman grew up on ...
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E. Patrick Johnson, a man of firsts
E. Patrick Johnson is a man often associated with the word "first." He was the first in his family to go to college, and the first Black native of Hickory, North Carolina, to receive a Ph.D., ...
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Gay sign-language interpreter on press conferences, LGBTQs
As a child, Michael Spencer Albert never knew how important his hands would be one day as an interpreter for the deaf community. He was born in Edgewater Hospital and grew up in Skokie. In college, ...
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Man behind memorial crosses diagnosed with terminal cancer
Greg Zanis—the Aurora man who has built more than 27,000 white crosses to commemorate victims of gun violence—has been diagnosed with bladder cancer, The Chicago Tribune reported. Also, despite surgery to remove the tumor, the disease ...
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Local designer Richard Dayhoff brings gender neutrality to collection
One thing that makes Chicago's fashion scene distinct is the variety of designers and their own signature styles. Richard Dayhoff is one of several designers in the Windy City, but he cannot be mistaken for any ...
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Chicagoan helps bring nuances of foster system to the screen
Chicago attorney Jay Paul Deratany, who is gay, recently penned the screenplay for a new film about the inherent dysfunction within the U.S. foster care system—a realm he knows well. "Practicing law is telling a story ...
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Legal titan Pat Logue, and her impact on many LGBT people
Politics and social justice causes have been parts of award-winning retired Cook County Circuit Court Associate Justice Pat Logue's life since childhood. Logue, who now is living with Alzheimer's disease, is also Lambda Legal's former Midwest ...
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Kevin Hauswirth, an advocate committed to diversity
Since he was a child, Kevin Hauswirth knew he was destined to lead a life of advocacy. Speaking with Windy City Times, he recalled growing up around activists including one trip with his family to see ...
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Incoming Second Unitarian minister discusses new role
Rev. Jason Lydon, who in August took over as minister at Second Unitarian Church of Chicago, 656 W. Barry Ave., said that his Lake View church has a long legacy of activism he hopes to see it "lean into" in the ...
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Sebastian Patti: Legal icon talks past, health issues and accomplishments
To say Sebastian Patti has achieved milestones—for himself and the LGBTQ community—might be giving him short shrift. More than two decades ago, Patti, 66, became the first openly gay appointed judge and, in 2009, he took ...
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College student balances LGBTQ+ activism, student life
After her semester at a new college, Zaiden Sowle knew she found what was lacking at her previous college. Before, her experience at Connecticut College—a small, liberal arts school in New London, Connecticut—was not the personal ...
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Columnist Esther J. Cepeda on coming out, writing career
When Washington Post Writers Group columnist Esther J. Cepeda recently came out as queer in one of her pieces, "Mental Health Needs of LGTBQIA+ go beyond Pride month," they joined a small number of prominent Latinx ...
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Xavier MaatRa continues giving back to the community
Giving back to the community has been the focus of Xavier MaatRa's professional life, culminating in the creation of their latest endeavors, Chi City Foods and DAB of Consulting. Xavier (they prefer to use their first ...
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Chicagoan recalls challenges of overcoming HIV stigma
For Chicagoan Terence Steward II, living with HIV "drove" how he lived his life during his twenties. "I was super-private, discreet, by myself, depressed, very 'smoky' and mysterious," Steward recalled. "I kept to myself. I was ...
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Chicagoans contemplate path forward after anti-LGBT church vote
For Rev. Britt Cox, pastor at Church of the Three Crosses, 333 W. Wisconsin St., a Feb. 28 vote at a United Methodist Church (UMC) conference affirming an earlier condemnation of homosexuality as being incompatible with ...
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Colleagues, student remember generous gay art-history professor
Martha Pollak remembered colleague Ross Edman bringing his Pekinese dogs to campus at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), which she considered a welcome surprise. Pollak—art history professor and ...
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Man Up Medical co-founder looks to past to shape present
Dean Hervochon dispenses words of advice like they are business cards. He is the guy who knows everything, as his friends tell him, and he's not full of cliche mottos, either—they all come from personal experience. ...
