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Two projects of lesbian-owned tello Films nominated for honors
- From a press release - Nashville, TN ( September 20, 2017 ) — Lesbian-owned filmed production company, tello Films recently received news that two of their projects have been nominated for International Academy of Web Television ( IAWTV ) Awards. Maybelle received a nomination for Best Writing ( Bridget McManus ) for a drama and Best Original Song ( Karman Kregloe ). After the death ...
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DeVos reverses Obama-era guidelines to schools on sexual assault
- On Sept. 22, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos rescinded the Obama-era Title IX guidance to schools on dealing with sexual assault on campus. In so doing, she reversed federal policy that has played an important role in driving schools to do more to protect sexual-assault victims. The department issued a letter saying that it was rescinding guidance issued in 2011 ...
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Banned Books Week, Sept. 24 - 30, celebrates power of words
- From a press release - HICAGO — Libraries, bookstores and schools will celebrate Banned Books Week, Sept. 24 — 30, 2017, an opportunity to celebrate the power of words to open minds with new and diverse viewpoints, even those some people might find offensive. During the week thousands of libraries, bookstores, schools and theaters host dedicated events that focus on the dangers of censorship and ...
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Michael Johnson bypasses trial, is sentenced to 10 years for hiding HIV status
- From a press release - New York, NY, Sept. 21, 2017 — Today, in conclusion to a prosecution short on fairness and riddled with questions about racism and homophobia, Michael Johnson entered a plea in the St. Charles County Circuit Court in Missouri. Earlier this year, a state appeals court vacated his original conviction due to prosecutorial misconduct that, according to the court, made Johnson's ...
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Billy Masters
- "He's not harming anyone wearing a dress. So, if he wants to wear a dress? Awesome. Good on him."—Brian Austin Green's refreshing response to people who criticize his 4-year-old son Noah being out in public dressed as female characters such as Elsa in "Frozen" or Snow White. And I agree—it's all fine until he wants to go to school dressed ...
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National roundup: Trans bill blocked, student killed, Chelsea Manning
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - U.S. Senate Republican leaders blocked a bipartisan amendment to the annual defense bill that would have stopped the Pentagon from implementing the bulk of President Trump's ban on transgender service members, Metro Weekly reported. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put the kibbosh on the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, deciding not to file for cloture. As written, the ...
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Showbiz news: 'Will & Grace,' drag show, Mario Lopez, Rosie's ex dies
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - In addition to Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally returning to reprise their roles on Will & Grace, the cast of the classic sitcom has been teasing the return of guest actors from the original run like Minnie Driver and Harry Connick Jr., according to NewNowNext.com. Recently, Messing posted an on-set Instagram with Bobby Cannavale, announcing the ...
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Guidelines issued regarding Equifax breach
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Recently, Equifax, one of the nation's three major credit bureaus, announced that a data breach likely compromised the information of approximately 143 million Americans. What people should know —As a credit-reporting agency, Equifax collects information about consumers and how we handle our financial obligations. —Equifax and other credit bureaus sell this information to lenders and credit-scoring companies to determine ...
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REELING FILM FESTIVAL
Nelson Rodriguez tackles immigration, love in 'En Algun Lugar'
- In the movie En Algun Lugar—which will be shown at the Reeling Film Festival on Sept. 22-23—Nelson Rodriguez and Andrew L. Saenz play a Chicago couple ( Abel and Diego, respectively ) who face a complication when it turns out that one of them is an undocumented immigrant. Rodriguez—a local actor and recent Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree ...
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NUNN ON ONE: TELEVISION Rumer Willis spins tunes and tales at Hard Rock
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Actres/singer Rumer Willis has carved out a strong career on her own, apart from being the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. She made her film debut on her mother's film Now and Then and later with her on Striptease. She worked with her father on two films also The Whole Nine Yard and Hostage. She stood out in ...
