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STEVE GRANDTALKS NEW CD,KICKSTARTERCAMPAIGNPAGE 25WINDY CITYTHE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN,BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985TIMESMar.www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com5, 2014vol 29, no. 23NATURALgay oak parktrustee rayjohnson bidsfarewell toareapage 6ELECTIONmarriageplaintiffchallis gibbsdiespagE 5It’s that time, as primary elections throughout the state take place March 18. (Early voting runs through March 15.) Among those in the running are LGBTcandidates (from left) Jorge Zavala Jr. (vying for a Congressional seat) as well as judicial contenders Judy Rice and James Crawley. Read about these candidatesand see Windy City Times’ charts on elections across Illinois starting on page 7. Photos above courtesy of the candidatesMOVIE KIND OF LOVEcolumbiacollege’s blackfilm societymakes standwith movieshowingpagE 22Movies figureprominently in this issueof Windy City Times, asthere is an interviewwith grande dame ElaineStritch (far left, photocourtesy of SundanceSelects) about her newdocumentary. There isalso a review of themovie (as well as one ofthe Elijah Wood movieGrand Piano), and awrap-up of the Oscars,which featured winnerJared Leto (near left).Some LGBT activists wereupset that Leto did notmention the transgendercommunity specifically inhis speech, since he wonfor playing a transgendercharacter.

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STEVE GRANDTALKS NEW CD,KICKSTARTERCAMPAIGNPAGE 25GAy oAK PARKTRuST E RAyPAGE 6MA RIAGEPLAINTIffChA LIS GIbbSDIESPAGE 5CoLuMbIACo LEGE’S bLACKfILM SoCIETyMAKE STANDWITh MoVIEShoWINGPAGE 225, 2014vol 29, no. 23Movies figureprominently in thisi sue of Windy CityTimes, as there is anintervie with grandedame Elaine Stritch (farleft) about her newdocumentary. There isalso a review of themovie (as we l as one ofthe Elijah Wood movieGrand Piano), and awrap-up of the Oscars,which featured winnerJared Leto (near left).Some LGBT activistswere upset that Letodid not mention thetransgender co munityspecifica ly in hisspeech, since he won forplaying a transgendercharacter.#1113 • March 5, 2014Golden moments fromSidetrack’s annualOscars party.Page 17WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 20143this week inWINDY CITY TIMESNEWSTexas overturns ban; column 4Obits: Gibbs, Pielet, Cohen 5Oak Park trustee bids farewell 6ELECTIONS 2014: Guide 7Gay judicial candidates 8Out Congressional candidate 9Political charts, endorsements 10VIEWS: Shaw; letter 14Images on cover (left, from top): Photoof Steve Grand from Chris Ricchetti; photoof Ray Johnson by Tracy Baim; photo ofChallis Gibbs by Steve Becker; photo of BlackFilm Society member by Gretchen RachelBlickensderferENTERTAINMENT/EVENTSScottish Play Scott 15Theater reviews 20Columbia film showing 22Elaine Stritch interview 23Knight: Shoot Me; Grand Piano 24Steve Grand on CD, Kickstarter 25Dish: Big & Little’s 26Billy Masters 29Sky backs Sam; Big East tourney 30OUTLINESClassifieds 26Calendar 28Lesbian & Gay Bar Association –“RECOMMENDED”johNSoN bIDSfAREWE L ToAREAWINDY CITYTIMESMar.www.WindyCityMediaGroup.comTHE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN,BI AND TRANS CO MUNITY SINCE 1985NATuRALELECTIoNIt’s tha time, as primary elections throughou the state take place March 18. (Early voting runs through March 15.) Among those in the ru ning are LGBTcandidates (from left) Jorge Zavala Jr. (vying for a Congre sional seat) as we l as judicial contenders Judy Rice and James Crawley. Read abou these candidatesand s e Windy City Times’ charts on every person ru ning for an office in I linois starting on page 7. Photos above courtesy of the candidatesMoVIE KIND of LoVEDOWNLOAD THIS!Go to www.WindyCityMediaGroup.comto download complete issues of Windy City Times and Nightspots.Then click on any ad and be taken directly to the advertiser’s Web site!online exclusives atwww.WindyCityMediaGroup.comAWARD-WINNINGCenter on Halsted held its annual Oscarsevent at the Park West (left).Photo by Jerry NunnChicago Bar Association –Bridget “…is hardworkingand well respected for her integrity,knowledge of the law, legal ability,and outstanding demeanor.”Endorsed by Personal PACMitchellForJudge.comPaid for By Elect Bridget MitchellGHOST IN THE MACHINEIn his latest Fairy Gardener column, JimEdminster talks about “evolutionaryghosts.”how sweet it isThe French Pastry School hosted “Forthe Love of Chocolate” at Union LeagueClub.DIFFA held itsannual grantspresentationceremony atNorthwesternMemorial Hospital.Photo of Ann HiltonFisher by Ed NegronTEASE, PLEASEGay Midwesternsinger Matt Goldtalks cover songs,authenticity.Publicity photoTHAT’S ENTERTAINMENTFind out the latest about Dancing withthe Stars, Beyonce and Jamie LeeCurtis.Vote forplusDAILY BREAKING NEWSChicago House held “The Tease,” itsfirst-ever burlesque event.Photo by Ed NegronnightspotsOSCAR GLORYAT SIDETRACKnightspotsAN HONOR JUSTTO BE NOMINATEDShow #563Author patrick datifor the Illinois Appellate Court(Gordon vacancy)Hard Work - Common Sense - FairnessPUNCH 131Paid for by the Committee to Elect Shelly A. HarrisFind Nightspots onwww.WindyCityQueercast.com

4Mar. 5, 2014WINDY CITY TIMESJudge overturnsTexas marriage banBy Lisa KeenKeen News ServiceA federal judge in San Antonio, Texas, ruledFeb. 26 that Texas’ ban on same-sex marriageviolates the U.S. Constitution and demeansthe dignity of gay couples “for no legitimatereason.” Judge Orlando Garcia then grantedtwo plaintiff couples’ request for an injunctionbarring the state from enforcing the ban. But,like federal district court judges in Virginia andUtah, Garcia stayed his ruling pending appealof the case to the federal appeals level.The Garcia ruling was in DeLeon v. Texas, inwhich two same-sex couples challenged thestate’s statutory ban and its state constitutionalban on marriages for same-sex couples.One couple had married in Massachusetts andsought recognition in Texas; the second couplesought to marry in Texas.Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announcedimmediately that his office would appealthe decision to the Fifth Circuit U.S. CourtTexas Gov. Rick Perry said he will appeal theruling.of Appeals. He expressed optimism that thebans would prevail on appeal.“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled over andover again that States have the authority todefine and regulate marriage,” said Abbott.“The Texas Constitution defines marriage asbetween one man and one woman. If the FifthCircuit honors those precedents, then today’sdecision should be overturned and the TexasConstitution will be upheld.”Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry was moredefiant, saying, “it is not the role of the federalgovernment to overturn the will of ourcitizens.”“The 10th Amendment guarantees Texasvoters the freedom to make these decisions,”said Perry, “and this is yet another attemptto achieve via the courts what couldn’t beachieved at the ballot box. We will continue tofight for the rights of Texans to self-determinethe laws of our state.”Supporters of marriage equality were, naturally,happy.“This ruling is one more step toward the inevitableend of official discrimination by thestate of Texas,” said Rebecca Robertson, legaldirector for ACLU-Texas. “Gay and lesbiancouples want the same thing as other lovingcouples—to stand before family and friendsand declare their lifetime commitment to eachother, and to enjoy the same recognition andprotection for their families that only marriagecan bring. We applaud the judge’s preliminaryruling, but we also recognize that there isa great deal of hard work to do to bring fullequality to every Texan.”Garcia and at least five other federal judgesto rule on state bans of marriage for samesexcouples in the past eight months have allcited the U.S. v. Windsor decision by the U.S.Supreme Court. In that decision, the nation’shighest court said the federal government cannotrefuse to recognize a valid marriage licensefrom a state. Garcia noted that lower courtsmust apply that ruling “and decide whether astate can do what the federal government cannot—discriminateagainst same-sex couples.”As if anticipating Perry’s reaction, Garciasaid, in the conclusion of his decision, that“[t]oday’s Court decision is not made in defianceof the great people of Texas or the TexasLegislature, but in compliance with the UnitedState Constitution and Supreme Court precedent.”“Without a rational relation to a legitimategovernmental purpose, state-imposed inequalitycan find no refuge in our United StatesConstitution. Furthermore, Supreme Court precedentprohibits states from passing legislationborn out of animosity against homosexuals(Romer), has extended constitutional protectionto the moral and sexual choices of homosexuals(Lawrence), and prohibits the federalgovernment from treating state-sanctionedopposite-sex marriages and same-sex marriagesdifferently (Windsor).”Garcia ruled that the Texas bans violate theguarantees of due process and equal protectionof the U.S. Constitution.A federal judge in Michigan began hearingtestimony Feb. 25 in a lawsuit challengingMichigan’s ban on allowing same-sex couplesto marry.©2014 Keen News Service. All rights reserved.Number of extremistgroups declinesThe number of far-right extremist groups fellsignificantly in 2013 for the first time in a decade,according to a report from the SouthernPoverty Law Center (SPLC). However, with a totalof more than 2,000 groups, the radical rightremains at historically high levels.In its annual count, the SPLC found that thenumber of hate groups (a subcategory withextremist groups) dropped by 7 percent—from1,007 in 2012 to 939 in 2013. The more significantdecline came within the antigovernment“Patriot” movement: These groups fell 19 percent—from1,360 groups in 2012 (an all-timehigh) to 1,096 in 2013.The report says there are are 23 far-right extremistgroups in Illinois, including Americansfor Truth About Homosexuality, Loyal WhiteKnights of the Ku Klux Klan, HeterosexualsOrganized for a Moral Environment (H.O.M.E.),the Ecclesiastical Council for the Restorationof Covenant Israel (ECRCI), Nation of Islam,Northern Hammerskins, The Creativity Movement,and the World Congress of Families/HowardCenter for Family, Religion, and Society.See www.SPLCenter.org.Opponents fail toforce vote onpro-trans lawFoes of the School Success and OpportunityAct—a new California measure that providestransgender students certain rights in publicschools—have failed to gather enough votersignatures to place a referendum to repeal thelaw on the November ballot, according to theAssociated Press.At least 504,760 signatures were required.The law’s opponents submitted 619,387, butcounty election officers determined that just487,484 of them were valid.Open To ThinkingReligion: What Is It?Religion, for better and for worse, is afundamental force in all human cultures,including our contemporary ‘secular’civilizations, allegedly built upon nonreligiousprinciples.There are several productive ways ofstudying religion, ways that are as freefrom ideology and preconceptions as ishumanly possible. William James developeda pragmatic approach that focusedon the effects of religious experiencerather than its causes.Consider Paul’s conversion experience,his ‘being knocked off his horse’ as hejourneyed from Jerusalem to Damascusto persecute Jewish followers of Jesus.Did Paul actually meet Jesus in this experience?Did Jesus actually make Paulan apostle through this experience? Wedon’t know the answers to these questions.We don’t really know whether Paulwas actually knocked off his horse. But,from a pragmatic point of view, noneof those things matter to the ‘truth’ ofPaul’s religious experience. What we canknow and what we do know is how Paulresponded to this experience: what Paul“The primacy of devotion to theMadonna holds true for ItalianCatholic communities in general, withJesus the Christ and/or various saintstaking second place depending uponthe specific sub-groups.”taught in his writings and what actionsPaul took in creating Christianity as areligion independent of Judaism. Thesethings are true whether from God or fromepilepsy or from a horse throwing Pauloff his back just for-the-hell-of-it.James’ pragmatic approach enjoys anintellectual kinship with a variety ofmethods generally called phenomenologicalwhich investigate the question‘What is Religion?’ through the study ofthe structures, symbols, and objects of‘religious’ experiences without definingin advance what is or is not a religiousexperience.One type of phenomenology examinesthe ‘objects’ in a given religious experience.For example, in the East Liberty ghettowhere I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,the Italian community focused itsprayer life primarily on the Madonna,with St. Anthony running a distant second.Even the German nuns, who taughtme to read and write, affirmed this primacyof Mary by the dictum: ‘How couldGod (that is, Jesus the Christ) deny hismother’s request.’ St. Anthony was invokedfor anything lost: lost things, lostcauses, lost persons.Descriptively, therefore, my East Liberty,Italian community had the Madonnaas the center of its actual religiousby Nick Patriccalife, with God the Father, the God in theHeavens (the High God or the Sky God)as the acknowledged and respected, butlargely distant, Supreme God.The primacy of devotion to the Madonnaholds true for Italian Catholiccommunities in general, with Jesus theChrist and/or various saints taking secondplace depending upon the specificsub-groups.My mother developed a special devotionto St. Joseph because she felt theneed to give my brother and myself a‘real father’ to guide us into manhoodand through the perils thereof. In my‘hood’ this task was no easy job even fora saint. She frequently informed St. Josephthat he wasn’t holding up his endof the bargain. In Tennessee Williams’‘Rose Tattoo,’ Serafina della Rose, theSicilian widow, would turn the statueof St. Joseph toward the wall when hefailed to deliver as he should. In theseinstances, the story and the image of St.Joseph are the objects of religious experienceand expression.If we compare the iconography in thechurches of the Catholicversion of Christianitywith that of the Calvinistversion, we see atonce and dramaticallythe profoundly differentfocuses of these tworeligious traditions. Inthe Calvinist churches,the pulpit usually dominatesthe sanctuaryspace, with the altarand the crucifix sometimesequally present,sometimes wholly subordinate,and sometimes not present atall. Hearing and responding to the Wordof God has primacy of place in the liturgy;the Bible is the principle symbol ofthe living presence of God in the community.In the Catholic tradition, there is averitable pantheon of icons surroundingthe primary symbols of the altar, thecrucifix, the Madonna, and the favoritesaint, with the consequence that thereare many operative centers of this communityat worship.This comparison of iconographiesleads us to another way of studying religionthrough an analysis of its primarysymbols.Let us consider this trinity of symbolsin the worship of the Italian communityin which I grew up: the baby Jesus, theMadonna, and the crucified Christ. Whatkind of god reveals itself in these interrelatedicons? What kind of divine powerexpresses itself as a baby with its armsstretched out asking to be picked up andcared for, or as a grief consumed motherholding the broken body of her son, oras a person who suffers and dies just likeyou and me.The above reflections concern the contentof religious experience. In anothercolumn I shall discuss the social functionsof religion.Nick Patricca is professor emeritus at Loyola University Chicago, president ofChicago Network and playwright emeritus at Victory Gardens Theater.

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 20145Challis Gibbs,marriage plaintiff, diesBY TRACY BAIMChallis Gibbs, 61, one of the plaintiffs in thecase that won emergency marriage licenses inIllinois, died Feb. 24.Gibbs and her partner of 21 years, Elvie Jordan,were among the first few couples marriedafter a judge ruled Dec. 9, 2013, that there wasan immediate need to allow the marriages toChallis Gibbs. Photo by Steve Beckermove forward. Gibbs was diagnosed with an aggressiveform of stage 4 neuroendocrine cancerin November.Gibbs and Jordan were married in their homeDec. 12, surrounded by family and friends in aloving ceremony.One of the other plaintiffs, Ron Dorfman,who married his partner Ken Ilio, passed awayFeb. 10; the couple had married Dec. 13.Judge Sharon Coleman from the U.S. DistrictCourt of the Northern District of Illinois signedthe order Dec. 16 that said same-sex coupleswherein a partner faces a serious medical complicationcan marry ahead of the scheduledJune 1 start date when marriage equality takeseffect in Illinois. Couples seeking an early marriagefor medical reasons were able to access aform from their county clerk’s office.The case was argued by lawyers from LambdaLegal and ACLU Illinois, as well as the law firmsof Kirkland & Ellis and Miller Shakman & Beem.Coleman was the same judge who alsoopened the gates to all same-sex marriages inCook County Feb. 21.The first state-recognized same-sex weddingperformed in Illinois took place Nov. 27 whenactivist and former Cook County State’s AttorneyVictims Advocate Vernita Gray, who isterminally ill, and her partner, Pat Ewert, werewed at their home.Gibbs said in the petition: “When I die, Iwant Elvie to be able to say, ‘I lost my wife.’ Ido not want her to have to say that she lost hercivil union partner.”During their wedding ceremony, Jordan toldGibbs, “I love you now, and I will love you forever.Your heart is where I live.” Gibbs said,simply, “Always.”Coverage including video of one weddingat www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Twomore-Illinois-couples-get-early-marriage-goahead/45537.html.PINK Magazinefounder DavidCohen dies at 59David A. Cohen—who was the founder andpublisher of the LGBT publications the PINKPages, Pride Magazine and, subsequently, PINKmagazine—died on Jan. 29. He was 59.Cohen immigrated to the United States fromIsrael in the 1980s. He lived in New York Citybefore settling in Chicago. Cohen’s PINK Pageswas the first “yellow pages” to serve the LGBTcommunity in New York City in 1990. He expandedthe PINK Pages nationwide to otherU.S. cities including Chicago, Denver, Seattle,San Francisco and Los Angeles.David Cohen.In 1995, Cohen launched Pride Magazine, anentertainment/lifestyle-oriented LGBT magazine.In 2011, the PINK Pages and Pride Magazinemerged into one publication called PINKMagazine. This award-winning magazine wasoffered in print and on the web (www.pinkmag.com) and featured LGBT community events, entertainment,fashion, as well as a directory ofgay and gay-friendly businesses.In addition to being a publisher and print/web designer, Cohen was a fine artist. Workingin acrylics, watercolor and pen and ink, Cohen’sfluid and abstract style was reminiscent of Picassoand Matisse, according to his friends. Heoften shared his art with those friends, and recentlyhad developed a line of greeting cardsfeaturing his colorful work.Cohen sponsored many philanthropic effortsand fundraisers for the LGBT community. Benefactorsincluded Howard Brown Health Center,Center on Halsted, the Lesbian Community CareProject (LCCP), GLBT Historical Society (SanFrancisco), Dining Out for Life, Reeling FilmFestival, Chicago House, and more.He died peacefully in Chicago with familysurrounding him. He is survived by his brotherDoron Cohen (Manny), sister Karen (Jamie)Wiener and two nephews (Ely and Ziv) all ofNew York, N.Y., and sister Edna (Uzi) Uzieal ofIsrael. Per his wishes, Cohen was buried nearhis family at Beth Moses Cemetery, Long Island,N.Y. A private celebration will be held inCohen’s honor in Chicago.Renowned plasticsurgeon diesunexpectedlyBy Carrie MaxwellDr. Rodger Wade Pielet, 52, renowned and respectedplastic surgeon, died Jan. 18 due tothe effects of a stroke.Pielet was born on Feb. 13, 1961 and raisedin Aurora, Ill. He earned his undergraduate degreeat Tulane University in New Orleans, La.and completed his medical degree at TulaneUniversity Medical School. His career began asan academic at the University of Chicago wherehe served as an assistant professor of surgeryfor four years. Following his academic career,Pielet was a clinical associate at the Universityof Chicago for 10 years while also running hisprivate practice both in Chicago and Miami,Fla., for the past 17 years.Pielet is survived by his longtime partner,Christopher Roy; mother Barbara Pielet of Aurora,Ill. (father Jack Pielet, deceased); sisterDana Pielet (Dan Kohn); brothers John Pieletof Aurora, Ill., and Douglas Pielet (Mariette) ofEl Paso, Texas; five nieces; business managerand friend Caryle Johnson of Chicago; and hisbeloved dogs, Bennie and Ollie.Known for his generous and kind spirit, Pieletvolunteered his time and services on medicalmissions with Northwest Medical Teamstraveling to remote Mexican villages where heperformed pediatric and adult reconstructivesurgery on those with congenital deformities.Numerous media outlets recognized Pielet forhis techniques and innovations in cosmeticand aesthetic surgery. He appeared on WGN-TV,NBC-5, Oprah After the Show, Fox News, AccessHollywood and the Discovery Health Channeland was featured in the Chicago Tribune, theChicago Sun-Times, the Daily Herald, the MiamiHerald, Wire Magazine and Star Magazine.“Rodger maximized his life. He lived it withsuch intensity, vigor and energy,” Roy toldWindy City Times. “Whether it was driving hisboat or Aston Martin, flying a helicopter, dartingbetween medical clinics, or performinghis exceptional surgical skill in the operatingroom, he never seemed to tire.“What, to me, seemed like an exhaustingDr. Pielet (left) and Chris Roy. Pic from Roypace, he simply found exhilarating. He wouldalways say, ‘Speed is knowing when to slowdown’. With regards to Rodger, truer words werenever spoken. After surviving cancer, Rodgerrealized life was too short for petty argumentsabout small inconveniences. He lived his lifeby this simple rule. Speaking about people ingeneral Rodger said ‘I can’t stand bad behavior’.“Private services have already taken place. Inmemory of Pielet, donations can be made tothe Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and ImermanAngels.why sulk in thesnow when you cancelebrate spring?tickets onsale now atCHICAGOFLOWER.COMProud member of the LGBT community