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Same-sex couple rocks records at Rattleback
There's a new retailer in town, called Rattlebake Records, located in Andersonville at 5405 N. Clark St. Husband-and-husband team Paul Ruffino and Mike Weaver opened the place recently and it features vinyl, CDs, cassettes, movies and ...
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Dr. Terry Vanden Hoek on medical award, Dr. Tamara O'Neal
For 25 years, renowned physician Dr. Terry Vanden Hoek has been treating patients and teaching medical students and residents the ins and outs of clinical emergency medicine in Chicago. Vanden Hoek has served as University of ...
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Jody Michael talks Crain's honor, StartOut, future plans
When Jody Michael started her business, Jody Michael Associates, 22 years ago she was one of the first executive and career coaches in the United States. Prior to that, Michael spent 15 years at the Chicago ...
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IN THE LIFE Lala Thomas
Lala Thomas' life has been shaped by working hard, fighting for what she wants and speaking her mind on a myriad of issues. All that has translated into her personal and soon-to-be business brands—Talented Lala. "Talented ...
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Artist Tom Bachtell on exhibit and late partner Andrew Patner
Self-taught artist Tom Bachtell's work is currently featured in a exhibit, "Tom Bachtell in AdventureLand," at AdventureLand Gallery, 1513 N. Western Ave. The free exhibit opened Dec. 7 with an evening reception and will run through ...
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SWZLE, part of the reusable straw revolution
GIFT GUIDE EXTRA
Reusable straws have become a central focus in helping to preserve the environment—so much so that banning plastic straws was an issue on the Chicago ballots during the recent midterm elections. To that end, former Chicago ...
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10 Questions by Vic: Greg Louganis
Greg Louganis is the greatest diver in history. In the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Louganis achieved gold medals in both the men's three-meter springboard and 10-meter platform events. At the 1988 Olympic Summer Games ...
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IN THE LIFE A look at i2i's core leadership team
Invisible to Invincible: Asian Pacific Islander Pride of Chicago (i2i) has seen many changes to its leadership team since its founding in 2005. The group, according to its Facebook page, "celebrates and affirms Asian/Pacific Islanders who ...
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First out gay male Chicago police officer on family, career, volunteering
Retired Chicago Police Department (CPD) officer Ronald Bogan saw it all during his three decades on the force. This includes a suspect who hid in the axel of a truck so he could not be found ...
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Lesbian Erasure, Defining Lesbianism Part One
[Author's note: for the purposes of space, except for brief references, this article focuses on lesbian couplings in the U.S.] Lesbians exist. Lesbians, like gay men, have always existed. If there is a singular lesson to ...
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IN THE LIFE Lizzy Wolferman
Everyone's life is a journey. However, with Liz Wolferman—the front-of-house manager of the acclaimed local restaurant Mott St.—it's been a literal journey that's involved Chicago, New York City and even England, resulting in ...
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NUNN ON ONE Adam Rippon skates into success
Figure skater Adam Rippon won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics, making history by becoming the first openly gay U.S. athlete to do so. He followed that by being the first openly gay celebrity ...
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DeRay Mckesson, fighting for Black lives
By the time this interview was conducted Sept. 7, DeRay Mckesson, one of the most visible Black Lives Movement organizers, was already on his book tour in New York for his memoir On the Other Side ...
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Formato's Focus
Welcome to Formato's Focus, a monthly spotlight that shines light on the interesting people doing amazing things within our community. This month we shine light on a fascinating individual, Justus Harris, the creator of Technology & Data ...
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Chicago Women in Trades adding members through outreach efforts
Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) volunteer and Local 130 third year apprentice plumber Liz Albertson did not know she was on the cusp of starting something new when she brought her snare drum to the Women's ...
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Howard Brown Health COO reflects on role, expanding family life
Howard Brown Health Chief Operating Officer and Physician Assistant Kristin Keglovitz Baker's life changed forever when she met her now-wife Bridget Baker at Pennsylvania's Camp Dreamcatcher in 2004. "It is a camp for children and young ...