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Indie film raises awareness of dangers of sex trafficking
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Ric Morgan never imagined he would become an actor. He had dabbled in acting in his middle school days, but, in his "previous life," as he calls it, he focused on public health. Morgan worked as in law enforcement, most notably as a bomb technician. "You wouldn't think that art and paramilitary law enforcement would jive," he said. "They seem ...
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GLAD, NCLR react to transgender military ban, anti-transgender judicial nominee
- From a press release - ( WASHINGTON, D.C., September 20, 2017 )—Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights ( NCLR ) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders ( GLAD ), the LGBT advocacy organizations at the center of the transgender military fight, expressed outrage over comments made by Trump judicial nominee Jeff Mateer following reports that he called transgender children part of "Satan's Plan" and ...
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Politics, diversity dominate Emmys
- The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, held Sept. 17, was historic in several ways—and, with Stephen Colbert hosting, featured a mix of humor and politics. One of the historic developments that happened was out scribe Lena Waithe becoming the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Best Comedy Writing ( winning with Aziz Ansari for the show Master of None ...
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California Legislature Passes Bill Creating Non-Binary Gender for State IDs
- From a press release - Sacramento — The California Legislature last night approved a bill that would make it easier to change gender markers on state-issued identification documents as well as create a gender-neutral, non-binary category in addition to "male" and "female." Senate Bill ( SB ) 179, authored by Sens. Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) and Scott Wiener ( D-San Francisco ) and ...
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Sam Smith premieres video for new single "Too Good At Goodbyes"
- Sam Smith premieres the official video for his new single "Too Good At Goodbyes" today. The video was directed by Luke Monaghan, watch it at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ub7Etch2U . "Too Good At Goodbyes" is the first new music from Smith since the release of his Oscar and Golden Globe-winning "Writing's On The Wall," the James Bond theme song for Spectre. ...
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Lambda, allies to Supreme Court: Trump's Muslim ban unconstitutional
- From a press release - Lambda Legal joined allied religious and civil-rights organizations and members of the clergy today in telling the U.S. Supreme Court that President Donald Trump's Muslim ban is an unconstitutional violation of religious freedom. "As longtime advocates for access to immigration and asylum for LGBT people and everyone living with HIV, we denounce the Trump Administration's efforts to shape immigration policies ...
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HRC urges 'no' vote on Cassidy-Graham health care bill
- From a press release - WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( LGBTQ ) civil rights organization, responded to the proposed Cassidy-Graham "health care" proposal in the U.S. Senate. The bill, concocted behind closed doors without any public input, is yet another effort by President Trump and some Senate Republicans to take ...
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Trans woman is 20th killed this year
- In Charlotte, North Carolina, Derricka Banner, 26, was found shot and killed in a vehicle on Sept. 12, according to QNotes. Banner is believed to be at least the 20th traansgender person murdered in the country so far this year. Almost all of the victims have been women of color. Montavious Sanchez Berry, 18, has been arrested; he is being ...
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Trans Disaster Relief Fund site launched
- The TFA Trans Disaster Relief Fund website has been launched to aid trans, intersex and genderqueer community members affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The TransAdvocate's parent organization, the Transgender Foundation of America, has organized a community disaster relief fund. The website provides step-by-step instructions for those needing medical, housing and financial assistance. The site is at http://TDRFund.us . ...
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Palm Center Statement on Bipartisan Support for Senate Bill to Block Trump's Transgender Ban
- From a press release - SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Palm Center Director Aaron Belkin issued the following statement in response to today's introduction of a stand-alone bill to prevent President Trump from banning transgender troops. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Senators John McCain ( R-AZ ), Jack Reed ( D-RI ), Susan Collins ( R-ME ) and Kirsten Gillibrand ( D-NY ), follows yesterday's ...
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Groups tell courts: Ban already harming transgender troops, U.S. military
- From a press release - ( SEATTLE, September 14, 2017 ) — Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN today asked a federal court to halt immediately all steps taken to implement the Trump Administration's discriminatory plan to ban transgender individuals from serving openly in the U.S. Armed Services. "Before the President's vicious attack on transgender Americans, transgender service members had been serving openly and proudly in every ...