6Gay Oak Park trustee saysfarewell to labor of loveBy Gretchen Rachel BlickensderferAt the end of the March 3 Oak Park VillageBoard of Trustees meeting, Ray Johnson’s resignationfrom that governing body will take effect.“I can be roasted or toasted at that time,”Johnson told his fellow members during his announcementearlier this month.Johnson was a trustee for 11 years. He alsoserved as a five-year commissioner on the CommunityDevelopment Citizen Advisory and Planningcommissions. “Village government hasbeen the highlight of my life,” Johnson said.“In some analogous ways, it’s been the loveof my life. How fortunate for me to have botha day job and a nights and weekend job thatI truly love.”It is Johnson’s day job that will be taking himMar. 5, 2014Lesbian Oak Park trustee Colette Lueck with retiring trustee Ray Johnson. Photo by Tracy Baimto New York City. On Jan. 20, he was promotedto the vice president of community investmentat HSBC Bank—a company he has been withfor the past 31 years. “It’s an incredible jobopportunity,” he told Windy City Times. “I’ll bemanaging our global programs and employeevolunteerism in the United States.” Johnsonintends to live in Brooklyn.Johnson—who is also the network liaison forHSBC’s Pride LGBTQ employee resource group—said he is proud to be part of a company thatwants its employees to bring their whole selvesto work. “It’s encouraged from our presidentand CEO all the way through the organization,”he said. “That if you are, as I am, an openlygay man and if I’m not able to talk aboutsimple things, like what I did over the weekendwith my partner, then I am creating barriersand silos for engagement with other colleagues.We’re encouraged to talk freely aboutissues that often divide us, to be advocates forothers and to lead by example.”Johnson was born in Michigan and, at the ageof 25 and still in the closet, he relocated fromDetroit to Oak Park. He believes his success atHSBC has been directly tied to his involvementin the village and that his impending move isactually a testament to the LGBTQ communitythere. “There’s a strong LGBTQ network in OakPark,” he explained. “The Oak Park Area Gayand Lesbian Association (OPALGA) offers allkinds of working opportunities for people. Ihave a support structure; a real family of LG-BTQ people here that allowed me to be a betterperson than I might otherwise have been.”When he arrived in Oak Park, Johnson wassolely focused on his career. He maintains thatboth the atmosphere and the community encouragedhim to see life differently. “I had anobligation to look out for others who might beless fortunate, who might need support to accomplisha goal, to get involved.”Johnson said that it wasn’t until 1998 thathe “fully” came out: “I was already out tofriends and had a partner, but it was then thatI brought my whole self to work and becamean ambassador and advocated for things likethe domestic partnership registry, gay marriageand equal benefits. That’s what you do in OakPark. You advocate for better houses, for LGBTQequality, you focus on schools and faith basedorganizations that are supportive.”In 1968, Oak Park was one of the first communitiesin the United States to pass a fairhousing ordinance for people of color. “Thatmindset was a part of the Oak Park DNA,” Johnsonsaid. “You saw the community transitionfrom a very conservative/Republican to a progressivecommunity that is clearly focused onelecting progressive candidates.”In 1989, Oak Park was the third communityin the state to pass civil-rights protectionsto LGBTQ residents. At the height of the AIDScrisis, a grass roots effort in Oak Park securedWINDY CITY TIMEShousing for people infected with HIV. “At thetime, I was volunteering at Illinois Masonic’sUnit 371, which was one of the first AIDS wardsat a major city hospital,” Johnson remembered.“It was where I first witnessed the isolation ofpeople impacted by HIV/AIDS. Their familieswould abandon them and it was up to volunteersto create a link to the outside world.”Johnson said that it was his 1997 advocacyfor the same-sex domestic partnership registrythat broke him into what he termed as the “OakPark Mindset.” He had seen a meeting aboutthe issue advertised in the paper and decidedto attend. “Everyone [there] was strugglingabout what to do,” he said. “We needed to organizeand have a campaign structure and itbuilt from there. We had already advocated forthe registry and it had passed, but then someopponents got together to put a referendumon the ballot opposing it. So we had to fightfor it twice. Once to get it passed and then tokeep it.”In some of the harshest weather Johnson canremember, people went out into the communityto knock on doors. “When we won, it was anincredible night—a seminal moment,” he said.“You had the gay, lesbian and straight communitiesand people who were fighting HIV/AIDS and even some faith-based organizations.Everyone came together to win.”Looking back, Johnson said he believes thathis biggest contribution to the people of OakPark was to listen, and described the reactionto his resignation as one of shock. “But I havereceived over a hundred personal notes frompeople I’ve helped,” he said. “We may havenever met, but there are just some wonderfulpeople who have told me that I made a difference.”Johnson said that Oak Park will see him againone day, explaining, “Boy, Oak Park would bea great place to come back to and retire. I’mtelling everyone that I’m in a New York stateof-mindbut my heart’s in Oak Park.”See more photos and video with onlineversion of this story.VOTE MARCH 18TH, 2014 TO ELECTCAROLYN JOANGALLAGHERDemocrat for Judge • Neville VacancyINTEGRITY • EXPERIENCE • COMMON SENSE–Lesbian & Gay Bar Association –“RECOMMENDED”–The Chicago Bar Association –“QUALIFIED”“Ms. Gallagher is well regardedfor her knowledge of the law, legalexperience, and fine temperament.”Video Produc+on Services Serving the community with pride! Special event videos for: § Weddings/civil unions § Social gatherings/group func+ons § Team events § Portraits § Actor video reels/head shots Small business videos for: § Website/social media content § Real estate promos § Training programs § Promo+onal materials & e-­‐newsleAers Call us today!Telling your story through compelling digital media.www.BeanBlossomProductions.netChicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events,The Legacy Project, Queer Film Society, Reeling andAffinity Community Services present:773-­‐727-­‐5642 PUNCH153A film series celebrating LGBT moviesMarch 5: Brother to Brother, March 12: My Summer of LoveMarch 19: Summer Storm, March 26: De-LovelyChicago Cultural Center - Claudia Cassidy Theater78 E. WashingtonWednesdays @ 6:30pm FREE ADMISSIONwww.CarolynGallagherForJudge.comPaid for by Gallagher for Judge.Sponsored by:WINDY CITYTIMESQUEERFILMSOCIETY

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 20147ELECTIONS 2014Guide tothe gaysThe next primary elections, to be held March18, feature a number of openly gay and lesbiancandidates. The following individuals havepublically stated that they were a member ofthe LGBT community and were on the ballot asof March 3.—Kelly CassidyRace: Illinois state Representative (14th District)Website: CitizensForKellyCassidy.comThe skinny: Cassidy, who defeated anotherlesbian candidate, Paula Basta, in March 2014,is this time running unopposed in the Democraticprimary. Republican candidate Denis Detzel,a consultant, is also running unopposed inthat district. Before taking office, Cassidy wasan activist and a staffer for state Sen. JohnCullerton.Sam Yingling. Photo courtesy of Yingling—Sam YinglingRace: Illinois state Representative (62ndDistrict)Website: SamYingling.comThe skinny: Yingling, running unopposed inthe primary for his second term, is a native ofcentral Lake County and lives in Round LakeBeach. He is the first openly gay House memberfrom outside metropolitan Chicago. Thenight after SB10 passed, Yingling proposed tohis longtime partner, Lowell Jaffe, at a party inthe executive mansion. Republican Rod Drobinskiof Wauconda is also running unopposed inthe race.—Greg HarrisRace: Illinois state Representative (13th District)Website: GregHarris.orgThe skinny: Harris, who was chief co-sponsorof SB10, the legislation that will bring aboutmarriage equality in Illinois beginning in June,2014, has a district that includes Uptown, Ravenswood,Lincoln Square, North Center andBowmanville. He was first elected in 2006 andis currently running unopposed in the Democraticprimary. Republican Jon Joseph Hartmannis running unopposed as well.—James CrawleyRace: Cook County Circuit Court Judge (PamelaE. Hill Veal vacancy)Website: crawleyforjudge.orgThe skinny: Crawley, a native of Joliet, attendedLoyola University Chicago and receivedhis law degree from St. Louis University, wherehe started doing legal work on HIV/AIDS issues.He has had his own practice for morethan 12 years, and has developed a specialtyin food poisoning personal injury cases. Alsorunning for the vacancy are Andrea Michele Bufordand Kelly Maloney Kachmarik.—Judy RiceRace: Cook County Circuit Court Judge (7thSubcircuit, W. Taylor vacancy)Website: www.judyriceforjudge.comThe skinny: Rice is senior vice president andhead of community affairs & economic developmentfor Harris Bank. After receiving her lawdegree in 1988, Rice began her legal career asan assistant Cook County state’s attorney. Shethen began her 17-year-long career with theCity of Chicago, initially as assistant corporationcounsel.—Jorge ZavalaRace: U.S. Representative (4th District )Website: ZavalaForAmerica.comThe skinny: At 26, Zavala is the youngestcandidate in Illinois to run for Congress—andhe is in a very competitive primary against incumbentU.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez. Zavala wasraised in the Logan Square neighborhood andattended Resurrection Catholic Academy.Note: In February, out lesbian Mel Ferrandlost an appeal to have her name reinstated tothe ballot. She has been campaigning to fillthe 40th district state representative’s seatnow filled by Jaime Andrade, who replaced DebMell. One of Ferrand’s opponents successfullychallenged her candidacy on the basis of a filingerror. Ferrand said March 3 that she is currentlyevaluating her options.Early voting infoEarly voting for the March 18 primary election will be offered through Saturday, March 15.Voters registered in the City of Chicago may use any early voting site in the city, regardlessof where the voters live.Voters don’t need a reason or excuse to use early voting; however, voters do need to presentgovernment-issued photo identification.Ballots cast in early voting are final. After casting ballots in early voting, voters may notreturn to amend, change or undo a ballot for any reason. It is a felony to vote more thanonce—or to attempt to vote more than once—in the same election.All 51 locations will be open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. To get a list of sites,visit http://www.chicagoelections.com/page.php?id=9.Cassidy introduces gun-registration measureState Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) has introduced a bill requiring the registration of firearmsin the State of Illinois.“We’ve dealt for too long with gun violence in our neighborhoods, most often perpetratedby individuals who acquired the firearm through illicit means,” Cassidy said in a press release.“According to a University of Chicago Crime Lab Report, 45 percent of firearms used in crimesin our state were purchased legally in Illinois and then illegally transferred. Registration createsa safeguard against these transfers and significantly hinders the ability for criminals toacquire firearms.”HB 4715, the Firearms Registration Act, would require registration of firearms upon purchase,and for firearms owned at the time of passage. The registration process would include a backgroundcheck, and transfer to an individual without complying with registration would be aClass 2 felony.SayTOI DoQUALIFIED • INDEPENDENT • IMPARTIAL• The only LGBT candidate running countywide.• Found “Recommended” by the Lesbian and Gay BarAssociation of Chicago (LAGBAC).• Received the highest judicial rating possiblefrom the women’s bar groups.• James Crawley is, “hardworking ... has extensive practiceexperience ... and is well regarded for his dedication tothe law and his integrity.” [Source: Chicago Bar Association]ELECTION DAYMARCH 18, 2014• Endorsed by Mike Quigley, Greg Harris, Sara Feigenholtz,Democratic ward and township organizations,Personal PAC and labor unions, including the ChicagoFraternal Order of Police and Chicago Firefighters.JAMES PATRICK CRAWLEYDEMOCRAT FOR JUDGEVEAL VACANCYwww.CrawleyForJudge.org• Has a demonstrated 30-year record supporting LGBTcauses and people with HIV/AIDS.COOK COUNTY EARLY VOTING BEGINS 3/3/2014

8Mar. 5, 2014WINDY CITY TIMESELECTIONS 2014: JUDGESLGBT candidatesRice and Crawleyeye the benchBY KATE SOSINIt’s been 20 years since Tom Chiola’s historicwin made him the first openly gay elected officialin Illinois, and Cook County has seen anumber of out judges take the bench since.This year could bring two more, as Judy Riceand James Patrick Crawley are battling for seatsin Cook County.Each election cycle typically sees a handfulof LGBT judicial candidates. Rice, a Chicago nativewith a long history in city government, isrunning in the Cook County Circuit Court 7thSubcircuit. James Crawley, a personal injury attorneywith more than 25 years in law, is runningto fill the Cook County Circuit Court Hill-Veal Vacancy. Linda Pauel, an out candidate inthe 10th Subcircuit withdrew from her race inDecember.“They seem to be running really good races,”said John Litchfield, president of the Lesbianand Gay Bar Association of Chicago (LAGBAC),of Rice and Crawley.LAGBAC does not comment on specific races,Litchfield said. That is because LAGBAC ratescandidates.LAGBAC found both Rice and Crawley “recommended.”Judy RiceRice previously served as the Chicago treasurerunder Mayor Richard Daley, and was thefirst female commissioner of the Chicago Departmentof Transportation and the ChicagoDepartment of Water as well as the director ofthe Department of Revenue.She has been active in Chicago’s LGBT communityfor years, but it wasn’t until last fall,when she launched her campaign, that shecame out as a lesbian.“There are many factors about me: the factthat I’m African-American, that I’m female,that I’m a lesbian, that I’m an attorney, thatI’ve been in business school,” Rice told WindyCity Times last September. “It’s not somethingthat is the primary focus of my role, but it’s afactor about me, and at this point in my life,it’s one that I’m open about.”Rice co-chaired the 2006 Gay Games Championsprogram in Chicago, among things, andshe attended the Chicago Pride Parade annually.Most recently, she has served as the seniorvice president and head of community affairs& economic development for BMO Harris Bank.Rice is up against two other Democrats—OwensJ. Shelby, an assistant state’s attorney inCook County, and Marianne Jackson, an associatejudge.Shelby did not submit his name to the Allianceof Bar Associations and was thereforeLAGBAC did not recommend him. Jackson’s ratingshave yet to be released.In her candidate interview with WCT, Ricesaid she believes the diversity of her experiencesmakes her a great candidate for judge.“I think people get someone who knows thecommunity, who knows the issues that we aregoing through in the community, who is fair,who will listen, who will try to make well-reasoneddecisions on behalf of people who area part of them, who will be open,” Rice said.“Those are all the qualities that you want ina judge.”More on Rice is available on her campaignwebsite at www.judyriceforjudge.com.James CrawleyCrawley has made a name for himself as apersonal injury attorney, taking on a number offood poisoning cases in his private practice forthe last 12 years. In total, he has been practicinglaw for nearly 25 years.Originally from Joliet, Crawley graduatedfrom Loyola University Chicago and attendedlaw school at St. Louis University. He has doneextensive volunteer work for AIDS Care Inc,The Jane Addams Hull House Uptown Centerand the American Civil Liberties Union, amongother organizations.He has been married to his partner Dan Ingramsince 2008, and they have been togetherfor more than 13 years.Judy Rice and James Crawley. Photos courtesy of the candidatesCrawley faces a tough race against two Democraticcontenders—Andrea Michele Bufordand Kelly Maloney Kachmarik.Buford is already a Circuit Court judge, aftershe was appointed by the Illinois SupremeCourt in 2011. She is as former president ofthe Cook County Bar Association. She was alsofound “recommended” by LAGBAC.Kachmarik is an attorney based in the Southwestsuburbs focusing on municipal law, civilrights, defense of police officers, personal injuryand contract law, according to her website.She declined to appear before the Allianceof Bar Associations for evaluation, so she wasfound “not-recommended” by LAGBAC.Crawley told Windy City Times in his Octobercandidate interview that he has the right temperamentand sense of justice for the job.“One of the things that I think differentiatesme from a lot of candidates is probably thisinnate sense of fairness that I feel that I have,a strong sense of integrity that I would bringto the bench,” Crawley said. “I want peopleleaving the courtroom, regardless of whetherthey’re the winner or loser, to walk out knowingthey were treated fairly. That’s something Ithink I would be very good at.”More on his campaign is available at: http://www.crawleyforjudge.org.The electionEven more challenging than opponents thiselection, however, might be voter turnout. SusanaDarwin, who co-chairs the judicial evaluationcommittee for LAGBAC, notes that in additionto low enthusiasm for judicial candidates,this year’s contenders will be facing off duringa relatively minor election season. Without apresidential race to encourage voter turnout,judicial candidates will have to work that muchharder to get supporters to the polls.But Darwin says that getting informed aboutjudicial candidates is worth the effort. Votersshould put in the time, she said, to check outthe bar association reviews, compiled at voteforjudges.org.“It’s the candidates that choose not to beevaluated that I find incredibly offensive,”Darwin said, noting that declining evaluationoften leaves voters in the dark about how candidatesmight measure up in the courtroom.Litchfield also drove home the importance ofstudying up for judicial races.“At some point in your life, everyone has abrush with the law, and you want to make surea qualified judge is hearing your case,” he said.That, he said, is especially important forLGBT people as the Cook County State’s Attorney’soffice pursues hate crime convictions.“It’s really important to have a judge that’sthoughtful on those issues,” Litchfield said.VOTE MARCH 18, 2014 TO ELECTJUDGE peter vilkelisdemocrat-circuit court of cook countyPUNCH #146“Judge Vilkelis is well-regarded for his knowledge of the law, work ethic, andoutstanding demeanor and temperament.” - The Chicago Bar Association“RECOMMENDED” - Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of ChicagoFRIENDS OF JUDGE PETER VILKELIS53 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1430 • Chicago, IL 60604Telephone: (312) 291-1361WWW.JUDGEvilkelis.COMPaid for by Friends of Judge Peter VilkelisHidur KeshetStrengthening the Rainbow:Judaism with a Queer PerspectiveFree seven-session courseThursdays starting March 20th - May 8th, 7 - 9pm(except April 17)This course will create an affirming space for students to discover,celebrate, and intertwine Queer and Jewish identities.It is open to anyone, regardless of religious affiliation, interestedin exploring the topic of Queer Jewish thought and practice.Supported by The Breakthrough Fund: An Innovation Fund ofThe Jewish Federation of Metropolitan ChicagoUnion of Reform Judaism Belin Outreach & Membership Award.Congregation Or Chadash / 5959 N. Sheridan Rd Chicago, IL(773) 245-3972 / community@orchadash.org