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PASSAGES Edward George Raap
Edward George Raap, 78, retired architect, world traveler; of Chicago and Puerto Vallarta; passed away unexpectedly but peacefully after a brief illness. Beloved life partner of 35+ years of Daniel J. De Marco, dear father of ...
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Dedry Jones, remembered
More than 200 people gathered at DuSable Museum of African American History on Chicago's South Side Aug. 8 for the memorial ceremony of Dedry Jones, who passed away July 26. He was 64. Jones was a ...
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Local psychologist hopes to be first gay APA president
Recently, Dr. Armand Cerbone was nominated as one of the five finalists on the ballot to become president of the American Psychological Association (APA). If elected this fall, he will become the first out gay president ...
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Duane Cerny on new book, antiques and Gwendolyn Brooks
When Duane Cerny was a child, his favorite place to hang out was in his parents basement because it was filled with '50s-era furniture from their first apartment in Rogers Park. "My parents preferred buying new ...
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Julie Goodridge talks investing, historic marriage-equality case
Throughout most of her working life, Julie Goodridge has been interested in socially responsible investing (SRI). That, and her desire to start her own company, led Goodridge to form NorthStar Asset Management (NorthStar) in 1990. "I ...
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ART Derrick Woods-Morrow, provocateur and disruptor, by design
Talking with queer artist Derrick Woods-Morrow is an exercise in exploring boundaries. This is, by no means, a criticism—it's simply an observation. That Woods-Morrow initially comes across as shy doesn't mean he doesn't harbor lots of ...
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Out and Sober, beating dual stigma
Tucked away on Chicago's West Side, the Gateway Foundation's Chicago Independence location is helping recovering addicts from the LGBTQ community get back on their feet. The foundation offers an optional program called Out and Sober whose ...
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Donald Strzepek on jewelry business, early LGBTQ activism
Lifelong Chicagoan Donald Strzepek has been in the jewelry business for more than 30 years and is currently the owner of Tucker Inc., in the heart of Jeweler's Row in the Loop. "I grew up on the Northwest Side of Chicago, ...
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A brief history of LGBTQ students and proms
In recent years, many LGBTQ students have attended their high school proms across the country without any "controversy" but that was not always the case due to school officials denying them entry into the annual dance. ...
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Jan Dee looks back on 45+ years as custom jeweler
For as far back as Jan Dee can remember she has always been interested in arts and crafts and has parlayed that into her own business, Jan Dee Custom Jewelry, now located at 1425 W. Diversey Parkway in Lincoln Park. "When ...
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LGBTQ-owned car repair service aims to expand nationwide
Chicago-area resident Brian Moak is working to change the perception that the car-service industry and LGBTQ individuals do not mix. A year ago, he rebranded Duxler Complete Auto Care, the company he bought from his father, ...
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Lauren Heckathorn on being a genderqueer special-education teacher
Lauren Heckathorn's (pronouns they/them/their) dream of becoming a special education teacher began at a young age when their third grade class was paired with students with special needs in another third grade class at their public ...
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Praxis Group helps business professionals go beyond inclusion
An emerging Chicago consulting firm composed primarily of activists within the LGBTQ community has the goal of getting workplaces to think "beyond inclusion." It's a phrase that those who have encountered Praxis Group have wondered about, ...
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Washington Heights artist on her work, studio, future event
Washington Heights resident Hana L. Anderson (who was born and raised in the Chicago neighborhood of Hyde Park) has always considered herself an artist but did not call herself one for years because, "I allowed the ...
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Friends recall connections with Howard Wax
Attorney and River Forest resident Howard Wax, who passed away in May, was remembered by close friend Lee Griesbach, among others, as someone who "collected friends" in the best sense of the phrase. "He was a ...
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Anna DeShawn talks E3 Radio's expansion, Affinity activism work
Chicago-born media maven and social entrepreneur Anna DeShawn has been a mover and shaker within Chicago's LGBTQ community her entire adult life. One of the ways DeShawn has made an impact is through her media company ...