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TPAN: Our story is your story
- by Gary Nelson, Positively Aware - A few months ago, Positively Aware's associate editor Enid Vázquez shared some recollections from her 20-plus years of working at TPAN ( TPAN: 30 Years of Empowerment, July+August 2017 ). "People often say, 'TPAN saved my life.' I know that sometimes that is literal, and sometimes that is an emotional response. The emotional perception is just as valid." We at ...
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Edith Windsor, lesbian activist who took down DOMA, dead at 88
- Edith Windsor, a lesbian activist who was a pioneer for LGBT rights and brought down the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act, died Sept. 12 at age 88. Widow Judith Kasen-Windsor issued a statement Sept. 12 confirming Windsor's death, but didn't disclose a cause. The two were married in 2016. "I lost my beloved spouse Edie, and the world lost a ...
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VIEWS Hurricane Harvey's gay problem?
- Since the intentional misreading of the Sodom and Gomorrah story in Genesis 19 in the Bible where the twin cities were supposedly destroyed because of homosexual depravity, the causes of natural disasters always find ways to be placed on the backs of LGBTQ Americans. It has become an easy go-to explanation—and, usually by Bible-thumping religious conservatives or, in Ann Coulter's ...
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Showbiz news: Todrick Hall, Ellen Page, Jake Gyllenhaal, immigration projects
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Dancer/YouTube personality Todrick Hall—who appeared in Taylor Swift's "Look What Your Made Me Do" video—has spoken out after he was criticized for taking part, The Independent reported. Hall was featured as one of the dancers in the clip, and found that he was instantly trolled as a "sellout." Hall, who is openly gay, claims he was accused of betraying both ...
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National roundup: Lesbian ex-mayor, Spelman College, DJ fatally shot
- Lesbian ex-Houston Mayor Annise Parker responded when conservative political pundit Ann Coulter tweeted, "I don't believe Hurricane Harvey is God's punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than 'climate change," LGBTQ Nation noted. Parker responded, "Darn it, I thought no one knew I had a super power over weather." Users showed their support of Parker, ...
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MOVIES Del Shores film a 'Sordid' affair
- Del Shores' sequel to his wildly successful cult hit Sordid Lives will be shown at Center on Halsted on Sunday, Sept. 17. The new film, A Very Sordid Wedding, is already a runaway success, with 25 sold-out premiere events since it opened in Palm Springs earlier this year. It reunites the cast from the original story, which Shores has turned ...
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NUNN ON ONE: MUSIC Alison Moyet and her 'Other' self
- Songstress Alison Moyet has a unique voice that first caught attention with the duo Yazoo. That teamed her with Vince Clarke of Erasure fame creating several hits like "Only You," "Don't Go" and "Situation." She went solo afterward. Her debut album, Alf, was named after her punk-rooted nickname. It reached number one in the UK thanks to the single "Invisible," ...
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GUEST COLUMN Missing Millett: Her role in a coming-out
- I never read Sexual Politics. That's the most famous work of Kate Millett, who died earlier this week. This text, feminist scholars say, is one of the first to highlight the role of patriarchy in women's oppression, calling out male writers for their thinly disguised sexism. They call Kate Millett a feminist scholar too, though she primarily just wrote what ...
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International fashion model Teddy Quinlivan comes out as transgender
- From a press release - New York, NY - Internationally acclaimed fashion model Teddy Quinlivan today shares with the world her authentic self, disclosing that she is transgender. Quinlivan makes this announcement for her own self-empowerment and as a call to action about the importance of transgender equality. "I want to help break the stigma of what it means to be transgender. We need more ...
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NOW endorses Black Women's March and March for Racial Justice
- Washington, DC - The National Organization for Women is proud to officially endorse the March for Black Women, and the March for Racial Justice ( M4RJ ). The events will take place concurrently, and in solidarity with one another, on Sept. 30, 2017. As our nation reels from Charlottesville, we have a responsibility as feminists to take action on behalf ...