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 20149ELECTIONS 2014Gay Congressionalcandidate promisesdirect involvementBy Matt SimonetteJorge Zavala Jr.At 26, Jorge Zavala Jr., is currently the youngestIllinoisan currently running for U.S. Congress.A native of the Logan Square neighborhood,he’s currently seeking the 4th Districtseat currently held by Luis Gutierrez. Zavala isopenly gay.He said that his inspiration to run for officestems from his doing development work inSoutheast Asia, shortly after graduating fromDePaul University. “The experiences that wereclosest to my heart were women’s issues, humanrights issues and immigration issues,” hesaid. “My role was to seek funding and resourcesto provide basic health care to women andchildren, and at the same time help promoteeducation.”He added that, back home in Chicago, hisfamily had been very active in community organizinga well, “whether it was to keep a localschool from closing down, or grant writing tofund technology programs that benefit underservedcommunities.” Zavala’s father, Jorge ZavalaSr., has also run against Gutierrez.Expanding job opportunities within the districtis a key concern for Zavala: “It’s a challengeto find jobs, especially in this weak jobmarket that we have, [and] particularly for ourelders and our recently graduated youth. Manyare working jobs that they could have gottenhad they not gone to college. It’s still a blessingto have the opportunity to work but, atthe same time, to we have to secure jobs inour district that promote a stable community.”Residents of Zavala’s district are primed towork, and elected officials have to work tobring businesses there, he said. “I would liketo seek out more investment from prospectivecompanies in our communities,” Zavala noted.“I know that, in speaking with leaders inplaces like Humboldt Park, Cicero and Berwyn,there has been a deep interest in really securingmore jobs in the community through activeengagement and more investing. It’s aboutgetting other people to take notice.”He added that one consequence of the pooreconomy has been the closing of clinics offeringmental health services: “[That] affectedthe community and forced the patients to seekhealthcare places far away, and many of thosepatients don’t have transportation on theirown.Zavala also would like to see an expansionof funding for services to LGBT constituents,especially LGBT youth, including testing services,mentoring programs and easier access toshelters.“We really have to promote safety in ourcommunity,” he added. “I’m working to hearthe trans perspective on these issues as well. Ihave friends who identify as pre-op and postop,and their health needs are completely differentfrom that of a [cisgender] gay man orlesbian, for example.”Zavala spent some time working at the ConsulateGeneral of Mexico in Chicago, where hehelped community members address concernsand secure needs regarding documentation.“My whole purpose was to create an environmentthat was less hostile and more welcoming.”Gutierrez has done a great deal of work onimmigration reform. Zavala said, however, thatmuch of his opponent’s work has yet to trickledown to the district.“[Gutierrez] is leading us in the right direction,but there hasn’t been a local focus,”he added. “When he speaks of issues like theDREAMers, those are wonderful, beautiful concepts,but that’s what they are—concepts. …Residents cannot get useful information becauseagencies cannot provide it to them. Ibelieve the Congressman is going in the rightdirection, but there is just not enough actionat the local level.”Zavala said that he’d stand apart by engaginghis district at the community level. “We’re ata point where there are a lot of cultural warsgoing on, and we have to have our leaders beadults about these things,” he said. “We needto be able to ask our leaders what they’re doing.I’m transparent about what I plan to do.”ELECTIONS 2014Equality Illinois PACgathers to supportpro-marriagelawmakersBy Matt SimonetteOfficials of Equality Illinois PAC (political actioncommittee), as well as many of its supporters,gathered at Hubbard Inn on Feb. 27to raise financial support for eight legislatorswho voted “yes” on SB10 in 2013.Among those in attendance were stateRep. Sam Yingling, Ald. Deb Mell, Cook CountyClerk David Orr and ESPN.com contributorChristina Kahrl.“All of the candidates are looking good inthe primary, but we have to leave no stoneunturned,” said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO ofEquality Illinois. “We have to stand by ourfriends.”The candidates Equality Illinois PAC is supportinginclude state Sen. Don Harmon andstate Reps. Jaime Andrade, Toni Berrios,Thaddeus Jones, Christian Mitchell, Ron Sandack,Ed Sullivan and Kathleen Willis.Cherkasov said that Equality Illinois PAC isrunning 18 phone banks several days a weekuntil the primary election; the organizationexpects to make about 60,000 phone callsbefore then. “Every space in the office isfull—we have people sitting on the floor,”he added.Attorney Nicole Bashor said that, whileother states’ LGBT residents have had to fendoff harmful legislation, such as in Indianaor Arizona, Illinoisans have to demonstratethat there will be no retribution from votersbrought upon legislators who voted infavor of marriage equality. “Other states arewatching Illinois to see what we do,” addedBashor.Yingling said that his constituents werelargely supportive of his vote for gay marriage.“I received an outpouring of congratulations.The district realized that this was ano-brainer,” said Yingling, who is not facinga challenger in his primary race.Many spoke of other directions Equality Illinoisand similar organizations might takeonce marriage becomes convenient and obtainablefor all residents of the state. Cherkasovsaid the organization would turn toissues such as transgender rights and schoolbullying.“Every victory we’ve achieved has been acoalition effort,” said Cherkasov. “We’re goingto have to bring weight to bear uponthese issues. Marriage is one good exampleof what happens when everyone works together.”“It’s going to be harder going forward,”admitted Equality Illinois co-founder ArtJohnston. “Everybody ‘gets’ the idea of marriage—butthese other things are extremelyimportant.”Orr said that, as of Feb. 26, 87 same-sexcouples had obtained licenses to be marriedat the County Clerk’s Office.“By today [Feb. 27], I expect there shouldhave been about 100,” he said, adding thatapplicants ages have ranged from 18- to80-years-old. “We haven’t had a stampede,which is actually a good thing—we want tomake sure people know the licenses are onlygood for 60 days, and I know a lot of peoplewill want June weddings.”One couple that won’t be going in rightaway for their license is Yingling and hispartner Lowell Jaffe, who got engaged at thegovernor’s mansion the day the House passedSB10.“It won’t be until 2015—I have to getthrough the election,” said Yingling. “I’mafraid I’m going to turn into a groomzilla.”Photos available with online version ofthis story.

10Election 2014Us SENATEWCT = LGBT scores are the first ones listed in each case (WCT1). Non-LGBT inquiries (WCT2) ask candidates about issues ranging from raisingthe minimum wage to the environmental topic of fracking.HRC = Human Rights Campaign 112th Congress, ratings are a percentageof total 100% based on HRC tracking of how candidates voted inthe 112th CongressPP = Planned ParenthoodCAI = Citizen Action/Illinois Policy CouncilWCT1 WCT2HRC PP CAIUNITED STATES SENATORJames D. “Jim” Oberweis (R)Douglas Lee Truax (R)Richard J. Durbin (D) 21/21 5/6 100 Y YMar. 5, 2014WCT1 WCT2 HRC IVI PP CAI14th congressional districtRandy M. Hultgren (R) 0Dennis Anderson (D) Y Y YJohn J. Hosta (D)15th congressional districtJohn M. Shimkus (R) 0Eric Thorsland (D) 20/21 3/616th congressional districtDavid J. Hale, Jr. (R)Adam Kinzinger (R) 0Randall Wayne Olsen (D)17th congressional districtBobby Schilling (R) 0Cheri Bustos (D)YWINDY CITY TIMESWCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC PP CAICOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 16th DIST.Jeffrey R. Tobolski (D) Y YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD of review, 3rdLarry Rogers, Jr. (D) Y YMETROPOLITAN water reclamation districtCynthia M. Santos (D)Frank Avila (D)YTimothy “Tim” Bradford (D) Y YJosina Morita (D) 3/3 4/4 Y Y YTom Courtney (D)Adam Miguest (D)John S. Xydakis (D)Frank Edward Gardner (D)Kathleen Mary O’Reilly (D)Brendan Francis Houlihan (D)US congress RACESWCT = LGBT scores are the first ones listed in each case (WCT1). Non-LGBT inquiries (WCT2) ask candidates about issues ranging from raisingthe minimum wage to the environmental topic of fracking.HRC = Human Rights Campaign 112th Congress, ratings are a percentageof total 100% based on HRC tracking of how candidates voted inthe 112th CongressIVI = Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct OrganizationPP = Planned ParenthoodCAI = Citizen Action/Illinois Policy CouncilWCT1 WCT21st congressional districtJimmy Lee Tillman (R)Bobby L. Rush (D) 94 Y2nd congressional districtEric M. Wallace (R)Robin Kelly (D)3rd congressional districtSharon M. Brannigan (R)Diane M. Harris (R)Daniel William Lipinski (D) 304th congressional districtHector Concepcion (R)Luis V. Gutierrez (D) 100 YJorge Gerardo Zavala (D)Alexandra Eidenberg (D)5th congressional districtNancy Wade (R) 19/21 5/6Mike Quigley (D) 100 Y6th congressional districtPeter J. Roskam (R) 0Michael Mason (D) 11/21 5/6 Y7th congressional districtRobert L. Bumpers (R)Danny K. Davis (D) 88 Y Y Y8th congressional districtManju Goel (R)Larry Kaifesh (R)Tammy Duckworth (D)9th congressional districtDavid Earl Williams III (R)Susanne Atanus (R) 6/21 2/6Janice D. Schakowsky (D) 100 Y Y10th congressional districtRobert Dold (R) 35Brad Schneider (D)11th congressional districtChris Balkema (R)Bert Miller (R)Darlene Senger (R)Ian Bayne (R)Bill Foster (D) 21/21 4/6 Y12th congressional districtMike Bost (R)William L. “Bill” Enyart (D)Paula Bradshaw (G)13th congressional districtRodney Davis (R)Michael Firsching (R)Erica Harold (R)Ann E. Callis (D)George Gollin (D) 21/21 5/6 YDavid L. Green (D)HRC IVI PP CAIYYYYYCOOK COUNTY RACESWCT = LGBT scores are the first ones listed in each case (WCT1). Non-LGBT inquiries (WCT2) ask candidates about issues ranging from raisingthe minimum wage to the environmental topic of fracking.IVI = Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct OrganizationPPAC = Personal PACPP = Planned ParenthoodCAI = Citizen Action/Illinois Policy CouncilWCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC PP CAIBOARD PRESIDENTToni Preckwinkle (D) Y YASSESSORJoseph Berrios (D)COOK COUNTY clerkDavid D. Orr (D) 9/9 5/6 Y YSHERIFFThomas J. Dart (D) 9/9 6/6 Y YTadeusz “Tad” Palka (D)Sylvester E. Baker, Jr. (D)William “Bill” Evans (D)TREASURERMaria Pappas (D)COMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 1ST DIST.Brenda Smith (D)Blake Sercye (D) 9/9 5/6 YIsaac “Ike” Carothers (D)Richard R. Boykin (D)Ronald Lawless (D) 9/9 5/6COMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 2nd DIST.Robert B. Steele (D)YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 3rd DIST.Jerry “Iceman” Butler (D)YRosemary Reeves (D)COMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 4th DIST.Stanley S. Moore (D) Y YNicholas “Nick” Smith (D)Robert R. McKay (D)COMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 5th DIST.Deborah Sims (D) Y YTimothy “Tim” Parker (D)COMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 6th DIST.Joan Patricia Murphy (D)YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 7th DIST.Jesus G. Garcia (D)YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 8th DIST.Luis Arroyo, Jr. (D)Edwin “Eddie” Reyes (D) Y YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 9th DIST.Frank L. McPartlin (D)Peter N. Silvestri (R) Y YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 10th DIST.Bridget Gainer (D)YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 11th DIST.John P. Daley (D) Y YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 12th DIST.John Fritchey (D)YCOMMISSIONER, COOK CO. BOARD - 13th DIST.Larry Suffredin (D) Y YYYIL STATE RACESWCT = Windy City Times questions, number listed is of the total questionscorrect for that race. WCT1 refers to a greater number of generalquestions; WCT2 refers to LGBTQ-specific questionsIVI = Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct OrganizationPPAC = Personal PACEQIL = Equality Illinois PACPP = Planned ParenthoodCAI = Citizen Action/Illinois Policy CouncilGOVERNOR/LIEUTENANT GOVERNORBill Brady (R)Maria Rodriguez (R)Dan Rutherford (R)Steve Kim (R)Kirk W. Dillard (R)Jil Tracy (R)Bruce Rauner (R)Evelyn Sanguinetti (R)Tio Hardiman (D)Brunell Donald (D)Pat Quinn (D) Y Y Y Y YPaul Vallas (D)YATTORNEY GENERALPaul M. Schimpf (R)Lisa Madigan (D) Y Ysecretary of stateMichael Webster (R)Jesse White (D) Y Y YcomptrollerJudy Baar Topinka (R)YSheila Simon (D) 17/17 5/6 Y Y YTREASURERTom Cross (R) Y YBob Grogan (R)Michael W. Frerichs (D) Y Y Y YSTATE SENATE RACESIVI = Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct OrganizationPPAC = Personal PACEQIL = Equality Illinois PACPP = Planned Parenthood3RD LEGISLATIVE districtMattie Hunter (D) Y Y Y6th LEGISLATIVE districtStephanie Linares (R)John J. Cullerton (D) Y Y9th LEGISLATIVE districtDaniel Biss (D) Y Y Y12th LEGISLATIVE districtSteven Landek (D)15th LEGISLATIVE districtNapoleon Harris (D)18th LEGISLATIVE districtBill Cunningham (D)WCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC EQIL PP CAIIVIPPAC EQIL24th LEGISLATIVE districtChris Nybo (R)Dennis M. Reboletti (R)Suzanne Glowiak (D) Y YYYYPP