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IN THE LIFE Jonathan Zeng
Life is shaped by experiences—and it's a unique set of occurrences that has led Jonathan Zeng to his upcoming Chicago concert, "Songs That Speak." Zeng, who studied operatic performance and who has performed throughout the country, ...
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Mental-health advocate talks ONE Northside, upcoming convention
Sam Wickham has been advocating for mental health justice for many years and is slated to speak at this year's Organization Neighborhoods for Equality: Northside's (ONE Northside) free convention, "Community Power, Community ...
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Dr. Margo Jacquot talks career, Juniper Center, LGBTQ initiatives
Dr. Margo Jacquot—the founder/owner/director of the Juniper Center—has been serving the community through her Park Ridge-based psychotherapy practice for more than 20 years. The Juniper Center is a counseling and ...
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Prevent Blindness' Jeff Todd discusses organization, LGBT activism
For the past 15 years, Jeff Todd has worked as the director of public health and chief operating officer of Prevent Blindness (the nation's oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization) and, recently, the board of ...
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Getting to know American Beauty Show's Paul Dykstra
Later this month, Cosmetologists Chicago will kick off its annual America's Beauty Show for salon professionals. The first, as it was called at the time, Midwest Beauty Trade Show took place in 1924 and now the ...
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Women2Women launches with party
Women were heard loud and clear at Women2Women's (W2W) launch party at EvolveHer on April 14. Women2Women is a place where women can share their evolving journeys as women who love women. It sets out to ...
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Ex-Focus on the Family daughter refocuses her life mission
In her authentically jarring memoir Refocusing My Family: Coming Out, Being Cast Out, and Discovering the True Love of God, author and activist Amber Cantorna rips the mask off the anti-LGBTQ evangelical ministry Focus on the ...
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NCLR's Kate Kendell, tempered for transition
Kate Kendell, 57, has spent the past 24 years—nearly two-thirds of her life—at National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). This December she'll depart her esteemed post as executive director to ...
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Oleg Grachev on living in Russia and the U.S.
Ever since Oleg Grachev was 10 years old, he had a dream of working on Wall Street. He has fulfulled that dream as J.P. Morgan's new investment banking analyst. Grachev's journey to Wall Street began in ...
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PHOTOGRAPHY Hrvoje Slovenc, out Croatian-American explores 'Past'
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
Hrvoje (pronounced "hair-vo-yay") Slovenc is an out Croatian-American photographer whose life has taken some interesting turns—from studying biochemistry to obtaining an MFA in photography from Yale University School of Art. ...
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AIDS garden planned for Belmont Rocks;
Haring art to be included
About a dozen people gathered for a meeting March 8 to discuss a planned garden to memorialize the loss, activism and resilience of Chicago's fight against HIV/AIDS. The planned garden, at the Belmont Rocks in Lake ...
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IN THE LIFE Steve Boudreau
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
Chicagoan Steve Boudreau—a runner, cyclist and yoga enthusiast—found himself himself especially stymied in recent years by the allergies that he'd been afflicted with for as long as he can remember. "Truly, I have had sinus problems, ...
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IN THE LIFE Lea Selley
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
Artist Lea Selley's infectiousness about Chicago and the surrounding suburbs is evident right off the bat. Selley said driving from Vancouver (where she was born and raised) to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, then Denver and, since ...
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Soulforce board member talks spiritual evolution
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
Casimiro Pena applies his passion for activism and community organizing to his role as a Soulforce board member. Soulforce is an organization that works to end the political and religious oppression of LGBTI people through nonviolent ...
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Black gay caucus board chair David Dodd wears many hats
Here is something interesting about Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus (CBGMC) Board Chair David Dodd: He was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and moved to Chicago in 1999, just weeks after graduating high school—with the ...
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'Insurrection' echoes Nat Turner's life through present day
Try to define playwright Robert O'Hara's Insurrection: Holding History would likely result in confusion. "I've been describing it, like, the playwright does Roots meets The Wizard of Oz meets In Living Color. With a big gay ...
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