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Lambda brings case on gender expectations and employment before Supreme Court
- Could it be that federal law prohibits firing LGBT people because they do not conform to gender expectations but does not prohibit firing them just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender? That is the question Lambda Legal posed this month in a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court. Lambda is asking the high court to rule that an ...
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Bipartisan Amendment Introduced to Protect Transgender Service Members
- From an AMPA press release - WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the American Military Partner Association ( AMPA ), the nation's largest organization of LGBT military families, hailed Senators Collins' and Gillibrand's introduction of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would prohibit the Department of Defense from removing qualified transgender service members from the military due to President Trump's transgender military ban. "President Trump's ...
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PFLAG National names Dr. Jaime M. Grant new Executive Director
- From a press release - WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, PFLAG National—the nation's largest and oldest organization uniting families and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer ( LGBTQ )—named Jaime M. Grant, Ph. D. as its new Executive Director. Dr. Grant, a longtime social-justice leader and innovator, assumes leadership of an organization, founded in 1972, with over 200,000 members and supporters, and nearly ...
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PASSAGES LGBTQ Heroine Edith Windsor passes away, organizations react
- From press releases - Civil and Human Rights Coalition Mourns Passing of Edith Windsor WASHINGTON — Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement on the passing of Edith Windsor, who was the named plaintiff in a successful legal challenge to Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as applying ...
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Statement from President Obama on the Passing of Edith Windsor
- From a press release - America's long journey towards equality has been guided by countless small acts of persistence, and fueled by the stubborn willingness of quiet heroes to speak out for what's right. Few were as small in stature as Edie Windsor — and few made as big a difference to America. I had the privilege to speak with Edie a few days ago, ...
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Pelosi speaks against ban on transgender service members at GLAAD Gala
- From a GLAAD press release, video below - San Francisco, September 11, 2017 — GLAAD, the world's largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, honored CNN anchor and correspondent Don Lemon and Y Combinator president Sam Altman at the 2017 GLAAD Gala on September 9 in San Francisco. The event recognizes tech innovators and storytellers who advance LGBTQ acceptance and also funds GLAAD's work to grow LGBTQ inclusion in digital ...
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Advocates and officials respond to DACA announcement
- LGBT-rights advocates and others responded to the Sept. 5 announcement by Donald Trump—by way of Attorney General Jeff Sessions—that the government would be phasing out the Deferred Action for Childhood program, after giving Congress six months to codify the move. The LGBT Latinx organization Association for Latinos/as Motivating Action ( ALMA ) said in a Sept. 5 statement that Trump's ...
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Lambda asks Supreme Court to affirm LGBT employment rights in Georgia case
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - ( Atlanta, September 7, 2017 ) — Today, Lambda Legal asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case of Jameka Evans, a Savannah security guard who was harassed at work and forced from her job because she is a lesbian. The petition seeks a nationwide ruling that sexual orientation discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. "It's ...
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Medical associations asked for moratorium on unnecessary surgery on intersex infants
- From a press release - ( New York, September 7, 2017 ) — Two key medical associations should publicly affirm their support to end medically unnecessary surgery on intersex children, Human Rights Watch and interACT said today. The groups sent letters to the medical associations, the Pediatric Endocrine Society and the Societies for Pediatric Urology, urging them to use their upcoming international medical conferences to ...
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Illinois Attny Gen blasts US Sec of Ed's scrapping of guidance on campus assault
- From a Illinois Attorney General's Office press release - Chicago — Attorney General Lisa Madigan today condemned Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' decision to replace guidance that ensured college campuses around the country respond to allegations of sexual violence. Madigan said DeVos' decision abandons survivors and causes confusion for students and schools nationwide. The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights' current guidance instructs colleges on how to respond to ...
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PFLAG responds to DeVos' planned change to campus sexual assault guidance
- From a press release - WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, PFLAG National—the nation's largest and oldest organization uniting families and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer ( LGBTQ )—released the following statement from Charles R. Middleton, member of the Board of Directors: "As someone who spent half a century in higher education and as a retired university president and former dean, I understand ...