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 201411IVI PPAC EQIL PPWCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC EQIL PP CAIWCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC EQIL PP CAI30th LEGISLATIVE districtDon Wilson (R)Terry Link (D) Y Y Y33rd LEGISLATIVE districtKaren McConnaughay (R)36th LEGISLATIVE districtNeil Anderson (R)Mike Jacobs (D) Y Y Y39th LEGISLATIVE districtBob Galhotra (D)Don Harmon (D) Y Y Y Y42nd LEGISLATIVE districtLinda Holmes (D) Y Y Y45th LEGISLATIVE districtTim Bivins (R)48th LEGISLATIVE districtLinda Little (R)Andy Manar (D)51st LEGISLATIVE districtChapin Rose (R)54th LEGISLATIVE districtKyle McCarter (R)57th LEGISLATIVE districtJames F. Clayborne, Jr. (D) Y YILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY RACESWCT = Windy City Times questions, number listed is of the total questionscorrect for that race. WCT1 refers to a greater number of generalquestions; WCT2 refers to LGBTQ-specific questionsIVI = Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct OrganizationPPAC = Personal PACEQIL = Equality Illinois PACPP = Planned ParenthoodCAI = Citizen Action/Illinois Policy Council1st representative DISTRICTDaniel J. Burke (D) Y Y Y2nd representative DISTRICTEdward J. Acevedo (D) Y Y Y3rd representative DISTRICTLuis Arroyo (D) Y Y Y4th representative DISTRICTCynthia Soto (D) Y Y Y5th representative DISTRICTCollin Johnson (R)Kenneth “Ken” Dunkin (D) Y Y Y6th representative DISTRICTEsther Golar (D) Y Y7th representative DISTRICTEmanuel “Chris” Welch (D) Y Y YAntoinette “Toni” Gray (D)8th representative DISTRICTLa Shawn K. Ford (D)9th representative DISTRICTCarlos Alvarez (R)Myles Lloyd Tobin (R)Arthur Turner (D) Y Y YTonya N. Hunter (D)10th representative DISTRICTMark Calonder (R)Pamela Reaves-Harris (D) 17/17 5/6Derrick Smith (D)Eddie Winters (D)Antwan D. Hampton (D)WCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC EQIL PP CAI11th representative DISTRICTAnn M. Williams (D) Y Y Y12th representative DISTRICTSara Feigenholtz (D) Y Y Y13th representative DISTRICTGregory Harris (D) 17/17 6/6 Y Y Y14th representative DISTRICTDenis Detzel (R)Kelly M. Cassidy (D) 17/17 6/6 Y Y Y YYY15th representative DISTRICTJohn C. D’Amico (D) Y Y16th representative DISTRICTLou Lang (D) Y Y Y17th representative DISTRICTKathleen Myalls (R)Laura Fine (D) Y Y Y18th representative DISTRICTRobyn Gabel (D) Y Y Y19th representative DISTRICTRobert Martwick (D) Y Y Y20th representative DISTRICTMichael P. McAuliffe (R)Michael T. Yorty (R)Mo Khan (D) 17/17 5/6 Y Y Y YJerry J. Acciari (D)21st representative DISTRICTSilvana Tabares (D) Y Y Y22nd representative DISTRICTMichael J. Madigan (D)23rd representative DISTRICTMichael J. Zalewski (D) Y Y Y24th representative DISTRICTElizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez (D) Y Y Y25th representative DISTRICTBarbara Flynn Currie (D) Y Y Y26th representative DISTRICTJacob “Koby” Hakalir (R)Christian L. Mitchell (D) 17/17 6/6 Y Y YJhatayn “Jay” Travis (D)27th representative DISTRICTMonique D. Davis (D) Y Y28th representative DISTRICTRobert “Bob” Rita (D) Y Y Y29th representative DISTRICTThaddeus Jones (D) Y Y YKenneth “Kenny” Williams (D)30th representative DISTRICTWilliam “Will” Davis (D) Y Y Y YDeyon L. Dean (D)32nd representative DISTRICTAndré Thapedi (D)33rd representative DISTRICTLynn Renee Franco (R)Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D) Y Y Y34th representative DISTRICTMark Ekhoff (R)Fatimah “Timah” Macklin (R)Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D) Y Y Y35th representative DISTRICTVictor C. Horne (R)Frances Ann Hurley (D) Y Y Y36th representative DISTRICTKelly M. Burke (D)37th representative DISTRICTMargo McDermed (R)Gayla Smith (R)Arthur Lukowski (R)August (O’Neill) Deuser (D)Nichole Serbin (D) Y Y Y Y38th representative DISTRICTAl Riley (D) Y Y Y Y YMcStephen O. A. “Max” Solomon (D)39th representative DISTRICTMaria Antonia “Toni” Berrios (D) Y Y YWill Guzzardi (D) 17/17 5/640th representative DISTRICTNancy Schiavone (D) 17/17 5/6 YJaime M. Andrade, Jr. (D) Y Y YAaron Goldstein (D) 17/17 6/6Bart Goldberg (D)Wendy Jo Harmston (D)Mark Pasieka (D)Mel Ferrand (D) 17/17 6/6 Y43rd representative DISTRICTAriana Flores (R)Keith Farnham (D) Y Y YYYYY44th representative DISTRICTRamiro Juarez (R)Fred Crespo (D) Y Y Y45th representative DISTRICTDaniel Brinkman (R)Seth Lewis (R)Christine Jennifer Winger (R)TJ Lewis (R)Jenny M. Burke (D)46th representative DISTRICTHeidi Holan (R)Deb Conroy (D) Y Y Y50th representative DISTRICTJulie Cosimo (R)Beth C. Goncher (R)Keith R. Wheeler (R)William F. Keck (R)Valerie L. 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Election 2014 (from page 11)WCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC EQIL PP CAIWCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC EQIL PP CAIWCT1 WCT2 IVI PPAC EQIL PP CAI12Mar. 5, 2014WINDY CITY TIMES86th representative DISTRICTLawrence “Larry” Walsh, Jr. (D) Y Y92nd representative DISTRICTJehan Gordon (D) Y Y Y97th representative DISTRICTMark Batinick (R)Richard E. Chapman (R)Amanda Mancke (R) Y YDennis Grosskopf (D)98th representative DISTRICTYvonne Bolton (R)Natalie A. Manley (D) Y Y Y103rd representative DISTRICTKristin Williamson (R)Carol Ammons (D) Y Y YSamuel A. Rosenberg (D) Y Y Y113th representative DISTRICTMelinda Hult (R)Jay Hoffman (D) Y Y114th representative DISTRICTEddie Lee Jackson (D) Y Y115th representative DISTRICTTerri Bryant (R)Robert “Bob” White (R)YJUDICIAL EVALUATIONSwcTWindy City Times does not endorse candidates.Rather, we list their answers to our questionnaireas well as the ratings of legal organizations so thatreaders can make informed choices when they vote.Key to Organizations:WCT = Windy City Times questions, number listed isof the total questions correct for that racePPAC – Personal PACIVI - Independent Voters of Illinois/IndependentPrecinct OrganizationCAI = Citizen Action/Illinois Policy CouncilCCL – Chicago Council of LawyersCCBA – Cook County Bar AssociationDSL – Decalogue Society of LawyersISBA – Illinois State Bar AssociationLAGBAC – Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of ChicagoWBAI – Women’s Bar Association of IllinoisParticular races for which there were no data have been deleted for space. See our downloadable charts at WindyCityTimes.com.Key to Ratings:Q – QualifiedNQ – Not QualifiedWQ – Well QualifiedHQ - Highly QualifiedHR - Highly RecommendedR - RecommendedNR - Not RecommendedNE - Not Evaluated(D) = Democrat(R) = RepublicanwcT PPAC IVI CAI CCL CCBA DSL ISBA LAGBAC WBAIApp. Ct-1st Dist.(Gordon vacancy)Shelly A. Harris (D) 8/9 Q R R Q R RSusan Kennedy Sullivan (D) Q NR NQ NR RFreddrenna M. Lyle (D) Y Y Y NQ HR R NQ RNichole C. Patton (D)App. Ct-1st Dist.(Murphy vacancy)David Ellis (D) Q R R Q R RApp. Ct-1st Dist.(Steele vacancy)Sharon Oden Johnson (D) NQ R R NQ NRJohn B. Simon (D) 7/9 Y Y WQ R HR HQ HRApp. Ct-2nd Dist.(Bowman vacancy)Michael J. Burke (R)Cook Circuit Court(Arnold vacancy)Bridget Anne Mitchell (D) 8/9 Y Y Q R R Q R RAlfred M. Swanson, Jr. (D) 8/9 Y Y Q R R Q HR RCook Circuit Court(Burke vacancy)Maritza Martinez (D) Q R R Q R RCook Circuit Court(Connors vacancy)Brendan O’Brien (D)Kristal Rivers (D) Y Y Y NQ R NR Q R RPeter J. 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LaPapa (D)Cook Circuit Court(Hill Veal vacancy)Andrea Michelle Buford (D) 8/9 Y Y Q HR HR Q R RJames Patrick Crawley (D) 9/9 Y Q R R Q R RKelly Maloney Kachmarik (D) NR NR NR NQ NR NRPPAC IVI CAI CCL CCBA DSL ISBA LAGBAC WBAICook Circuit Court-2nd Sub(O’Neal vacancy)Nyshana K. Sumner (D) NR NR NR NQ NR NRSteven G. Watkins (D) Q R R Q NE NRCook Circuit Court-3rd Sub(Donnelly vacancy)Lauren Brougham Glennon (D) NR NR NR NQ NR NRTerremce J. McGuire (D) NQ R R Q RCook Circuit Court-4th Sub(Billik vacancy)Brian Joseph Stephenson (D) 6/9 Q R R Q R RJohn J. Mahoney (D) Y WQ HR HQ R RJames J. Ryan (D) NR NR NR NQ NR NRDaniel Lawrence Peters (D) Q R HR Q R RMaureen Masterson Pulia (D) NQ R NQ RCook Circuit Court-4th Sub(Mulhern vacancy)Martin D. Reggi (D) Q R R Q R RJohn Michael Allegretti (D) Q R R Q R RCook Circuit Court-7th Sub(Hardy-Campbell vacancy)Robert D. Kuzas (D) Q R R Q HRMable Taylor (D)Cook Circuit Court-7th Sub(Taylor vacancy)Judy Rice (D) 8/9 Y Y Q R R Q R ROwens J. Shelby (D) NR NR NR NQ NR NRMarianne Jackson (D) Q HR HR HQ HR RCook Circuit Court-9th Sub(Goldberg vacancy)Jerry A. Esrig (D) Y WQ R R Q R RMegan Elizabeth Goldish (D) 9/9 Y Q R R Q HR RNathan Benjamin Myers (D) NQ NR NQ NRCook Circuit Court-9th Sub(Meyer vacancy)Anjana Hansen (D) 7/9 Y Q R R Q R RThomas Peter Kougias (D) NQ R NR NQ NR NRMonica A. Forte (D) 8/9 Q R NR Q NE RCook Circuit Court-9th Sub(Preston vacancy)Michael Francis Otto (D) Q Q R Q R RAbbey Fishman Romanek (D) 8/9 Y Q R R Q R RMichael Alan Strom (D) 9/9 Y Y WQ R HR Q HR RBrian Alexander (D) Q R R Q R RThomas M. Cushing (D) WQ R HR Q R RCook Circuit Court-10th Sub(‘A’ vacancy)Anthony C. “Tony” Kyriakopoulos (D) Q R R Q R RKatherine A. O’Dell (D) NQ NR Q NR NRCook Circuit Court-11th Sub(‘A’ vacancy)Gina A. Crumble (D) Q R NR Q R RJoanne F. Rosado (D) Y Q R R Q R RScott Michael Kozicki (D) 9/9 Q R R Q NE RPamela McLean Meyerson (D) 7/9 Q R HR Q HR RCook Circuit Court-12th Sub(Jordan vacancy)James Paul Pieczonka (R) NQ NR NR NQ NR NRJames I. Marcus (R)Samuel Bae (D) NQ R Q R RRalph Eugene Meczyk (D) 9/9 NQ R R Q NE RJames Edward Hanlon, Jr. (D) Y Q R R Q R RJames L. Kaplan (D) Y Q R R Q R RAllan W. Masters (D)Cook Circuit Court-13th Sub(Iosco vacancy)John Curry (R) Q HR Q R RGary W. Seyring (R) Q R R Q NR RCaroline M. Kennedy-Elkins (D)Cook Circuit Court-15th Sub(Doody vacancy)Patrick Kevin Coughlin (D) 8/9 Y Q R R Q R RJohn S. Fotopoulos (D) NQ NR NQ NRDiana Embil (D) Y Y Q R R Q R RCook Circuit Court-15th Sub(Sterba vacancy)Michael B. Barrett (D) Q R R Q R RSondra Denmark (D) NR NR NR NQ NR NRChris Lawler (D) Q R HR Q R RMary Beth Duffy (D) Q NE R Q HR RRobbin Perkins (D) NR NR NR NQ NR NRWabash Co.-2nd Judicial Court(Sawyer vacancy)William C. Hudson (R)YCassandra A. Goldman (D)

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 201413GAY in theLIFEGregory HyderText By ROSS FORMANGregory Hyder was contacted 13 years ago when The Peninsula Chicago Hotel indowntown Chicago was under construction.“I really had not planned on being in the hotel business; I had returned fromteaching in Africa and needed a job while I was working on a second degree andstarted checking people in at the front desk … the rest is history,” he said. “To bea part of the design and building aspect of the project has really made this a morepersonal work experience.”Hyder said he is “very fortunate” to have such an “interesting and fun job.” Histeam handles all events at the hotel—weddings, fundraisers, corporate events, andmore.“There are so many amazing events and organizations I have been able to be a partof and work with, I can’t even began to name a favorite,” Hyder said. “I will say it ismost gratifying to watch events go from inception to fruition; there is a great senseof pride in that process.”The Peninsula Chicago has, for years, been involved in the annual World ofChocolate, benefitting the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC).“Having always had the fortune to have such a stellar pastry team, the ganghas always been on board to create something special for AFC [and the World ofChocolate every December],” Hyder said. “I think many of the attendees look forwardevery year to see what we are going to come up with to top the previous year.“World of Chocolate is one of my favorite events of the season. I really think it isa unique event in the sense I feel it is able to reach a younger demographic in thegay community and, let’s face it, they are the future of fundraising.”Age51NeighborhoodUptownJob titleDirector of style and communityrelations, director of catering andconference servicesHobbiesGardening, cooking and musicBest part of your job“The diversity of projects every day.”Worst part of your job“The diversity of projects every day.”Gay weddings“We here at The Peninsula are certainlylooking forward to having many more gayweddings now that things are legal in thegreat state of Illinois.”Dream vacation destination“I’ve [already] done both: elephantridingin Thailand and [a] safari in SouthAfrica.”Favorite TV showsDownton Abbey and Saturday Night LiveFavorite colorRedFavorite pizza toppingPepperoniLittle-known fact“I worked in South Africa, developingmusic programs for children duringapartheid in the late 1980s.”WINDY CITYTIMES2014primaryelectionVoting chartsEndorsements and ratings to help you make the best decisions at the pollsCandidate interviewsWe speak directly with candidates about issues important to youOur special “Guide To the Gays”A special focus on all of the out candidates across all primary racesguideMarch 5 & 12See more online at www.WindyCityTimes.com

14Ron Dorfman’simpact onjournalismMany of you know Andy Shaw from his long TVreporting career and now his watchdog workat the Better Government Association. But youprobably don’t know that someone who was nearand dear to us at the Windy City Times, Ron Dorfman,gave Andy a big break when he was juststarting out in journalism. Here’s a column Andywrote for us in Ron’s memory:Successful careers are often facilitated bystrokes of luck—connected friends or familymembers who open doors, or fortuitous momentswhen you’re simply in the right place atthe right time to catch a break.It’s true you have to bring more to the tablethan a letter of recommendation, but a lot ofpeople have ability, so a bit of luck is often thedifference between those who get a chance totake their game to the next level, and thosewho don’t.My luckiest break came in 1974, when I was ayoung reporter at City News, the iconic Chicagowire service that, in the days before college j-school programs, gave generations of aspiringjournalists on-the-job training while they werecovering the gritty local news.Distinguished alums include Ben Hecht,Charles MacArthur, Carl Sandburg, Kurt Vonnegutand Mike Royko.The challenge back then was to “graduate”from City News to one of the daily newspapers—therewere four in those days—so youhad to get the attention of their editors.That was hard because City News didn’t printanything or put reporter by-lines on stories—itsimply fed information to the papers.As a result, we toiled in relative anonymity.So I started writing freelance pieces for communitynewspapers and small magazines to geta little visibility, but I needed a “game-changer.”It came when I was assigned to cover theRise to the hateOpen Letter to LGBT Roman Catholicsin the Chicago ArchdioceseANDYSHAWCardinal Francis George has stated that marriedgay couples cannot receive communion goingforward. The Archdiocesan Gay and LesbianOutreach (AGLO) ministry supports this action.Hate being promoted in the name of religiousfreedom is wrong.According to the Washington Post, a Catholicchaplain at MedStar Washington Hospital Centerstopped delivering a 63-year-old heart attackpatient communion prayers and last ritesafter the man said he was gay.Across the Roman Catholic landscape, individualsare being fired from their teachingpositions simply because they got married tosomeone of the same sex.On the international level, the NigerianConference of Catholic Bishops endorsed antigaylegislation—and not a whimper is heardMar. 5, 2014VIEWPOINTAndy Shaw (center) with Ron Dorfman (right) and Ron’s husbandKen Ilio at their wedding reception Jan. 10. Photo by Hal Baimfrom Pope Francis. Men and women are beingdragged from their homes and beaten becauseof who they are, and still the Catholic silenceis deafening.Where is the Catholic voice in these matters?Is going along to get along a prudent courseof action for Catholics who want to bringabout change in the Church? How do you thinkchange will happen if you don’t work for it? Dowe really think God is present in such a community?Homophobia is a sin against God, and stillthere is silence in our Catholic Community.Our gay clergy are incapable of summoningup the courage to speak out because LGBTCatholics could care less. Yet some of theseCatholics will join LGBT political organizationsin Chicago going so far as to sit on their organization’sboard of directors and scream abouthorrors of homophobia only to go back to theirparishes and remain silent. How have we becomeso immune to this form of hypocrisy?Even here in the archdiocese, a group thatCriminal Courts building at 26th & California,where the regular beat reporters for thenewspapers were colorful competitors in theswashbuckling “Front Page” tradition, the copswho hung out with us in the pressroom cynicaljokesters, and the cases in the courtroomsgrisly urban dramas.The beat was a story begging to be told, soI took copious notes, banged out a draft, andsubmitted it to the Chicago Journalism Review(CJR), our answer to New York’s prestigious ColumbiaJournalism Review.From its inception in the wake of the controversialmedia coverage that surrounded theviolence outside Chicago’s 1968 DemocraticConvention, until it folded a decade later, CJRcritiqued local media content.So my article—a tongue-in-cheek send-up oflife at 26th and Cal—was a good fit.The “kiss and tell” aspect bothered somefolks, including the cops and beat reportersI lampooned, but it caught the attention ofnewspaper editors, including those at the Sun-Times, and a few months later they hired me.From there, thanks to smaller bits of luck, Iwent on to NBC 5, then ABC 7, and now theBetter Government Association, the anti-corruptionwatchdog organization that shines alight on government and holds public officialsaccountable.So why am I taking this trip down MemoryLane?Because the CJR editor who encouraged meto write the story, and helped me massage itinto printable shape, was renowned editor/activistRon Dorfman, who died recently after along battle with AIDS.Ron was an intense, diminutive bundle ofenergy who co-founded the CJR, and his editingskill turned a kid reporter’svery rough draft intoa smooth enough piece ofjournalism to impress theright people.Over the years Ron heldmany journalism jobs andsupported numerous progressivecauses, includinggay rights. In December hemarried his longtime partnerKen Ilio, a talented photographer,academic and techie.We were all part of a crowdof aging journalists, artistsand activists who gatheredmost Friday evenings atPhil Stefani’s 437, which replacedthe old Ricardo’s atthe same Rush and Hubbard location.The conversation, as you might imagine, isvoluble, with enough old war stories to encouragean occasional retelling of my history withRon.The last time I saw him was a Friday night inJanuary, when his medical prognosis had worsened,and many of us realized we were seeinghim for one of the last times.Sadly, we were.Ron died quietly at home on Feb. 10.He was lucky to live many more years thanhis early diagnosis predicted, thanks to experimentalAIDS “cocktails” and a fierce determinationthat enabled him to ward off the ravagesof HIV for two decadesBut really, I was the lucky one—in the rightplace at the right time, when Ron was editinga publication that wanted a story I needed towrite to advance my career.You can’t hear me Ron, but let me say thankyou one more time.I will always be grateful, and I’ll continue torecount this episode to remind people aboutthe value of lucky breaks, the importance ofremembering the people who opened thosedoors, and the obligation to do the same forothers.Because, as poet Robert Frost said in “TheRoad Not Taken,” it makes all the difference.Andy Shaw was a political correspondent atABC-7 for 26 years before becoming President& CEO of the Better Government Associationin 2009. Email: ashaw@bettergov.org. Twitter: @andyshawbga.LETTERSclaims to minister to the LGBT community buriesits head in a Sunday evening Mass at OurLady of Mt. Carmel pretending that all is rightwith the world because they are allowed tohave a Mass. The group supports the cardinal’sposition to deny Communion to LGBT marriedcouples—to do other would get them kickedout of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. How have wecome to this? What a sad commentary on hypocrisy.Forgive me if I have offended any Catholics,but if I have than you know how I feel. Whyare we like passive zombies when we leave thePride Parade and return to our home parishesand sheepishly turn our backs on homophobia?Where is our faith? Have we lost the beliefthat we are all children of God? Are we so immuneto taking action because to do so wouldmake us feel uncomfortable?There is absolutely no Catholic organizationin the archdiocese that ministers to us; tothink otherwise is to be delusional.Joe MurrayWINDY CITYTIMESWINDY CITY TIMESVOL. 29, No. 23, Mar. 5, 2014The combined forces of Windy City Times,founded Sept. 1985, and Outlines newspaper,founded May 1987.PUBLISHER & EXECUTIVE EDITORTracy BaimASSISTANT PUBLISHER Terri KlinskyMANAGING EDITOR Andrew DavisBUSINESS MANAGER Ripley CaineDIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA Jean AlbrightART DIRECTOR Kirk WilliamsonSENIOR REPORTER Matt SimonetteSenior Account Executives Terri Klinsky,Kirk Williamson, Amy Matheny, Chris Cheuvront,Gretchen BlickensderferPROMOTIONAL SUPPORT Scott DuffNATIONAL SALES Rivendell Media, 212-242-6863SENIOR WRITERS Bob Roehr, Rex Wockner, MarieJ. Kuda, David Byrne, Tony Peregrin, Lisa Keen,Yasmin Nair, Erica Demarest, Kate SosinTHEATER EDITOR Scott C. 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WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 201415GOINGS-ONWINDY CITY TIMES’ ENTERTAINMENT SECTIONPhoto byMichaelBrosilowCHEST IMPRESSIONTHEATERTo ‘Tale’ the truth.Page 20Photo from A Tale of Two Citiesby Suzanne PlunkettNate Santana and Norm Woodel star in the theatrical production Golden Boy. See the review on page 21.DISHBig love.Page 26Photo of Mexican beef shortrib tacoat Big & Little’sby Meghan StreitSPORTSSupport for Sam.Page 30Photo of Chicago Sky’s Elena Delle Donneby Ross FormanSCOTTISH PLAY SCOTTLesbian playwrighttackles ‘Mammoths’ taskBY SCOTT C. MORGANWhen New York-based lesbian playwright MadeleineGeorge found out that the old Pratt Museumof Natural History was going to be closeddown in her hometown of Amherst, Mass., shewanted to go back so she could chain herself tothe door to stop it from happening. And thatwas despite her opinion that “it was a terriblemuseum and it was really outdated.”“It was a museum that I had loved a lot asa child,” said George, citing the Pratt closureas one of the inspirations for her 2011 comedySeven Homeless Mammoths Wander NewEngland, which is having its Midwest debut inChicago at Theater Wit. “[The museum] felt ancientitself and it was always very under-visited.You could go in there and get lost and feellike you were stepping out of time.”But a musty museum isn’t the only focus ofGeorge’s play, even though its closure does createsome conflict for the characters and somewhimsical comic asides as two prehistoric dioramaNeanderthals share conversations thatmirror those of bored college students encounteringdecades-old exhibits.George says the heart of Seven HomelessMammoths… is an examination of jealousy involvinga lesbian love triangle among collegeacademics in a small New England town. DeanWreen (Meighan Garachis) has invited her exlover,Greer (Laura T. Fisher), back into theirformer home together since she has been diagnosedwith a terminal cancer. But also livingthere is Wreen’s much-younger lover, Andromeda(Kristen Magee).“How do you deal with being the new personcoming in to a relationship where there’s an expartnerwho has been around for a really longtime?” said George. “Not to generalize, but Ifeel that lesbian configurations of that problemare different from other kinds. There’s aparticular way that women stay in each other’slives. Not everybody, obviously, but it’s prettycommon to find that people have created reallyinteresting ‘alternative kinship structures’as one of the characters says in the play.”Although George is more than happy to seeall the advances being made in the UnitedStates regarding same-sex marriage rights andis very willing to endorse them, she questionsif something might be lost with all the emphasison traditional two-person partnershipstaking precedence over more creative and expansivefamily relationships created within theLGBT community.“The more innovative structures that we havebeen able to make in the past, not having accessto the traditional or mainstream forms,do those things fall by the wayside?” Georgeasked. “That’s a kind of question that runsthroughout the play.”But despite the dramatic issues of mortalityand jealousy, George insists that she also wroteSeven Homeless Mammoths to explore the similaritiesand differences of comedies as writtenby Shakespeare and those of modern-day sitcoms.In fact, George found a way to weave inher obsession with the hit NBC sitcom Friendsthroughout the play.“I don’t know exactly what I love so muchabout that show, but I think it’s a little becauseit verges on the perfect sitcom,” Georgesaid. “I have watched all the episodes many,many times and I own them all.”All these disparate comic elements of a naturalhistory museum, jealous academic lesbiansand Friends sitcom references really spoke outPlaywright Madeleine George. Photo courtesy of Theater Witto Theater Wit artistic director Jeremy Wechsler,who feels that Seven Homeless Mammoths… isa perfect compliment to his company’s hit productionof Completeness from last year.“I’m a whore for a comedy,” joked Wechsler,adding that he sought out to direct and produceSeven Homeless Mammoths… initiallyjust because its wacky title jumped out athim. “Ultimately I picked the play because itscharacterization is spot on, and it is freakingfunny.”Another thing that impressed Wechsler, whojoked that he was the “straight man out” whenhe previously worked for the very gay-focusedBailiwick Repertory Theatre, was that SevenHomeless Mammoths… featured lesbian characterswho weren’t dealing with societal disapprovalor discrimination, but who were justleading their everyday lives.“The assumptions in the play are all aboutthe inclusiveness of gay culture into Americanculture,” Wechsler said. “It’s also about lossand how you let go of things in the past, andit’s quite touching.”Though Seven Homeless Mammoths… islargely about a lesbian, George was happy toreport that her comedy largely won over anoverwhelmingly suburban heterosexual audienceat its 2011 premiere at New Jersey’s TwoRiver Theater Company.“This is a beautiful thing for comedy, whichis to bridge the gap,” George said. “To havesome people in the audience to say, ‘This is mystory and I don’t get to see it enough,’ and tohave other people in the audience to go like,‘There’s no reason why I can’t participate inthis story, too.’”Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander NewEngland runs Thursday, March 6, throughSunday, April 27, at Theater Wit, 1229 W.Belmont Ave. Previews go through Sunday,March 16, with an official press opening at7 p.m. Monday, March 17. The regular runis 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays with 3 p.m.matinees Sundays. Preview tickets are $12-$28. Regular run tickets are $20-$36; call773-975-8150 or visit www.theaterwit.org.