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$1 million to HIV groups impacted by Harvey, Irma announced at conference
- From a press release - Sept. 7, 2017 - A $1 million fund to help HIV organizations impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma was announced today at the opening of the 21st annual U.S. Conference on AIDS in Washington, DC. The $1 million is being donated by Gilead Sciences. The announcement was made at the USCA's opening plenary as the conference honored those working in ...
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NUNN ON ONE George Takei gets political, talks future plans
- "Oh my!" George Takei's coming back to town and he's talking exclusively to Windy City Times before he gets here. Best known for playing Hikaru Sulu on the television series Star Trek, he has gone where no man has gone before on social media. His TV resume is lengthy with shows like Heroes, The New Normal and Hawaii Five-0. Movies ...
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NUNN ON ONE Betty Thomas: Actress/director returns to Chicago
- Second City is bringing the celebs to town to raise money for a good cause. "I Can't Believe They Wendt There: The Roast of George Wendt" has roastmaster Jason Sudeikis presenting friends such as Bob Odenkirk, Betty Thomas and David Koechner, among others, to poke fun of a comedy legend. The funds raised will benefit Gilda's Club Chicago and The ...
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LETTERS Trump attacks marginalized communities
- Dear Editor: President Trump recently made two announcements—and, as in the past, both are direct attacks on our communities. First, the Trump Administration sent the official memo to the Pentagon outlining the directive to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military. As discussed when this was first announced, we believe this was a political move to please the President's ...
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AIDS activist Louise Hay dies
- Louise Hay—a writer, motivational speaker and founder of Hay House publishing house—has died at age 90. "Meeting Louise changed the direction of my life," Reid Tracy, president and CEO of Hay House, Inc., said in a statement posted on her website, according to a Los Angeles Blade article. Many saw Hay as a spiritual guru on the same level as ...
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Pizza with a Purpose to benefit victims of Hurricane Harvey
- From a press release - August 29th, 2017 — Members of the United States Pizza Team are rallying together to help those in need in the path of Hurricane Harvey. This natural disaster has exceeded all predictions of strength and ferocity, and has displaced tens of thousands of U.S. citizens from their homes. The U.S. Pizza Team wants to help those suffering in this time ...
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Trump administration to end DACA
- by Michael K. Lavers, Washington Blade - The Trump administration, on Sept. 5, announced it will end a program that has allowed roughly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. and obtain work permits. Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) program at the Department of Justice. "I am here today to announce that the ...
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Showbiz: Reese Witherspoon, Tyra Sanchez, Aaron Rodgers, Whitney Houston
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Reese Witherspoon has signed on to a project about the life of Megan Phelps-Roper, the granddaughter of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps, The Huffington Post noted. The film, titled This Above All, will focus on Phelps-Roper's life as a member of the anti-gay hate group, according to Variety. Phelps-Roper—who is the daughter of WBC's spokesperson Shirley Phelps-Roper—grew up in ...
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TELEVISION Vicki Gunvalson, Kelly Dodd serve some reali-tea
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Bravo Channel's Real Housewives reality series premiered back in 2006 and became a worldwide hit. The Real Housewives of Orange County is currently in its twelfth season by filming the lives of several women in California. Vicki Gunvalson is an original cast member who was born and raised in the Chicago area. She owns Coto Insurance and Financial Services, Woo ...
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Lambda Legal CEO Tiven on Trump Betrayal of Dreamers: Cruel
- From a press release - "While people of all races, faiths and immigration statuses in Texas have united to help their neighbors and save their communities from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Trump is doubling down on his white supremacist and divisive agenda. His decision to rescind Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) is cruel and serves no other purpose but to score ...
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Billy Porter releases "Carefully Taught The Remixes"
- From a press release - Tony and Grammy Award-Winner Billy Porter releases "Carefully Taught The Remixes" ( Bee & El /Sony Masterworks Broadway ) available now on all digital platforms and streaming via digital subscription services. Download/Stream "Carefully Taught — The Remixes" HERE "Carefully Taught" is taken from his new studio album, Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers. The album features fan favorites ...
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LGBT Asian Group Delivers 971 Postcards to Trump Preserve DACA
- From a press release - Today, the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance ( NQAPIA ) delivered 971 postcards from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) Asian Americans, South Asians, Southeast Asians, Pacific Islanders ( APIs ) and allies from across the country urging President Trump preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) program. The program has helped thousands of ...
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National roundup: Houston help, panic defense, Dan Savage
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Houston's LGBT community center launched a special relief fund to help LGBT people who are among the thousands of people in Houston and surrounding jurisdictions who lost their homes to catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, The Washington Blade reported. "The catastrophic and historic impact of Hurricane Harvey will be felt by the LGBTQ community of Houston, Texas, for days, ...
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Billy Masters
- "I want to explore my options. I don't want to put all my chickens into one egg and let it hatch into, I don't know: a dinosaur or something!"—Bachelor in Paradise contestant Daniel ( the Canadian bacon ) states a unique philosophy. He may be a bit desperate. After all, he also admitted, "I think the last time I had ...
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Trump considering ending DACA
- According to reports, as of Sept. 4, President Donald Trump was strongly considering a plan that would end DACA ( Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals )—the Obama-era program that shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation, according to The New York Times. However, Trump will give Congress half a year to replace the initative. Some have speculated that, given the legislative ...
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Activists march against racism, from Charlottesville to D.C.
- Activists from the Charlottesville, Virginia to Washington, D.C., many LGBTQs among them, are marching to confront white supremacy. The activists note on their You Carin page: "We are marching ... to demonstrate our commitment to confronting white supremacy wherever it is found. We can no longer wait for Donald Trump or any elected official to face reality and lead. "We ...
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Trump to nominate gay man ambassador to Germany
- The White House has stated that President Donald Trump intends to nominate Richard Grenell—a former spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations under President George W. Bush—to be the next ambassador to Germany, according to Politico. If confirmed, the 50-year-old Grenell—who was Mitt Romney's campaign spokesman during the 2012 election season—would be the first openly gay appointee of ...
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Billy Masters
- "You need some manners 'bruh'. I didn't need to stop to take that picture with you. Just rude. Very rude."—The diminutive Nick Jonas responds to a tweet from Zak Hanzal, who posted a photo he took with Jonas on the street with the caption, "@NickJonas u need a few more inches bruhh." We can only pray Nick has those extra ...
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Advocates prepare to fight trans military ban
- According to Lambda Legal CEO Rachel Tiven, the Trump administration's ban on military service by transgender individuals is "an insult. It's discrimination and a waste of resources." Tiven and other Lambda Legal officials, on Aug. 29, hosted a telephone conference to delineate the next steps in a lawsuit the organization literally filed at the crack of dawn the day before. ...
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MOMBIAN Back-to-school time in the Trump era
- My son is starting high school this fall, which I find hard to believe—it seems like just yesterday that I was driving him to preschool. This year feels different for other reasons, too. Last year, we headed into school time with the assumption that progress towards LGBTQ equality and inclusion in education would continue with little hindrance. This year, however, ...
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Creator of transgender symbol dies at 66
- Transgender pioneer Holly Boswell—best known for creating the transgender symbol—died recently in Asheville, North Carolina, at age 66, according to a NewNowNext.com item. Boswell went by both male and female pronouns at the end of her life, and was a prominent activist, writer and leader in the early days of the transgender equality movement. She is also credited with designing ...
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MOVIES Alt-wrong: Bridget Evertett breaks through
- Singer-comedian-actress Bridget Everett likes to call her act "alt-cabaret" thanks to its mix of raunchy song, storytelling and audience interaction. ( Sitting on a face is not outside the six-foot-tall performer's repertoire. ) She's attained cult status and a significant LGBT following in NYC thanks to performances at Joe's Pub, while she's reached larger audiences via touring, the Comedy Central ...