20THEATER REVIEWMiss MarxPlaywright: Philip DawkinsAt: Strawdog Theatre Company,3829 N. BroadwayTickets: 1-866-811-4111;www.strawdog.org; $28Runs through: March 29BY JONATHAN ABARBANELI’m always eager for a new Philip Dawkins play,whether or not it completely fulfills its potential.His intelligent plays are highly theatrical,and rich with witty verbal dexterity. His worksentertain in the true meaning of that word, “tohold attention.” They entertain in part becausethey are amusing even as they engage seriousideas. I also admire Dawkins because the styleand form of his plays never repeat themselves.To the best of my knowledge, Miss Marx is hisfirst play to portray an important historicalfigure: Eleanor Marx (1855-1898), the Englishborndaughter of Karl Marx who translated DasKapital into English and was a leader of internationalrevolutionary socialism.Jenny Julia Eleanor Marx was a formidablethinker and propagandist who espoused fullempowerment for women in politics, the professions,voting and intimate relationships.Like her somewhat-counterpart, “Red” EmmaGoldman, Marx believed women and men shouldbe equally free to love who-and-as they wish,and without the constricting bonds of marriage.She entered forcefully into a relationshipwith prominent socialist and activist EdwardAveling, already married, with whom she livedfor a number of years. In the end, however, hervery woman-ness—or lack of fulfillment as awoman—destroyed her: when Aveling dumpedher she committed suicide.Dawkins sketches all of this and more besides—herclose friendship with a gay man,her fondness for children, her oratorical skills,her promotion of Henrik Ibsen’s plays, herabiding friendship with Friedrich Engels—bycreating a memorable stage figure of ferociouspassions and high standards. The language andflash of her flirtations with Aveling are worthyof Beatrice and Benedick, while their sexualencounters are like cats in heat. As Eleanor,Dana Black provides a majestic physical presenceand brilliantly plays the complex subtextof the role, alerting us to seething emotionswithin while Eleanor maintains a cool exteriorpersona. John Ferrick, although physicallysmaller than Black, is sturdy and equally convincingas aggressive, self-centered Aveling.Dinner with this couple would be fascinatingif they didn’t smash all the china. Miss MarxMar. 5, 2014From left: Dana Black, Pamela Mae Davis, Justine C. Turner and Matt Holzfeind in Miss Marx.Photo by Chris Ockenis so high-spirited you hardly notice it turningdarker and solemn.Director Megan Shuchman gives her fineensemble great emotional range and freedomwithout ever losing control of the shape andpace of the work. It goes over the top preciselywhere it should but nowhere else. She andDawkins introduce some amusing meta-theatricaldevices (double casting and cross-gendercasting) and skillfully integrate composer MikePrzygoda’s sweet original music for piano, drumand violin. Mike Mroch’s scenic design providesa realistic box set within the L-shaped Strawdogaudience configuration, creating an effective1890-ish physical look along with lightingby Jordan Kardasz and period costumes courtesyof Izumi Inaba.CRITICS’ PICKSCock, Profiles Theatre, through April6. No chickens are harmed in this fastpaced,intensely physical and veddy Britishthree-way (gay, gay and het) that addsa whole new dimension to the expression“thinking with your dick.” MSBBuzzer, Goodman Theatre, throughMarch 9. Gentrifiers come in all colors. Ostensiblyabout race, this brilliantly actedthree-character play concerns an upwardlymobile Black attorney who returns to thenow-changing old ‘hood and finds he’sstill not so far from the mean streets. JAThe How and the Why, Timeline Theatreat Baird Hall, through April 6. The topicis gynecological evolution, but Janet UlrichBrooks and Elizabeth Ledo swap factsabout “lady parts” with a rapier precisionto win over the most squeamish playgoer.MSBRusalka, Lyric Opera of Chicago, throughMarch 16. Dvorak’s dark fairy tale inspiredby Hans Christian Andersen’s The LittleMermaid is musically and dramatically ravishingfrom start to finish in this smartand beautifully designed new productionled by out director Sir David McVicar. SCM—By Abarbanel, Barnidgeand MorganTHEATER REVIEWA Tale of Two CitiesPlaywright: adapted by Christopher M.Walsh from the novel by Charles DickensAt: Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave.Tickets: 773-761-4477;www.lifelinetheatre.com; $40Runs through: April 6BY MARY SHEN BARNIDGEA man who doesn’t think that he deserves lovecan never be loved by others—and therein liesthe paradox of tragic romantic heroes in literaturefrom Cyrano de Bergerac to the presentday. What distinguishes the two suitors to MissLucie Manette in the love triangle that anchorsCharles Dickens’ novel is that Charles Darnaydeclares his affection and then asks the lady tomarry him, while Sydney Carton, after confessingsame, expresses relief that his devotion iscertain to be unreturned. What’s a girl to sayto that?This is not Jane Austen’s England, however,where such domestic tangles are quickly resolved,but a nation menaced by global unrestpreceding cataclysmic social upheaval, bothacross the channel in allied France and acrossthe Atlantic in its U.S. colonies, during an erastill fresh in the memories of Dickens’ readers.French expatriates like Darnay and Lucie’s ownfather cannot escape their connections witha country embroiled in near-anarchy, leavingThree Soldiers (for Sisters). Photo by Austin D. OieTHEATER REVIEWThree Soldiers(for Sisters)Playwright: Aaron SawyerAt: Red Theater at the Den,1333 N. Milwaukee Ave.Tickets: 773-733-0540;www.redtheater.org; $10-$20Runs through: March 23BY MARY SHEN BARNIDGEAaron Sawyer may not be the only writer totranspose Chekhov’s pre-revolution Russia toa universe more accessible to modern Americanaudiences—the 1950s, say, or Enid,Okla.—but uprooting the Prozarov sistersfrom their beloved Nebraska to isolate themin a war-torn Afghanistan entails more thana shift in geographical references or dresshems. Still, as one of Sawyer’s GIs remarks,“If you’re going to fire the first shot, youmight as well blow it all up.”Our story still focuses on the children ofa U.S. “advisor” posted to a foreign landfar from the family’s beloved Omaha. Eldestsister Olga teaches at the local school, asdoes middle sister Maria’s would-be playwrighthusband Freddy, while little sisterIrna chafes under the restrictions mandatedby local custom. Laptop-hugging brotherAndrew fancies himself an entrepreneur, butfirst needs ground-gripping Natasha to breakhim of his gambling habit—a duty the unreconstructedcolonialista embraces eagerly,WINDY CITY TIMEStheir salvation in the hands of heroic Britishsympathizers, bred of upright societies wheremasters and servants share a united moral accord.Christopher M. Walsh’s adaptation facilitatesthe multiple dimensions of his epic narrativethrough the introduction of a protean Everyman,dubbed “The Resurrection Man” (euphemismfor a “corpse-snatcher”), to play all ofthe commoners, and to act as our guide to thevolatile world of coups d’état. His commentaryallows Walsh to focus on the intrigue associatedwith a Parisian merchant family’s revengeupon the estranged Darnay’s aristocratic ancestors—avendetta that will endanger him andthose he loves, while exacting terrible risks inunexpected quarters.Fitting big stories into small spaces is LifelineTheatre’s specialty, its stage’s restrictivefloor dimensions and high ceilings easily accommodating10 actors portraying citizens ontwo continents (with the assistance of EliseKauzlaric’s dialect instruction and Andrew Hansen’saudio score that replicates the descentof the guillotine blade with chilling accuracy).John Henry Roberts deftly keeps us apprisedof his diverse personae with never a trace ofdisruptive jocularity, his unswerving focusmatched by an ensemble capable of rivetingour attention for the swift-paced two-and-ahalfhours necessary before the villains are dispatched,the innocent rescued and the noblerewarded for their sacrifice.along with taking charge of her husband’saffairs and bossing her in-laws.In a country where the house servants maybe plotting against their employers and anunescorted woman risks assault by wearingred stiletto-heels on the street, hostilitiesrequiring military presence are not limitedto a few troops marching to distant drums.The erosive malaise infecting these homesickexpats may be manifested psychologically onthe domestic front, but its effect on the uniformedpersonnel—Petro, Sully, Cookie andcommander Alex Chebutykin—is patentlyphysical.Before we are done, three of them will undergobodily changes, a rape victim will notbe whom we expect, somebody will die whodidn’t in the 1901 version, and someone elsewill meet an untimely end in a manner grimlycommonplace, given that person’s locale.Red Theater calls its version an “aggressiveretelling” of Chekhov—braggadociooften connoting a license to self-consciousexcess—but except for the introduction ofa Brechtian device in the form of a proteaneveryperson dubbed “Misfit” (whose purposeremains unclear to us for too long), Sawyer’sanalogies parallel his source material withremarkable accuracy. The actors likewiseengage our sympathies, easing us into ourmilieu—in particular, Jim Poole’s avuncularsenior officer Alex, Johnard Washington’scheerful Petro, and Victoria Alvarez-Chacon’sCookie, whose willingness to sacrifice evenher gender identity for love and countrymakes her loss the most tragic of all.

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 201421GoldenBoy.PhotobyMichaelBrosilowSPOTLIGHTTHEATER REVIEWGolden BoyPlaywright: Clifford OdetsAt: Griffin Theatre Company atTheater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.Tickets: 773-975-8150 orwww.griffintheatre.com; $28-$33Runs through: April 6BY SCOTT C. MORGANClifford Odets’ classic 1937 drama Golden Boyis about a gifted violinist who gives up musicso he can get rich quick as a prizefighter. Thatleap from artist to bruiser might seem to straindramatic credibility.However, looking at that transition symbolically,or what was happening in Odets’ own lifeat the time (the struggling playwright of leftwingpolitical works like Waiting for Lefty andAwake and Sing! was suddenly flush with loadsof Hollywood cash), Golden Boy can be seenmore as a meditation on the pressures of successand heightened expectations. Golden Boyalso explores all the people who start to feedoff of a celebrity like a precious meal ticket.This makes Golden Boy, now receiving a goodproduction by Griffin Theater, feel relevant inour age of instant reality TV celebrities whobelieve that fame and money will bestow respectand esteem. And that’s despite the hardboiled,easily spoofed New Yorker accents themajority of the cast sport for their characters.Despite the decision to keep two intermissionsfor this three-act play, Golden Boy stillmoves fleetly along under Jonathan Berry’sdirection (and the running time of two hoursand 45 minutes breezes by). Set designer DanStratton aids with the transitions with translucentsliding panels (which allow for somegood silhouette effects) and door frames thatevoke gym windows or tenement rooftops,while Mieka van der Ploeg helps keep thingsrooted to the play’s era with effective periodcostumes.The large cast is fine and frequently cast withdistinctive actors who fit the look of their charactersjust right. (The great interplay betweenDavid Cady Jr. as the trainer Mickey and ConnorMcNamara as the cocky fighter Pepper is aprime example.) Yet I got the sense on openingnight that all these hard-working actors hadn’tquite clicked as an organic acting ensemblejust yet. Perhaps it was nerves (and the weightof maintaining their tough-guy accents), ormaybe they needed a few more performancesto get under their belts.Still, there were many notable performances.Top of the list is Nate Santara as the title goldenboy fighter, Joe Bonaparte. Santana’s seethingand scrappy take on the role clearly showedoff his character’s boiling drive for success andrespect at all costs. Also heart-wrenching asJoe’s Italian immigrant father was Norm Woodel,who honestly shows all the disappointmentand bewilderment at seeing his artistic sonturn so angry and violent.So even if the symbolic plot and Depressioneraaccents could be seen as laughable on thesurface, Golden Boy still delivers a relevantdramatic punch for today. And Griffin Theatregamely shows that it’s willing to go down tothe mat with it.The producers of the international hit dance sensation Riverdance are back again with a newrevue titled Heartbeat of Home, which is making its U.S. debut in Chicago strategically timedright before St. Patrick’s Day. Along with the expected percussive Celtic step-dancing, the newshow aims to look at the cultural Irish Diaspora and how it has melded with other dance styleslike Latin and Afro-Cuban. Heartbeat of Home continues through March 16 at the Oriental Theatre,24 W. Randolph St. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays (also Sunday,March 9), 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays (also Wed., March 12). Tickets are$40-$82; call 800-775-2000 or visit www.broawdayinchicago.com for more information. Photoby Jim Byrne.Opening NightSponsorRobert Battle, Artistic DirectorONLY 6 MORE PERFORMANCES!SAVE $10 * WITH CODE WINDYCITYONLINE AuditoriumTheatre.orgPHONE 800.982.ARTS (2787)BOX OFFICE 50 E. Congress PkwyGROUPS (10+) 312.341.2357Student MatineeSeries SponsorStudent MatineeSeries SponsorNOW – MAR 9Masazumi Chaya, Associate Artistic Director#TheAud |Official Hotel Partner*Offer valid on price levels 2–4 only. Not valid on previously purchased tickets. Restrictions apply.Antonio Douthit-Boyd. Photo by Andrew Eccles.

22Columbia studentsBy Gretchen RACHEL BlickensderferThere was barely a single open seat remainingin the screening room of Columbia CollegeChicago’s downtown campus. On Feb. 26, collegepresident Kwang-Wu Kim and film/videodepartment chair Dr. Bruce Sheridan were partof an audience for one of two screenings ofBlack Sheep—a documentary the school’sBlack Film Society made that aimed to send aclear message to Sheridan, Kim and Columbia’sadministration: When it comes to the Black andminority students who dream of becoming thenext generation of filmmakers, the school’s filmdepartment needs to do better.The 30-minute documentary seemed to stunthe audience with its powerful mix of a roundtablediscussion and interviews with currentand former Black students and faculty members—includingVaun Monroe, one of the onlytwo Black teachers in the film program. It challengedthe department’s diversity in both itscurriculum and faculty.“Students of color are saying that they arenot seeing their experiences and themselvesrepresented on the screen,” said Columbia CollegeCinema Arts and Science Professor JenniferPeepas in the documentary. “And I thinkthat’s absolutely true, when you look at thefilms that we screen.”“There are certain filmmakers they [the filmdepartment] just don’t want to talk about,” ColumbiaAlum Jessica Estelle Huggins asserted.Mar. 5, 2014demand diversity in filmCULTURE CLUB“If a Black filmmaker comes up, it’s like TylerPerry or Spike Lee.”The other students featured in the documentaryall agreed. When it came to Columbia’sfilm department’s demonstration of the heightsa Black filmmaker could reach, it was Spike Leeor nothing.“They didn’t expose us to anything exceptSpike Lee,” one current sophomore shrugged.“And I missed the day that they screened that.”“Columbia College, there are more Black directorsthan Spike Lee!” echoed another.Even more disturbing, the students assertedthat they weren’t allowed to present theirown ideas during classroom projects. “I hadpitched a documentary about gang violencein Chicago,” senior Jade Ivy said. “I was toldthat my idea had not gotten picked. I got partneredwith a guy that was doing a documentaryabout ferrets.”Linda Garcia Merchant was a first-year MFAstudent in film and video at Columbia. Sheholds a B.S. with honors from Western IllinoisUniversity and has served as a member of numerousgroups in Chicago, including the LesbianLeadership Council of the Chicago Foundationfor Women. In 2006, she formed herown company that, by 2011, had produced fivedocumentaries.Merchant—who was given a fellowship toattend Columbia—was inexplicably asked toleave the program. “It made no sense to me,”she remembered. “My only response was, ‘but Iwant to teach.’ I really don’t want to believe,but I always wonder, that if I had come inhere in a different skin, in a different gender,I think that talent would have been cultivatedand would have been supported.”In summing up Black Sheep, Black Film SocietyPresident Raina McKinley said, “I wanted tobe sure that the voices of Black film studentsare given a chance to be heard. All too often,the voices of Black film students at Columbiaare overlooked and they get lost in the crowd.”“Columbia’s reputation as a diverse schoolis at stake here. It does not practice what itpreaches,” Black Film Society Vice PresidentDon Whisler stated.During a talk-back session after the film’sscreening, Kim said he appreciated the educationalimperative presented in the film: “Thisis not just about students or brown students oryellow students or purple students. It’s aboutasking the question ‘why in a school like ColumbiaCollege Chicago is this more than thestandard quota conversation that exists inhigher education all across the country?’ We’retalking about a merging culture in a world thatis changing. “Kim pledged that he would activate a morediverse model of education that would beginwith the hiring of new Provost Dr. Stanley T.Wearden, Ph.D.Kim announced the decision on the sameday as the screening of the film. Wearden iscurrently a dean at Kent State University, “aschool that is predominantly white,” Kim acknowledged.“[He’s] working very hard to bringin faculty of color, to expand definitions of diversity.I think there’s a lot of opportunity forhim here.”Kim told Windy City Times that he was notsurprised by the film, saying, “It’s always differentthough to see something that’s reallythought through and well put together as thiswas.” He added that he wants to respond tothe Black Film Society in a constructive way:“I want them to meet with our incoming Provostso that he understands how we’re thinkingabout the issues of diversity here.”Meanwhile, Sheridan claimed that whilehe was pleased to see Black Sheep, he didn’tbelieve it to be a film about the departmentor the college: “It was 25 minutes of peoplespeaking. It’s a film about what people think.These are things that any student would beconcerned about. “He asserted that the department always hadan open curriculum, saying, “There’s never beena rule in this college that students couldn’t askfor a curriculum. They just didn’t ask. So nowthey will. So that’s good.”Responding to the film’s assertions of a lackof diversity in a curriculum, Sheridan said thathe always tried to run classes that studentswanted, but ultimately blamed enrollment figures:“More often than not, the classes don’tWINDY CITY TIMESMembers of the Black Film Society at the screening. Photo by Gretchen Rachel Blickensderferrun because students don’t enroll.”He insisted that the department showcaseda lot more films than those of Spike Lee. “Idid a Q&A with Richard Roundtree,” he said.“In the classroom, we’re showing Van Peebles,Gordon Parks—but my point is that it’s easy tofall back on Spike Lee. All we do is look at thelearning outcomes. Will they learn from it?”Sheridan also insisted that Columbia alwayssponsors the Black Perspectives program of theChicago International Film Festival: “We askedfor the Africa emphasis and we give out ticketsto our students to get engaged in this festivaland a lot of students just don’t go.”“That’s just not true,” said Marcus Martin,the co-founder of the Black Film Society anda recent graduate of Columbia. “We’ve all attendedthe Black Perspectives annually withoutany notification from Bruce Sheridan. He invitedus once, last year, after we had told himwe wanted more diversity in the faculty.As an example, Martin cited a time whenBlack students in the department wanted toattend the American Black Film Festival. “Wesent [Sheridan] a proposal and didn’t hear anything,”Martin said. “It wasn’t until I had aconversation with the former President Carterthat I get an email the next day from Sheridan.”He said that Sheridan gave the money tosend three students to attend the festival:“I’m thinking the school is supporting us now,but when we came back, the rules had beenchanged. They said that students could no longerattend festivals because they have socialcontent and not just educational perspectives.”Martin said he believes that Columbia’s administrationis just playing a waiting game:“They’re hoping that once Black History Monthpasses, they’re not going to have hear anymore about this.”Powell’s fashionshow March 14at Block 37Fashion designer Borris Powell will unveilhis new accessories collection at his“Freedom” show on Friday, March 14, at8:30 p.m. at Block 37, 108 N. State St.In 2011, Powell won the Oscars DesignerChallenge with his “Black Swan” dress.He has since expanded to ready-to-wear,men’s custom suits and handbags.Powell’s fall/winter 2014 collection is“American”-inspired, with dark, rich fabricsand simple cuts with a focus on details,according to a press release.Tickets are $40-$100; see www.ticketpeak.com/freedomBjP.For more info onPowell, visit www.BorrisPowell.com.

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 201423Elaine Stritch:Still dancingThe 89-year-old stage andscreen legend reveals allin the new filmElaine Stritch: Shoot Meby Lawrence Ferber“If somebody doesn’t understand me, they canjust go fly a kite,” drawled Elaine Stritch, starof stage and screen. “Their loss, my gain, becauseI get rid of them!”While well-known and beloved for her prickly,brassy demeanor; characters like Alec Baldwin’smother, Colleen, on 30 Rock; and raucous onewomanshows, the Detroit-born Stritch revealsa new, vulnerable side in the new documentaryElaine Stritch: Shoot Me. She threw herself fullyinto the documentary experience, she noted,and is pleased with the results and humanitydepicted.“When I started doing club work, what interestedme was I was still playing a part,” sherecalls. “I was doing a woman who was doing aclub act and its very lonely to do. Believe me.You get up and you’re 70 and singing, ‘somedayhe’ll come along, the man I love.’ It crackedme up!”Covering her beginnings, diverse career andcollaborations, and recent struggles with diabetes-relatedhealth problems, it paints an affecting,entertaining, and emotionally affectingportrait of a stage and screen legend whiletackling universal issues like aging, mortality,friendship, and legacy.Two days following her 89th birthday, Stritchis in her trademark feisty spirit (although onthe mend following an unfortunate series offalls), and game for questions about anythingand everything. On co-star/friend Rock Hudson’scloset-ness: “I don’t know what problemswere going on inside of him, but I was on hisside, he was a darling man.” Regarding PresidentObama, she said, “What I think his biggestfault is, he’s trying to please everyone—ittook me 89 years to prove to everyone aroundme that that’s impossible.”And there’s the Woody Allen controversy. “Ilove Woody Allen,” she admitted of the latter,polarizing topic of late. Stritch starred in Allen’s1987 drama September, and later poppedup in his 2000 comedy Small Time Crooks. “Ilove a lot of people, whom I don’t find outthese things about until [later], and it’s noneof my business. It’s gossip! I’m not going toget mixed up with it. I just love the fact hewrites the material he writes. I worked withhim on an artistic level and love him. WhatWoody does, says, thinks, whatever he wantsto live his life, I only know this—he’s a greatartist. The conversation is over.”Directed by Chiemi Karasawa, Shoot Me followsStritch (who just started tweeting under@ElaineStritch) as she works on a number ofproductions, including the cabaret show, “Singin’Sondheim… One Song At A Time,” at theCarlyle. In the process, we look back on herextensive life and career, including the onewomanBroadway production Elaine Stritchat Liberty. A bevy of contemporaries and colleaguesshare anecdotes, like the late JamesGandolfini, Alec Baldwin (whom also served asan executive producer), Nathan Lane, composerStephen Sondheim, and Cherry Jones, while wesavor archival and behind the scenes footagefrom her films and TV appearances, including30 Rock, for which she won her second Emmyaward.One entry in her filmography we don’t delveinto at length, however; in 1965’s Who KilledTeddy Bear, in which Stritch played a “dyke”against queer icon Sal Mineo. “Someone calledme one day from an agent’s office and said,‘Would you like to play a lesbian who runs adisco and is strangled on Second Avenue bySal Mineo using a silk stocking?’” she recalled,amused. “I said, ‘Are you kidding? Whowouldn’t want to play that? I’ll kill to do thatpart!’ The director loved me because I rewrotea scene with co-star Juliet Prowse and myselfso I would play this lesbian as a woman whotries to come off like straight. Go see it—you’lllove it.”One major personal revelation in Shoot Meis the extent to which diabetes and alcoholhave complicated her health and aging: At onepoint, preparing for a gig, she loses the abilityto articulate due to low blood sugar andis rushed to the hospital. She’s also frank andaccepting about her age, and feels that revealingthis side of her life was part and parcel ofagreeing to take part in the documentary thatshe lauded, incidentally, as “excellent.”“I had no fear of revealing myself to peoplearound me,” she insisted. “No fear at all. IfI had to go to the hospital, nothing was toopersonal, nothing was too ‘inner’ me. It didn’tfrighten me at all and I like that quality aboutmyself.”The documentary ends—spoiler alert!—asStritch debates retirement and finds an abodein Birmingham, Mich., which she describes asa Midwest version of the Hamptons. Evincingthat wonderful, who-the-f*ck-cares bravadoPARAMOUNT THEATRE 23 EAST GALENA BOULEVARD, AURORAElaine Stritch. Photo courtesy of Sundance Selectsagain before the interview concluded, she insistedwe have a drink if I get out that way.“We’ll go to the corner saloon and lift a few,”she said. “Just a few, though [because it getsexpensive]. I’m afraid I’m gonna live forever,and it will cost me money to stay alive. I’d hatefor that to happen.”525,600 MINUTESSPEND 150 OF THEM WITH US... IT WILL BE LIFE CHANGING.JUST 4 WEEKS! MARCH 12–APRIL 6tickets 630.896.6666 or PARAMOUNTAURORA.COM

24KNIGHTATTHEMOVIESElaine Stritch:Shoot Me; GrandPiano; film noteIt’s rather appropriate that Chiemi Karasawa’sglorious documentary Elaine Stritch: ShootMe begins with the legendary “Stritchie”performing a portion of Sondheim’s “I’m StillHere” on the soundtrack. The legendary song—with its acerbic, world-weary tone (written forFollies in 1971) and inspired by the long careerof Joan Crawford—is the perfect match forStritch’s inestimable talents. Famously contrarian,profane, foghorn-loud and gloriously funnyin her brutally frank assessments that take noprisoners (including herself), the diva, now 89,is nothing less than the walking, talking embodimentof Sondheim’s theatrical classic.Good times and bum times—she, indeed, hasseen ‘em all. Throughout Karasawa’s movie welook back with her (via archival photos andvintage footage) as she contemplates a lifelongperformer’s version of retirement (fewergigs and a move out of town), rehearses forthose shows with her patient (really patient)musical director Rob Bowman, tapes an episodeof 30 Rock, and examines, without a traceof sentimentality, her own mortality. “Gettin’old ain’t for sissies,” she quotes Bette Davisas she deals with diabetes, memory issues andvarious other senior-related infirmities that increasinglywork against her body and test herresolve.However, nothing keeps Stritch down forlong or from keeping her professional commitments.(Only Mother Nature—in the formof a hurricane—seems to have the power todo that.) The candid observations from thissometime holy terror about her lifelong battlewith the bottle, stage nerves (though she isMEDIASPONSORSByRichardKnight Jr.2014 SpringSEASONChampagne Showcase:A TOAST TO JAZZ ROYALTYHear The Duke! The Count!The King! And The HighPriest of Bop! Experiencethe immortal musicians in theprestigious pantheon of jazzroyalty Works by Ellington,Basie, Goodman, and Davis.Let the good times roll!BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!Go to LakesidePride.orgRESIDENTPARTNERLAKESIDEPRIDE MUSICENSEMBLESCenter onHalsted3656 N Halsted StChicagoSat | March 86:30 Reception7:30 ConcertAdvance Tickets:$25Day-of Tickets:$35$12 seniors/studentsMar. 5, 2014never less than commanding once the lightscome up) and the occasional vulnerability areaugmented by tributes from a host of familiarfaces, including Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, JamesGaldofini, Paul Iacono and Nathan Lane.As this feisty old broad of Broadway withthe showgirl legs that won’t quit goes aboutthe business of opening a cabaret revue of allSondheim songs with the challenge inherentin his brain-teaser lyrics (which she often forgets)at the Cafe Carlyle to a roomful of adoringacolytes; takes a peek at a rehearsal spacebeing dedicated in her honor (hence the reviewof all the old photos and clippings, gatheredtogether by her assistant); and strolls aroundManhattan, accepting (as her due) the nonstopgreetings from fans, Stritch is in her element.She also knows that for her—after decadesof career triumphs mixed with plenty of setbacks—theparty’s over and the time has cometo “go home” to Michigan more than 50 yearsafter arriving in her adopted New York City. Youcan bet she doesn’t go quietly.Through richly revealing anecdotes and manyof the artfully constructed songs she made herown (“The Ladies Who Lunch” from Companythe most famous), Stritch provided a tellingoverview of her remarkable career and sometimestempestuous offstage life in her fantastic2001 Tony-winning one-woman show ElaineStritch: At Liberty. Karasawa’s sensationallyentertaining movie—which, at times, seemsa kindred spirit to Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg’swarts-and-all Joan Rivers documentary—updatesStritch’s story, and the ensuingyears can’t help but add a layer of poignancy.The film, which debuted here last fall at theChicago International Film Festival (at a memorablescreening that Stritch attended), is intheaters this Friday and available now On Demand.http://elainestritchshootme.com/Also On Demand—for a few more days at anyrate—is a nifty little thriller in the Hitchcockor DePalma mode from Spanish director EugenioMira called Grand Piano. Elijah Wood starsas Tom Selznick, a classical superstar whoseconcert pianist career was cut short by a badcase of stage fright. Now, thanks to the supportof his movie star wife Emma (played byKerry Bishe), he’s attempting a comeback via aperformance in Chicago (one presumes at SymphonyCenter—though the façade of the CivicOpera House takes its place).Tom is set to play the specially made grandpiano (a Boesendorfer) of his former mentor, amusical genius who has just died in what arehinted at were mysterious circumstances. AsTom takes to the stage and begins to play, flippingopen a page in his piano score, he discoversa note that tells him if he hits one wrongnote he will be assassinated—and so will hiswife, who is sitting prominently in a box seatjust above the stage.As the orchestra thunders away, Tom’s fingerseffortlessly skitter up and down the keyboard,while he just as frantically tries to figure out ifthis is a joke and how to make it stop. During abreak in the music, he follows instructions andraces offstage, finds an earpiece and gets backto the keyboard just in time to continue. (Theaudience, naturally, think he’s wrestling with areturn of the stage fright.)Now he has the malevolent voice of hiswould-be assassin Clem (John Cusack, in highdungeon archvillain mode) issuing ever-moreterse “or else” instructions to accompany histempo crazed playing. As the concert draws toa close, Mira, working from a script by DamienChazelle, ratchets up the tension as Tom becomesincreasingly desperate, trying to figureout the assassin’s real agenda—which involvesthe one-of-a-kind piano that is outfitted withextra keys.The plot of Grand Piano is admittedly overthe-top,but Mira’s swooping camera, endlessdolly shots and other visual tricks keep it aloft(at times we even see the inner workings ofthe piano). There’s also the committed performanceof Wood, whose edginess never letsup. (His hysteria is nearly palpable and thereare moments he convinces you he’s playingthe tricky classical pieces.) Naturally, VictorReyes’ piano-based score—which has equalparts menace and florid flourishes—needs tobe singled out as well (as it reminds one, ina good way ,of Bernard Herrmann’s “ConcertoMacabre” from Hangover Square).Grand Piano is grand fun—stylish, highly entertaininghokum in the old-fashioned way ofother “sophisticated” concert pianist thrillerslike the high-faultin’ 1946 Bette Davis-ClaudeRains-Paul Henreid programmer Deception, theaforementioned masterful Victorian set classicHangover Square (with gay actor Laird Cregar’sfinal performance in the lead as the mad pianist)and a little-known but terrifying episodeof Boris Karloff’s 1961 TV program Thrillercalled “Terror in Teakwood.” http://www.magnetreleasing.com/grandpiano/Film note:—Cinema Q IV, the fourth annual LGBTthemedmovie series, kicks off tonight withRodney Evans’ 2004 film Brother to Brother,WINDY CITY TIMESElijah Wood (left) and John Cusack in Grand Piano. Photo courtesy of Magnet ReleasingVery gayOscars has‘Dallas’ wins,Ellen as hostThe 86th Academy Awards, which airedMarch 2 on ABC, could have been the mostLGBT-oriented Oscars ever.—Start with the show’s producers, CraigZadan and Neil Maron—who are both openlygay. (They also produced last year’s Oscars.)They have also been behind productionssuch as TV’s Smash and the movie Hairspray,among many others.—The host was Ellen DeGeneres, who hadpreviously done the same thing in 2007. Criticsgenerally liked what she did this year aswell, although one of The Wrap’s headlinesread “Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars Monologue HumiliatesJennifer Lawrence, Liza Minnelli” afterDeGeneres brought forth Lawrence’s 2013stumble and called Minnelli “sir.”—Lorna Luft and Liza Minnelli—thedaughters of Judy Garland—were acknowledgedduring a tribute to the 75th anniversaryof The Wizard of Oz that had Pink singing“Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Also,gay icon Bette Midler sang her classic “WindBeneath My Wings” during the “In Memoriam”segment. Another gay favorite, IdinaMenzel, sang the Oscar-winning “Let It Go,”the theme song from the animated featureFrozen—although actor John Travolta mangledher name while introducing her.—Scott Rudin, who’s openly gay, producedCaptain Phillips, which was up for Best Film.(It lost to 12 Years a Slave.) He also producedthe folk-music movie Inside Llewynwhich gave Anthony Mackie his breakthroughperformance. The series continues eachWednesday in March at 6:30 p.m. at the ChicagoCultural Center in the Claudia Cassidy Theater,78 E. Washington St.Emily Blunt’s debut starring role in the lesbianromance My Summer of Love plays March12; the sexy, sports-themed German teen coming-of-agedramedy Summer Storm (sponsoredby the Goethe-Institut) shows March 19; andKevin Kline and Ashley Judd star in the musicalbiopic De-Lovely, about gay composer ColePorter, on March 26.The Queer Film Society (of which I’m president),the Legacy Project, Reeling Film Festivaland Affinity Community Services are presentingthe series in partnership with the Chicago Departmentof Cultural Affairs and Special Events.Windy City Times, ChicagoPride and the Readerare media sponsors. The four movies in thisyear’s Cinema QIV line-up are celebrating their10th anniversary. The screenings are free. www.queerfilmsociety.orgDavis; it was highly acclaimed, and it wasnominated for Best Cinematography and BestSound Mixing. (It lost to Gravity in both categories.)—Local gay director Edgar Barens was thefavorite to win an Oscar for his documentaryPrison Terminal: The Last Days of PrivateJack Hall. However, The Lady in Number 6:Music Saved My Life won that category, accordingto the official Oscars website.—Then there were the winners. MatthewMcConaughey won Best Actor for his role asreal-life AIDS patient Ron Woodroof, whosmuggled unapproved pharmaceutical drugsinto Texas. Jared Leto won Best SupportingActor for playing HIV-positive transgenderwoman Rayon. Only Leto acknowledgedHIV/AIDS while accepting his award (“thisis for the 36 million people who have lostthe battle to AIDS”), and he also mentionedthose who struggle for who they love (notspecifically saying LGBT). The film’s RobinMathews, who won for makeup and hairstylingwith Adruitha Lee, also mentioned AIDS.(Mathews said she was given a budget ofjust $250, according to NOLA.com. Duringher speech, she said, “For all the victims ofAIDS, we are honored and blessed to bringyour story to the forefront of the youngergeneration that doesn’t understand AIDS.”)Overall, it was a huge night for Gravity asit won seven trophies, including one for BestDirector (Alfonso Cuaron). As mentioned, 12Years a Slave won for Best Picture; however,it also won for Best Supporting Actress (LupitaNyong’o) and Best Adapted Screenplay(John Ridley). Cate Blanchett, as expected,won Best Actress for her role in the WoodyAllen-directed Blue Jasmine. AmericanHustle had 10 nominations but received noawards.