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Despite Mattis claim, trans military ban still on track
- Longtime LGBT advocate Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, responded to reports that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis put a "hold" on a new ban on transgender servicemembers. Mattis said they would be allowed to continue serving in the military pending the results of a study. "The USA Today story is grossly misleading," Minter said. "Secretary ...
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Showbiz news: Laverne Cox, Logic, Gloria Estefan, 'Teen Wolf'
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Laverne Cox casually dropped the news that Beyonce asked the Orange Is The New Black star to collaborate on a new project, The Huffington Post noted. Cox broke the news on Access Hollywood, where Cox discussed the first time she met the singer and her Emmy nomination for "Orange." Cox said, "So, I have no idea [how this came about] ...
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National roundup: HRC exec killed, trans service members, lesbian coach
- Special to the online edition of Windy City Times - Cassidy Karakorn, 38—an executive with the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC )—was killed in a traffic collision in Washington, D.C., while operating a motor scooter, The Washington Post reported. Karakorn, a George Mason University graduate, had been with HRC since 2001, according to her LinkedIn Page, and was its director of consumer marketing. Transgender service members sent a message on ...
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EEOC Finds Evidence of Job Discrimination by Walmart Against Trans Woman
- From a TLD&EF press release - New York, NY - Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund has secured a victory before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ( "EEOC" ) on behalf of a transgender woman who endured employment discrimination at a Sam's Club store in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Sam's Club is a membership-only retail warehouse chain and a subsidiary of Walmart. The EEOC found ...
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Lambda Legal, OutServe-SLDN sue Trump to reverse transgender military service ban
- From a press release - ( SEATTLE, August 28, 2017 ) — Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN today filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Trump administration's ban on military service by transgender individuals. The lawsuit—brought in response to President Trump's formal issuance of directions to military authorities late Friday—was filed on behalf of two individuals who seek to join the military; one current ...
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Activist, award-winning LGBTQ filmmaker JD Disalvatore lost to cancer
- From a press release - JD Disalvatore, a prolific LGBT film and television producer and director and gay rights activist, died on Thursday, Aug. 24 after a long battle with cancer. She was 51. A proud marching band trumpet player in Miami Palmetto Senior High, JD went on to study communications at Boston University, absorbing as much as she could from her creative writing and ...
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Affirming ministries join 1000 Minister March
- From a press release - Washington, DC August 28, 2017 — Today, The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries ( "TFAM" ) joined the National Action Network, Reverend Al Sharpton and one thousand other ministers and clergy from 31+ states and diverse denominations, ages, and backgrounds to convene at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, located at 1964 Independence Ave SW, for the "1000 Ministers March" and ...
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Military Professors Analyze Trump's Transgender Ban
- From a Palm Center press release - San Francisco, CA — A group of current and former military professors have released a Palm Center policy memo explaining President Trump's transgender ban and clarifying misconceptions about the new policy. According to Palm Center director Aaron Belkin, "The military professors show that President Trump's ban subjects transgender Americans to humiliating, unequal treatment, and contradicts the post-Charlottesville claims of the ...
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It's official: Trump directs Pentagon to enact trans military ban
- Nearly one month after announcing via Twitter he'd ban transgender people from U.S. military, President Donald Trump made good on his promise in a memo to the Pentagon Aug. 25 enacting a ban on their service—although the fate of transgender people currently in the armed forces remains to be seen. In a memo to the Pentagon and Department of Homeland ...
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Military expert talks about fitness of trans members to serve
- On July 26, Donald Trump released a series of tweets declaring his decision to ban transgender service members from the U.S. military, blaming the supposed exorbitant healthcare costs trans service members would bring. The military announced it wouldn't take action unless there is official policy change, but the tweets reignited a rigorous debate surrounding trans service members' motivation and fitness ...
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Trump pardonx Arpaio, draws condemnation
- From press releases - HRC Condemns Trump's Pardon of Anti-Immigrant, Racist, Anti-LGBTQ Joe Arpaio WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) released the following statement condemning President Donald Trump's presidential pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. "Joe Arpaio must be held accountable for his long record of violating the civil rights of Maricopa County's Latinx population, and carrying out a ...
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