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 201425Steve Grand:New music and a verysuccessful campaignby ANDREW DAVISOpenly gay singer Steve Grand made nationalheadlines last year when his video for the song“All American Boy”—which featured him fallingfor a guy who turned out to be straight(but understanding)—went viral.Now, he’s in the media spotlight again, as helaunched a Kickstarter campaign to fund hisdebut album, augmenting the announcementwith appearances on programs such as LarryKing Now. However, Grand did something veryfew people do on Kickstarter, as he reached hisgoal of $81,000 in only 17 hours. (In fact, inless than two days, Grand’s campaign has becomeone of only 32 out of 27,000-plus musicprojects in Kickstarter’s history to successfullyrealize $100,000 or more in funding. He plansto use the extra money to market the CD.)Grand recently talked with Windy City Timesabout the campaign and his upcoming album.Windy City Times: Hey—how are you?Steve Grand: I’m doing really great. A lot hashappened in the past couple of days. A lot ofhard work has gone into this, and I’m glad tosee things come to fruition. It’s really nice.WCT: Yes; it’s not everyone who gets to appearwith Larry King.SG: I’ve been very lucky. I’m so grateful, andI realize that I’m very lucky.WCT: Congratulations on the Kickstartercampaign. I was wondering why you decidedto go this route and not with a label.SG: I thought this was a great opportunity toshow my fans how much I believed in them andthat I could stay pure with my message. A lotof times a label, because it’s footing the bill,expects certain creative control. When I put“All American Boy” out July 2, I said I wantedto tell honest stories and make honest musicthat reflects my own life experiences and resonateswith fans. I thought having them investin me would solidify that relationship.I really do feel that it’s brought us all closer.I so genuinely appreciate my fans. Not a secondgoes by without me feeling so grateful.The relationship I have with them is more sacredthan anything.WCT: You’re going your own way.SG: I’m stubborn in the sense that I don’tlike being told what to do. It goes back to beinga kid; I didn’t like doing group projects becauseI wanted to do everything or I wanted todo nothing. When something has my name onit and has to do with matters of the heart—music is the business of emotion...When I put something out there I need tofeel right with it on all sorts of levels. There’sa lot of pressure. Not only does it need to resonatewith [fans], but it needs to sit with me. Iwant to put my head down every night and feellike what I did was honest and true, and be agenuine reflection of part of who I am.WCT: I saw a video of your newest song,“Back to California.” I’m wondering: Isit about two friends who meet up after awhile, is there some other dynamic to therelationship, or is it up to the viewer to decide?SG: When I wrote the song and made thevideo, I set out to tell a story about friends.It’s from my own experience, and it’s aboutthe dissolution of youth as well—how we havethese thoughts, hopes and dreams that weSteve Grand. Photo by Joem C. Bayawashare with our best friends, and how we see(as early as post-college life) that life isn’t allthat we thought it was going to be. It’s aboutcoming to terms with that with someone withwhom you were dreaming.If you notice [in the video], the scenes withthe kids are warm, vibrant and rich, and theones of me in my current day are stark and thecolors are cooler. Those colors reflect the realitiesof adulthood.Lastly, it’s another aspect of life that gaypeople experience. As gay people, we have ouropposite-sex friends growing up and as we gothrough these things—and it’s very special. Ican speak as someone who was a young gayboy struggling to accept himself; I had a friendwho was a girl, and we had a deep bond thatwas a pure thing. I was also trying to communicatethat as well. This is our story, too.WCT: I want to talk a little about the newalbum. It’s coming out in May?SG: The album is coming out in May, and itwill be called All American Boy. [I chose thetitle] because that’s where the whole journeystarted, so I wanted to keep that theme andmessage. Other songs have to do with what itmeans to be all-American, and including gaypeople in that.When I was young, my dad would brag toour neighbors or other members of the churchcongregation that my brother and I were “yourall-American boys.” We played baseball andTurn to page 28OUTCHICAGOPRESENTChicago’s LGBT RadioWCPT 820AM | Sundays 11a-1pStreaming live at chicagosprogressivetalk.comChicago’s Progressive Talkwith Scott DuffProud all week longPAUL CALDWELLARTISTIC DIRECTORSATURDAY, MARCH 22 | 5PM & 8PME B E N E Z E R L U T H E R A N C H U R C H1 6 5 0 W . F O S T E R A V E . , C H I C A G OG E N E R A L A D M I S S I O N $ 2 0PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT WINDYCITYSINGS.ORG$15 SENIOR & $10 STUDENT/CHILDREN DISCOUNTED TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLY AT THE DOORFACEBOOK.COM/WINDYCITYSINGSTWITTER.COM/WINDYCITYSINGS

26Mar. 5, 2014WINDY CITY TIMEStheDISHBig & Little’sBY MEGHAN STREITBig & Little’s, a River North burger and po’boy joint, was put on the map after being featuredon the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Insand Dives.” I’ve been wanting to check out thenow-famous fried seafood and duck fat friesfor some time now. So, when a second locationopened a few weeks ago in Lakeview, Igot in line.On most counts, Big & Little’s lives up to itsreputation. Most of the burgers are about $6a pop and you can get fantastic meat and fishtacos for $3 or $4 each, making it an affordableindulgence. And, you won’t have to (completely)blow your diet either. The portions areshockingly small when compared to the supersizedhelpings you receive at most fast foodplaces. Some people looking to splurge mightbe disappointed by the small baskets of friesand burgers you can actually hold in one hand,but I found it refreshing to be served portionsthat are closer in size to what we should beeating.WEEKLY DINING GUIDE INMexican beef short ribtaco at Big & Little’s.Photo by Meghan StreitBig & Little’s looks like your typical fast foodplace -- primary colors, bright lighting and nofrills. But, don’t be fooled by its humble appearance.The food is far superior to what you’dget a big chain. Plus, it’s BYOB, so you canthrow back a cold beer with your burger.I went to Big & Little’s for the burgers andpo’ boys, and they were impressive, but it’sthe tacos that will keep me coming back formore. You can choose from among all kinds oftempting taco fillings like fried oyster, mangochutney pork and ahi tuna sashimi. My favoritetaco is the Mexican beef short rib. Tenderand ever-so-slightly spicy marinated beef isserved atop two palm-sized soft corn tortillas.The taco is drizzled with tangy green salsa andplenty of fresh cilantro. You won’t find thosekind of high-quality ingredients at most placesselling tacos for $3. One of the special tacoswhen I visited was made with steamed bluecrab. An ample scoop of fresh shredded crabis served simply in a warm flour tortilla. Thisupscale taco doesn’t need a lot of bells andwhistles in the form of extra toppings, and it isdefinitely worth a try.It only takes one bite to understand why Big& Little’s burgers caught Guy Fieri’s attention-- and subsequently that of so many Chicagoansand tourists. The beef patties are juicierthan most and have just the right amount ofgrease to make them worth your while. TheBBQ bacon burger will make fast fans out ofmost carnivores. It is coated generously coatedin smoky barbecue sauce, but not so drenchedin it that the soft white bun gets soggy. It’salso topped with some serious slices of baconthat must be at least a quarter-inch thick. Thesalty bacon is balanced by a few crunchy sweetpickles.Don’t miss out on the fries. They taste greasyand crisp like they’ve spent some time in thebottom of the fryer (in a good way), and theyhave a rich flavor, thanks to the duck fatthey’re cooked in. Order them with truffle saltfor a decadent treat.The po’ boys left less of an impression on me.The fillings certainly are a cut above -- oysters,pork belly and soft shell crab, to name afew. The problem is the bread-to-protein ratio.I tried the fried shrimp po’ boy, and while theshrimp were fresh, plump and beautifully fried,they were swallowed up by the large and unremarkableroll on which they were served. Istruggled to get a bite that wasn’t more breadthan shrimp. But, one slightly disappointingpo’ boy won’t keep me away from Big & Little’s.The superb tacos and burgers will make a regularcustomer out of me.Big & Little’s is located at 1034 W. BelmontAve.; call 773-857-6677 or visit www.bigandlittleschicago.com.Do you need some more Sugar & Spicein your life? Follow me on Twitter: @SugarAndSpiceMS—for inside scoop andcommentary on Chicago’s dining scene.CLASSIFIEDSANTIQUESZURKO ANTIQUE EVENTSANTIQUEMARKET & SALEMarch 8th & 9th - $7Sat. 10am - 4pm; Sun. 8am - 3pmEarly Buyers: Sat. 8am-10am / $25Lake County Fairgrounds(1060 Peterson) GRAYSLAKE, ILANTIQUE FLEA MARKETSun. March 23rd - 8am-3pm/$5County Farm & ManchesterDupage County FairgroundsWHEATON, ILVendors Welcome!CIVIL WAR CollectorsSHOW & SALE& MILITARY EXTRAVAGANZASat. March 29th 9am-4pm / $9DuPage County FairgroundsWheaton, ILZURKO • 715-526-9769www.zurkopromotions.comATTORNEYBANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY. Debts have you down? Readyfor a fresh start? Filing bankruptcy may be the bestsolution. In most cases, you keep your home, yourcar and most belongings. We are a small firm with 25years experience helping people out of debt. 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T:10"WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 201427T:13.5"GetCoveredfor another season.There are lots of reasons to get health insurance. And now,for the first time, you can find a plan that fits your budgetwith the care you need, including the occasional sprained ankle.You can even get financial help to make it possible. Just visitGetCoveredIllinois.gov. You can speak to someone in personor by phone to guide you through the process.Enroll today at GetCoveredIllinois.gov or call (866) 311-1119.SMThe Official Health MarketplaceGet Connected

28Mar. 5, 2014WINDY CITY TIMESCALENDARBrought to you by thecombined efforts ofWed., March 5Affinity Forty Plus Meeting Includes but isnot limited to individuals who identify aslesbian, bisexual, or transgender womenwho are at least 40 years of age. Led byGlynis Morris. Activities defined by participants.Meets on the 4th Wednesday of themonth. 7:00pm Affinity Community Services1424 E. 53rd St. Suite 306 http://www.affinity95.orgGenderQueer Chicago GenderQueer Chicagois a grassroots, peer-led group that worksto create safe spaces for all of us to talkabout, think about, explore, and expressgender. They are open to those who wishto talk and think about gender. Gender-Queer Chicago meets every Wednesdayevening from 7:00 to 9:00PM. 7:00pm- 9:00pm Center on Halsted 3656 N HalstedSt., http://www.centeronhalsted.orgBQAC/Bisexual Queer Alliance of ChicagoMarch monthly meeting A newBQAC board has been elected and thereis so much to do for those of us of fluidsexuality! Like provide safe space; end bierasureand biphobia through education,outreach and activism; and plan a socialevent or two. 7:00pm Center on Halsted3656 N Halsted http://www.meetup.com/chicago-bisexual-queer-meetup/events/168409922/?a=ea1_grp&rv=ea1Avital Norman Nathman, Deborah Seigeland Gina Crosely-Corcoran Contributorsto The Good Mother Myth: RedefiningMotherhood to Fit Reality 7:30pmWomen & Children First Bookstore, 5233N. Clark St.Thursday, March 6Chris Hughes The openly gay co-founderof Facebook will appear as part of theschool’s Roland Quest Lecture Series.7:00pm Frick Center, Elmhurst College,Elmhurst http://public.elmhurst.edu/cultural_eventsImerman Angels Second Annual Blue andWhite Party One-on-one cancer supportorganization annual Spring event continuesto grow the world’s largest databaseof “Mentor Angels” -- volunteer cancersurvivors and caregivers trained to providepersonalized 1-on-1 support to anyonetouched by cancer. 7:00pm - 10:00pmJohn Barleycorn River North, 149 W KinzieSt., http://mermanAngels.orgSeven Homeless Mammoths Wander NewEngland previews Dean’s ex has returnedto live with her, complicating her relationshipwith her new (and much younger)girlfriend. Rated M for mature content andlanguage.Features simulated sex betweenprehistoric college students and contemporarylesbians. Preview tickets $12-$188:00pm Theater Wit 1229 W BelmontAve. 773-97-8150 http://www.Theater-Wit.orgFriday, March 7Affinity Meet Up at eta Creative ArtsFoundation Let’s Talk Out Loud. MarriageEquality and Beyond. 1:00pm etaCreative Arts Foundation 7558 S. SouthChicago Chicago , IL 60619 http://www.affinity95.orgFirst Friday Fun, cocktails, musicals, anddoor prize drawings. For a $10 donation atthe door to the Equality Illinois PAC, youreceive two drink tickets and a ticket fora door prize drawings. 6:00pm - 8:00pmSidetrack 3349 N Halsted St http://www.equalityillinois.us/events/first-friday-5Gay Bowling Tournament 2014 Second CityOpen Chicago (SCOTCH) Bowling Tournament.Doubles and team events. Entryfee $99, plus nominal processing fee.Also, senior handicap division, entry fee$10. Backed Chicago Metropolitan SportsAssociation (CMSA). Also see: Openingnightparty March 7 and banquet/awardspresentation March 9. email bod3@chicagomsa.org.9:00pm - 11:00pm WavelandBowl 3700 N Western http://scotch.chicagomsa.orgSaturday, March 8Frontrunners/ Frontwalkers Chicago FunRun/Walk A club for lesbians, gay men,bisexuals, transexuals and friends whoare interested in running and walkingtogether along Chicago’s great open lakefront,meeting twice weekly, on Saturdaysat 9am and Tuesdays at 6:30pm 9:00amTotem Pole in Lincoln Park https://www.facebook.com/groups/52950773133/Let’s Do It! winter cabaret and fundraiserfor Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus Let’s DoIt! winter cabaret and fundraiser for ChicagoGay Men’s Chorus Support the greatwork of CGMC and celebrate the works ofCole Porter, Stephen Schwartz, and EltonJohn. $35 - $50. Order online or byphone. 12:00pm Mayslake PeabodyEstate, 1717 West 31st St., Oak Brook800-838-3006 http://lets-do-it.brownpapertickets.com/?utm_source=2014.02.20.LetsDoItFinalPush&utm_campaign=2014.02.20+LDI&utm_medium=emailImmigrant Youth Justice Leagues annual“Coming Out of the Shadows Show thepresence of a large LGBTQ communitythat is also a member of the immigrantcommunity, or be there in solidarity withundocumented folks organizing againstdeportations. 12:00pm Federal Plaza 50W. Adams St. https://www.facebook.com/events/652545481470103/A Champagne Toast to Jazz Royalty Annualbenefit shhh…OUT! Lakeside Pride JazzEnsemble. Special feature on the musicof the great Billy Strayhorn, one of thefirst and few openly gay composers of histime. 6:30 p.m. reception. $25 advance.$35 door. 7:30pm Center on Halsted3656 N Halsted http://lakesidepride.cloudaccess.net/index.php/champagne.html Tickets: https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=d9d478622a8cc6c432dabee2334bb95eMatthew Morrison Broadway and televisionstar to take the stage at DominicanUniversity’s 34th Annual Trustee BenefitConcert and Gala. DConcert tickets startat $27. Tickets to the gala, including theconcert, cocktail reception and dinner, are$350. 8:00pm Lund Auditorium DominicanUniversity 7900 W Division St., RiverForest, 708-488-5000, http://www.dom.edu/advancement/giving/benefit/index.htmlAlvin Ailey American Dance Theater:Chroma / Four Corners / RevelationsIn their Chicago home at the AuditoriumTheatre. Contemporary favoritesto beloved classics. $32 - $92 8:00pmAuditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University50 E Congress Pkwy., 800.982.ARTS(2787), http://www.auditoriumtheatre.org/pages/home/performances-events/performances.php?event_id=455Sunday, March 9Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago Meetingevery Sunday from 10:30 to noon,featuring a speaker on a variety of topics--personal ethics, education, psychology,politics, philosophy, medical care, equalrights, the environment, etc., followedby a coffee hour. Free and open to thepublic. Also Sunday School, weddings,service projects, book group, film group.10:30am - 12:00pm Ethical HumanistSociety of Chicago 7574 N. Lincoln Ave.Skokie , IL 60077 http://www.ethicalhuman.orgScott Duff hosts LGBT radio talk showLGBT-specific talk show “Out Chicago” onpolitics, entertainment, celebrity gossip11:00am - 1:00pm WCPT 820 AMFinally Forever: A Wedding Expo Only membersof the Chicago Area Gay & LesbianChamber of Commerce will participate asvendor exhibitors. $100 for a vender spotat the expo. 11:00am - 4:00pm ChicagoGay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce3179 N Clark http://www.glchamber.orgRock of Ages Brunch Rockin’ music, martinis,big hair, leather pants and eyeliner.Diva Madam X will perform as Joan Jett,Pat Benatar and other ‘80s rock stars,POZ AND EFFECTWed., March 12POZ magazine founderSean Strub will be atCenter on Halsted andTest Positive AwareNetwork.Photo from 2012 event by KatFitzgeraldwhile Rock of Ages the movie plays on KitKat’s seven jumbo projection screens. Fivelucky brunch guests will receive a pair oftickets to see the Broadway in Chicagoperformance of Rock of Ages. Table reservationsby phone 11:00am - 4:00pmKit Kat Lounge & Supper Club 3700 NHalsted 773-525-1111 http://www.Kit-KatChicago.coThis Is Not a Cure for Cancer As part ofthe “incite change” mission, Collaboractionhas Community Partners who are supportingthe company’s upcoming worldpremiere live theater event attackingcancer, its treatment and the way we live.Representatives from Gilda’s Club Chicagowill be on hand every Sunday 3:00pmCollaboraction - Flat Iron Arts Building1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. 3rd Floor 312-226-9633 http://collaboraction.orgMonday, March 10Joliet Marriage Forum Co-hosted by EqualityIllinois and the Safe Zone Allies, aimedat educating about SB10, dispellingmyths, and empowering same-sex couplesand their families to understand and useall their state and federal marriage rights.Registration is recommended, online.6:00pm - 7:00pm Joliet Junior College,Center Bridge H1012 1215 Houbolt Rd.,Joliet Tickets: http://equalityfederation.salsalabs.com/o/35010/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=2859CCP and Team Fred 2014 Ride for AIDScabaret fundraiser Our mission is to raisefunds for our upcoming shows and projectswhile also helping to raise money forTeam Fred for the 2014 Chicago Ride forAIDS. 7:00pm - 10:00pm, www.facebook.com/events/820037854678950/That’s Weird Grandma: Behind the (monkey)music All musical revue. Written andperformed by Chicago public school students8:00pm The Neo-Futurarium 5153N Ashland http://neofuturists.org/Tuesday, March 11Applied Words: “It Gets Better” Guild LiteraryComplex in collaboration with AboutFace Theatre and in conjunction with theirproduction of Brahman/i, a night of comedicstories about history, mythology,gender roles and high school. Hosted bycomedienne Tamale and featuring LilyBe, Greg Ledger and others, part one of atwo-part series on comedy. More information,exact start time to come. 21+ event12:00pm Schubas Tavern, 3159 N SouthportAve., http://www.guildcomplex.orgHow to Survive a Plague The story of twocoalitions-ACT UP and TAG (Treatment ActionGroup)-whose activism and innovationturned AIDS from a death sentenceinto a manageable condition. Never-before-seenarchival footage from the 1980sand ‘90s. No cost for admission. Food andbeverages available for purchase. 6:30pm- 9:30pm Theory, 9 W Hubbard St., Chicagohttp://surviveaplague.comWed., March 12Sean Strub: HIV Today: A Discussion,Reading/Signing Veteran AIDS activistSean Strub, the nationally recognizedfounder of POZ magazine, member of ACTUP/New York, theatre producer, pioneeringLGBT community marketer and authorof the new memoir, Body Counts, chroniclinghis 35 years on the frontlines of theLGBT and AIDS movements, just publishedby Scribner. Sean Strub will hold two readingsand signings for Body Counts in Chicago.Admission is free. 2:00pm - 3:30pmCenter on Halsted 3656 N Halsted http://www.centeronhalsted.orgBody Counts: An Evening with Sean Strub,Reading/Q&A Veteran AIDS activist SeanStrub, the nationally recognized founderof POZ magazine, member of ACT UP/NewYork, theatre producer, pioneering LGBTcommunity marketer and author of thenew memoir, Body Counts, chroniclinghis 35 years on the frontlines of the LGBTand AIDS movements, just published hismemoir Body Counts: a Memoir of Politics,Sex, AIDS, and Survival. 6:30pm - 8:30pmTest Positive Aware Network (TPAN) 5050N Broadway, Suite #300, http://www.tpan.comMerrily We Go To Hell 11th Annual DykeDelicious presents one of the earliest filmsto question traditional hetero-normativemarital structures. To escape an arrangedmarriage, heiress Joan Prentice (SylviaSidney) elopes with reporter Jerry Corbett(Fredric March). 6:30pm - 8:30pm ColumbiaCollege Chicago Ferguson Theatre,600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago http://chicagofilmmakers.org/cf/genre/17GRAND from page 25soccer, built treehouses, were good studentsand became Eagle Scouts. When I realized Iwas gay, I felt that I no longer fit what it meanto be all-American—which is another reason Ichose that to be my first song. Gay values areAmerican values, and they’re family values.WCT: There will be 12 songs on the album?SG: As of right now, yes. I’m going to bebreaking my butt to get 12 songs on there.WCT: Is it whittling what you have down to12 that’s the trouble?SG: Eleven of the songs are definite at thispoint. This is my first time working with aproducer who’s had some success, and I knowwhat I want—or if I don’t know what I want, Iknow when I’m not happy so I keep searching.Everything has to feel right with me.I have a big catalog of songs; some werewritten when I was 18, and some were writtenjust a couple months ago. There are at least 20other songs.WCT: It sounds like you could have a doublealbum.SG: I could, and I’m so eager to put musicout there. In the future, I will release morebodies of work more often, but they’ll be smaller.I was going to release an EP but I’ve been intouch with my fans; social media is a beautifulthing but I don’t get a day off. [Laughs] I lovetalking with them and connecting with them.I’m already thinking about my next release; theday after this album drops, I’ll be planning thenext few songs and videos. I need to make themost of these years and pent-up energy whileI have them.“All-American Boy” came out almost 10 yearsto the day when I realized I was attracted toanother guy. It’s been a tumultuous journey, sothere’s a lot I have to say.WCT: It seems like the best part of this, foryou, is making music that satisfies you andthe fans. Is there any down side to all of it?SG: I’m my own harshest critic so nothingsomeone could say I haven’t already said aboutmyself. Everything I’ve done so far is so overwhelminglypositive. I put a lot of pressure onmyself and I don’t want to let my fans down.People can say what they want about me.Especially as a gay person, we are coming toterms with the idea that we’re all individualsand that we all don’t subscribe to the samevalue systems. We all think and feel differently.I’m excited for my generation because we won’tDustin Lance Blackat Elmhurston May 8Openly gay and Oscar-winning screenwriterDustin Lance Black (Milk) will be at ElmhurstCollege’s Frick Center Thursday, May 8, at 7p.m.In addition to Milk, Black’s credits alsoinclude the movie J. Edgar and the play 8,which portrays the closing arguments in thefederal trial that led to the overturning ofCalifornia’s Proposition 8 and the establishmentof marriage equality in the nation’slargest state..Visit http://public.elmhurst.edu/cultural_events.feel that something a gay person does is representativeof the whole community. That’s asign of progress because it shows we’re justlike everyone else. Being gay is an importantpiece of you, but it doesn’t stop you from doingwhat you want to do or believing what youFacebookco-founderat Elmhurst onMarch 6Chris Hughes, the openly gay co-founder ofFacebook, will be at Elmhurst College’s FrickCenter Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m.According to the college’s website, “bythe age of 25, Hughes had helped to createtwo of history’s most successful startups:Facebook and the social media machine thatmade Barack Obama president.” Hughes marriedSean Eldridge in 2012.The appearance is part of the school’s RolandQuest Lecture Series. Visit http://public.elmhurst.edu/cultural_events.want to believe.See www.SteveGrand.com and https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stevegrand/all-american-boy-the-album?ref=live formore information.

WINDY CITY TIMES Mar. 5, 201429BILLY MASTERS“And I have to say, one of the most amazingLiza Minnelli impersonators I’ve ever seenin my entire life. Just really, seriously, good jobsir!”—Ellen DeGeneres acknowledges the realLiza Minnelli, wearing a daring off-the-shoulderdress at the Academy Awards.After watching this year’s Academy Awards,it was clear to me that these Oscars featuredthe most mispronounced names in history.Sure, anyone could say Christopher Waltz insteadof Christoph Waltz, so I gave Ellen apass. Zac Efron got a bit tongue-tied when heLiza Minnelli (above) was the target of anEllen DeGeneres zinger at the Oscars, writesBilly. Photo by Richard Terminetried to refer to someone as an “inspiration,”but he called her an “aspiration.” Fine. Butclearly the most jarring moment of the nightwas when John Travolta introduced “Let It Go,”sung by “the wickedly talented, one and only,Adele Dazeem.” Huh? Maybe all those rumorsare wrong—no gay man would have screwedup Idina Menzel’s name so badly. Thank Godsomeone told DeGeneres to immediately comeout and say “Idina Menzel”—twice.Please, don’t take these observations ascriticism, since I truly enjoyed the Oscars immensely.And I think Ellen is a terrific host—one of the best. But it did occur to me after thefact that between Best Supporting Actor andBest Supporting Actress there was roughly onehour and 42 minutes of what I lovingly call abunch of nothing. Sure, I enjoyed some of thatnothing, but did I need it?Liza Minnelli was poised to make history byjoining with her siblings, Lorna and Joey Luft,in a tribute to the 75th anniversary of “TheWizard of Oz.” However, all we got was WhoopiGoldberg pointing them out in the audienceand asking them to rise and acknowledge theapplause. What a wasted opportunity (not thatI could think of anything the three of themcould do together that didn’t require at leasta dozen utterances of the word “Mama”). Andtheir choice seating led to another memorablemoment. I don’t know who was more shockedwhen Liza grabbed the Best Supporting Actresswinner—me or Lupita Nyong’o.Rick Murray, proprietor of Provincetown’sCrown and Anchor, announced the formation of“Raising the Volume,” a concert series that willalso benefit the Trevor Project. I thought it wasa big deal when he revealed that Linda Ederwould be performing Aug. 18-19. As if P-towncouldn’t get any gayer, he then announced thatthe series would include a special performanceon Aug. 4 by Alan Cumming and Liza Minnelli.What? Liza in P-town? Alert John Travolta ...just in case. Within hours of this news hittingthe web, the show sold out! Days later, a secondshow was added. Just as the Oscars began,that show sold out. I suggest checking outtheir website, OnlyAtTheCrown.com. You neverknow what else they’ve got a-brewin’.Last week, former NFL player Deion Sandersappeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and wasasked specifically about Michael Sam comingout. “He’s not the first gay guy in the NFL,”Sanders said. “He’s the first one to come out—let’s get that straight. Every team I’ve playedon, there was someone. ... We always knew. Buthe was cool. That was our boy. We had to lookout for him. Every team I’ve played on—fivedifferent teams—there was someone gay in thelocker room.” Let the guessing game begin.You know what else shows up in lockerrooms? Cameras! Last week someone posteda photo of Tom Daley showering and ... well,it’s pretty steamy, as you’ll see on BillyMasters.com.It was just announced that HBO has renewedLooking for a second season. Many of you haveemailed me your opinions about the show.While it is undeniably slow and took a bit oftime to get going, it’s growing on me. This is,in no small measure, due to the nuanced performanceof Jonathan Groff. Anyhoo, Lookingleads to TWO “Ask Billy” questions. First, Karlin Albany writes: “Do you know anything aboutMurray Bartlett, the hot daddy on Looking? Helooks amazing for an older guy.”I find it très amusant that Dom is being referredto as a “daddy”—especially since hischaracter is 39. Is that what now constitutesa daddy? What does that make Scott Bakula?Grandpapa? In real life, Murray Bartlett is 42,he is openly gay and he’s Australian! Yes, whoknew? In addition to his TV work, here’s somethinginteresting—he appeared in the Australiantour of The Boy from Oz, playing HughJackman’s lover. Nice work if you can get it!Our second Looking question comes from Willin Atlanta: “Who was the hot little muscle bottomwho hooked up with Dom via Grindr? Theone who was singing ‘Defying Gravity’ in theshower?”That would be the adorable Andrew Keenan-Bolger, who is also openly gay. The 28-yearoldhottie made his Broadway debut in Seussicalback in 2000 (which, apparently, was along time ago). Since then, he’s done oodlesof things, but this Looking episode certainlyplayed to his strengths. Alas, he wasn’t completelynaked. As Murray Bartlett describesit, “I was acting like I was fucking a guy upagainst a mirror and we were in these, like,little socks. ... It’s basically this pouch thatyou tie around your dick and your balls.”Still, it’s less clothing than he usually wearswhen appearing with The Skivvies. Have I notmentioned The Skivvies before? They are LaurenMolina and Nick Cearley, two accomplished(and hot) Broadway babes who play eclectic,stripped-down arrangements of songs whilestripped down to their underwear. Lauren is amarvelous cellist while Nick is quite adept atthe ukulele. Keenan-Bolger has appeared withthem, most notably singing “It’s a Small WorldAfter All” while playing the glockenspiel. Interestinglyenough, this performance helped himland the role on Looking. After his agent submittedhim for the part, he was told the producerswanted a “topless photo.” He said, “OK,I have one. But I’m playing a glockenspiel init. Is that OK?” His manager checked with thebrass and said, “Yeah, the glockenspiel’s OK.”And the rest is history. Of course, all of thatsexy skin can be found on BillyMasters.com.When I can work in the word “glockenspiel,”it’s time to check something else off my bucketlist and end yet another column. What anexciting week. And the excitement continuesover at www.BillyMasters.com—the site thatnever sleeps. If you have a question you’d likeme to answer, send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.comand I promise to get back to you beforeLiza introduces Lupita to the Lufts! Untilnext time, remember, one man’s filth is anotherman’s bible.‘It Gets Better’ withTamale at GuildComplexChicago: Guild Literary Complex (the Guild)continues its mission of bringing diversevoices to the fore in its upcoming event,“Applied Words: It Gets Better.”Taking place on Tuesday, March 11, It GetsBetter is the first of four comedy-based AppliedWords series, and will take place atSchubas Tavern, 3159 N. Southport Ave., at7:30 p.m.Addressing themes of history, mythology,gender and high school, It Gets Better is acollaboration with Applied Face Theatre andis being presented in connection to its springproduction of Silk Road Rising’s Brahman/i:A One-Hijra Stand-Up Comedy Show, by AditiBrennan Kapil. Comedienne Tamale will hostand curate the event, which features fourprominent Chicago Live-Lit readers: Lily Be,Jill Howe, Greg Ledger and Precious.The event is free, and open to the publicages 21 and up.‘Hannah Free’showing March 21The Rainbow Alliance of the UnitarianChurch of Evanston (UCE), 1330 Ridge Ave.,will present Hannah Free on Friday, March 21,at 7 p.m.Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a dessert andcoffee salon. Following the film will be apanel discussion. Admission is a $10 donation.Members of the panel are editor/producerSharon Zurek, actors Taylor Miller and MaureenGallagher, and producer Tracy Baim.UCE is a “welcoming congregation” withinthe Unitarian Universalist Association. As awelcoming congregation, UCE pledges to addressthe needs of LGBT people at every levelof congregational life, and celebrate thelives and loves of all people in the spirit ofthe first principle of Unitarian Universalism.The Rainbow Alliance carries out the goals ofUCE’s welcoming congregation.Tickets go on sale Feb. 25; visit ucevanston.orgor call 847-864-1330.Lorde at AragonMarch 18New Zealand singer Lorde—who has risento fame thanks to her single “Royals”—willperform at the Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W.Lawrence Ave., on March 18.“Royals” [Lava/Republic Records] remainedat number one for nine weeks, topping thecharts in an additional 45 countries andselling 7.5 million copies across the globe.Lorde—also known as Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O’Connor—is officially the youngest artist totop the chart since 1987. (She’s 17.)Her follow-up single is “Team.”See Lorde.co.nz.CGMC concertMarch 8Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus (CGMC) will presentits second winter cabaret show, “Let’sDo It!” March 8 at Mayslake Peabody Estate,1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook.Song selections include the show’s title“Let’s Do It,” “Meadowlark,” “Can You Feelthe Love Tonight” and many other classicstandards.Tickets are sale for $35 for general admissionand $55 for VIP seating, both with atwo-drink minimum. For tickets and moreinformation, visit cgmc.org.

30By Ross FormanMar. 5, 2014Local team offers ‘Sky’-highsupport for Michael SamChicago Sky player Elena Delle Donne. Photocourtesy of the SkyPokey Chatman smiled when she heard aboutMichael Sam coming out in early February and,thus, possibly becoming the first openly gayplayer in one of the big four (baseball, basketball,football and hockey) male team sports.Chatman also admitted she was surprisedthat, in 2014, there have been no others.“I smiled, just in terms of him getting outin front of his story. And for that, I have madrespect for him,” Chatman, the head coach andgeneral manager for the Chicago Sky of theWNBA, told the Windy City Times in an exclusiveinterview on Feb. 18. “Football certainly isa man’s man’s sport and his coming-out is justone part of him … but it’s a hot topic and it’sgoing to continue to be.”Chatman was a standout player for the LSULady Tigers from 1987-91 who eventually becamethe school’s head coach (2004-07), leadingthe Lady Tigers to three consecutive NCAAFinal Fours in 2004, 2005 and 2006.This is her third season coaching the Sky,and the 2013 run included Chicago’s first-everpost-season appearance.“I’m sure it wasn’t all hunky-dory [for Sam],but to have the courage [to come out] speaksvolumes about him, especially [coming out beforethe NFL Draft] since it might affect [his]draft status.”Elena Delle Donne, the 2013 WNBA Rookieof the Year and an All-Star for the Sky, taggedSam as “a brave man” and one who certainlycan and will help other closeted athletes.“I hope, if someone else is fighting the same[coming-out] demons, [Sam] will be someonewho they can look up to, and then be able tocome out also instead of having to hide [theirsexual orientation],” Delle Donne said.“In our league, [a gay player or one coming-outis] normal, not a conversation to behad,” she added. “You can be who you are inour league and we do have a very supportivefollowing [from the gay community]. We loveall of our fans and the girls who play in theleague—gay, straight, Black, white, whatever.Hopefully our society will be that way, too, atsome point.“I’m sure it was a tough decision for Michael,and I obviously support him, as I’m sure ourwhole league would support him. We’re proudof him.”Delle Donne played, and started, all 30 regular-seasonand both playoff games for the Skyin 2013. She averaged 18 points and five rebounds,highlighted by a 32-point game lastAugust against Minnesota. She grabbed 12 reboundsin a July game against Seattle.Delle Donne led all players in votes forthe 2013 WNBA All-Star Game, the first timea rookie has done so in league history. Shemissed the game, however, due to a concussion.“I feel he’ll be accepted [in the NFL] because,first of all, he’s a phenomenal footballplayer—and that’s what he’s going to bringto his team, great football,” Delle Donne said.“And that’s what it’s all about in the long run.“If anyone shuns him [because he’s gay], Ithink they are going to be the ones who getthe backlash, not him.”Chatman spent six seasons coaching in Russia,and this actually is her first winter not inMoscow.Chatman said she never experienced any animosityin Russia to gay people and, yes, therewere gay players on her teams, she said. “Idon’t know if it was because we were involvedin sports, or the vastness that is Russia, orwhat,” she said.Chatman coached Seimone Augustus, anopen lesbian, in Russia—and Augustus’ partnerwas present, too.“I never thought they felt afraid or tried tohide anything,” Chatman said.Chatman said it was “so disappointing,”to hear about the anti-gay propaganda lawsimplemented in Russia last summer “becauseI had been there for so long – and there neverwere any issues.”Hearing about the anti-gay propagandalaws, Chatman said her first reaction was, “Really?!?!”I felt like I was going back [in time]50 years.”Chatman said she has seen some of the horrificanti-gay videos posted online from Russia,and she’s “speechless” to the violence. “We’vemade so much progress in so many areas, but,wow, we’ve been relegated to this. It’s disheartening,”to watch, she said.The Sky season-opener is Friday, May 16,when Chicago plays host to Indiana at the AllstateArena in suburban Rosemont. The WNBABy Ross FormanThe DePaul University women’s basketballteam would like nothing than to win theBig East Conference tournament—because itis the Lady Blue Demons who play host tothe annual event March 8-11 at the AllstateArena in suburban Rosemont.DePaul is 21-6 overall, among the “Othersreceiving votes” in both major polls ofthe top 25 women’s basketball teams in thenation. The Lady Blue Demons were 12-3 inconference play (as of Feb. 22), within strikingdistance of St. John’s (12-2 in conference,19-6 overall, and ranked No. 22 in thelatest AP Top 25).“It’s exciting that the tournament will be[held] in Chicago; this should be some reallygood basketball,” said Marcia Hill, a memberof the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association(CMSA) Hall of Fame.Other top teams in the Big East this seasoninclude Creighton, Villanova and Marquette.“It’s great that this caliber of basketballis going to be played in Chicago, especiallywomen’s basketball,” said Grete Hornstrom,commissioner of the CMSA women’s basketballleague.DePaul boasts a high octane offense, topsin the conference, averaging 84.4 points pergame, led by the dynamic duo of JasminePenny and Megan Rogowski, each of whomrank among the top 10 in the league forscoring. Rogowski also is the league leaderfor long-range shooting, with 86 3-pointbaskets (out of 189 attempted). Penny leadsWINDY CITY TIMESregular-season runs through mid-August.The Sky announced on Feb. 18 that the teamwill host the first-ever WNBA preseason gamein the state of Delaware. The Sky will battlethe Washington Mystics on Tuesday, May 13,at the University of Delaware—Delle Donne’salma mater.“We’re thrilled to welcome back Elena andher new team, the Chicago Sky, to the BOBthis coming May,” University of Delaware AthleticDirector Eric J. Ziady said in a statement.“We’re so proud of Elena’s accomplishmentsboth on and off the court this past year at theprofessional level and know all of Delaware willwelcome her back with open arms to the placewhere she and her teammates had so manymemorable moments.”Chicagoland to hostBig East women’sbasketball tournamentthe Big East in field goal percentage (.582).The Blue Demons also boast BrittanyHrynko, who leads the league in assists average/game(5.6) and steals/game (2.6). De-Paul’s Chanise Jenkins is tied for second inassists with Seton Hall’s Ka-Deidre Simmons(5.4).“Fans will, no doubt, get to see some greatplayers, some of whom will move on to theWNBA [after their college careers],” Hornstromsaid. “This tournament is a great opportunityfor young girls, young players—tosee that there is potential to play top-levelcollege basketball.”Notre Dame was the top Big East team lastseason, with its 16-0 regular-season record,but was eliminated from the Big East Tournamentby the University of Connecticut, whichwent on to claim the title with its 93-60 winover Louisville.This season’s Big East boasts 10 teams,including Butler, Georgetown, Xavier andProvidence.First-round games in the tournament willfeature the No. 7 seed facing the No. 10seed, and the No. 8 and No. 9 seeded teamsbattling on March 8. These are the onlygames of the tournament that will be playedat McGrath Phillips Arena in Chicago.The No. 1-seeded team faces the 8-9 winnerin its first game on March 9.The champion will be crowned March 11.Fox Sports 1 will televise the semifinalsand finals.For tickets see www.BIGEAST.com or call1-777-325-SLAM.Mulryan& YorkAttorneys At Law4001 N. WolcottChicago, IL 60613(773) 248-8887Ray J. Koenig III and Clark Hill PLCRay is a legal authority on all of hispractice areas, which include probate,trusts, guardianship, estate planning,and elder law, including the litigationof those areas. He is a longtimeadvocate for and member of theLGBT community, and is involved inseveral charitable groups, communityassociations, and professionalorganizations. Ray is a member of Clark Hill PLC, a full-servicelaw firm consisting of a diverse team of attorneys andprofessionals committed to our clients and our communities.Tel: 312.985.5938 | Fax: 312.985.5985rkoenig@clarkhill.com | clarkhill.comARIZONA ILLINOIS MICHIGAN WASHINGTON DC

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