Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

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

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

NATIONAL Statewide commission, Miss. ordinance, Biden, electoral news
by Andrew Davis
2018-08-14

This article shared 1085 times since Tue Aug 14, 2018
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has established the nation's first statewide LGBTQ commission, according to INTOmore.com . After signing an executive order enacting the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, the first-term Democrat claimed its creation was "one step of many [Pennsylvania has] taken to ensure obstacles are removed for anyone who is facing an unfair disadvantage based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression." Commissioners will serve two-year terms.

The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) hailed the Clarksdale Board of Commissioners for passing city-wide non-discrimination protections that include sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, public accommodations and employment. "Clarksdale is a city that is welcoming and inclusive for all its residents, including our LGBTQ friends and neighbors," said Mayor Chuck Espy in an HRC press release. "We are glad to affirm this spirit of diversity and openness with this fully-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance. Thank you to the Board for standing up for fairness, equality and for our community." Clarksdale is the third city in Mississippi to pass such an ordinance; Jackson passed one in 2016 and Magnolia passed one in 2017.

The Biden Foundation today launched "As You Are," a family and community acceptance campaign to raise awareness of the importance of family acceptance in the lives of LGBTQ young people, a press release noted. The "As You Are" campaign is collecting personal stories—from LGBTQ youth, parents, siblings, educators, social service providers, coaches, and others—to help educate the broader public about the critical importance of affirming, accepting, and supporting our LGBTQ young people, and the harms these youth face when their families and communities reject them. See bidenfoundation.org/pillars/equality/asyouare/ .

Vermont made history Aug. 14 as former energy-company executive Christine Hallquist won the Democratic primary for governor—becoming the nation's first openly transgender person to ever win a major party's nomination for that office. If she wins in November, she'd be the country's first transgender governor. Hallquist defeated three Democratic opponents—including 14-year-old Ethan Sonneborn, who was able to run because of a loophole in the state's constitution, NPR noted.

Congressional candidate Sharice Davids won a crowded primary in Kansas on Aug. 7 and will now face anti-LGBTQ incumbent Kevin Yoder in a race considered pivotal to winning a pro-equality majority in the U.S. Congress come November, a press release noted. Hillary Clinton won her district in 2016 and Democrats consider it one of the key pickup opportunities this cycle. If elected, Sharice will be the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress from Kansas and the first Native American woman to serve in Congress.

Casey Hoke, a respected transgender artist and student activist, has died at the age of 21, a NewNowNext.com item noted, citing the Los Angeles Blade. A Point Foundation scholar studying graphic design communications at the California State Polytechnic University of Pomona, Hoke died in his home, according to a family statement on his Facebook page. Hoke was a board member of the Gay and Lesbian Student Education Network as well as a former student ambassador for GLSEN's Art, Identity & YOU workshop.

A Detroit woman targeted for being transgender in an attack that ended with her being shot is now telling her story in court, Fox2Detroit.com reported. Kimora Steuball said she was standing in line to buy cigarettes at a gas station on July 23 when Deonton Rogers started harassing her. She said he called her the N-word and she explained that she's transgender—and then it is alleged he pulled out a gun. Steuball was shot in her left shoulder as she attempted to grab the gun. Rogers was already a felon so he wasn't allowed to legally carry a gun, but his attorney says he didn't mean to fire it. Rogers has been charged with firearm discharge-serious impairment/injury, felonious assault, felony firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, child abuse ( fourth degree ) and ethnic intimidation based upon gender.

Minnesota Republican Rep. Jason Lewis has repeatedly demeaned recipients of welfare and government assistance, calling them "parasites" and "scoundrels," and said the Black community had "traded one plantation for another," CNN.com noted. Lewis made the comments on a conservative radio program he hosted, The Jason Lewis Show, from 2009 to 2012. Also, in a blog post written on his personal website in 2015, Lewis argued that Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act didn't go far enough in allowing private discrimination.

After the recent death of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, the California Legislative Audit Committee approved a bipartisan request for the California State Auditor to review L.A. County's Department of Children and Family Services to determine whether the agency is doing enough to protect children, an Equality California press release noted. The audit was requested by Sens. Ricardo Lara ( D-Bell Gardens ) and Scott Wilk ( R-Santa Clarita ) and Assemblymember Tom Lackey ( R-Palmdale ), who noted that Anthony had been the subject of 13 calls to the department and that he may have come out as gay before his death, as reported in the Los Angeles Times.

A Salisbury, North Carolina, parade that refused to let LGBT-rights supporters ride along last year has ended, citing hate mail and threats, according to a U.S. News & World Report item. The Charlotte Observer cited a Holiday Caravan Parade statement blaming "hate mail, emails and threats to protest the 2018 parade" for ending the 58-year tradition. Last year a local business, Avita Pharmacy, invited a Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays ( PFLAG ) chapter to ride along; parade organizers said Pride attire and rainbow beads violated rules against unauthorized advertising.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb broke with predecessor Mike Pence by confirming support for a fully LGBTQ-inclusive hate crime law, INTO reported. Holcomb first signaled his support for a statewide hate-crime bill recently following an anti-Semitic attack on a synagogue in central Indiana. Indiana is just one of five states—including Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina and Wyoming—without any kind of hate-crime law on the book.

Texas couple Cannon and RafiQ Salleh-Flowers—who have been together more than 22 years and married for the past four-and-a-half years—finally received confirmation from the U.S. government that their relationship is being recognized as valid, The Dallas Voice reported. Cannon explained that, last year, the couple ( who met in Singapore ) relied on health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, because RafiQ was eligible for that coverage with a provisional green card. So once the permanent green card arrives, they're going to move quickly to file paperwork for naturalization.

In Indiana, students, parents and alumni are rallying behind a Roncalli High School guidance counselor who they say is being fired after administrators found out she was married to a woman, IndyStar.com noted. The Catholic school defended the firing of Shelly Fitzgerald after her supporters began criticizing the school on social media over the weekend. Fitzgerald has worked for Roncalli for 15 years, and she's been with her partner for 22 years; the couple have a child.

The leader of Iowa 4-H Youth Development was fired just a week before the start of the Iowa State Fair, Fox23.com reported. John-Paul Chaisson-Cardenas, the first Latino statewide youth leader in 4-H's 115-year history, confirmed his departure but declined to provide details. His termination came months after a suggested 4-H LGBTQ inclusion policy, which has since been withdrawn, drew rebuke from conservative groups and praise from LGBT advocates, resulting in hundreds of comments submitted to Iowa 4-H. "Through my life and through my career I have always tried to foster inclusive environments that welcome diversity for all youth and all people," Chaisson-Cardenas said. "That's what I believe my career was built upon."

In Nevada, Clark County School Board trustees voted four to three to push through a pro-transgender policy after a final meeting of lengthy public comment that featured both support and opposition from parents, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Trustees Linda Cavazos, Deanna Wright, Carolyn Edwards and Lola Brooks supported the policy, while Trustees Kevin Child, Linda Young and Chris Garvey opposed it. In a statement, Human Rights Campaign Nevada State Director Briana Escamilla said, "These long-overdue protections will make all the difference to the countless transgender and gender diverse youth in Clark County."

Caitlyn Jenner repeatedly backed President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign—but said recently to Variety that she thinks his time in office has thus far been "extremely disappointing," The Huffington Post noted. "I met with Paul Ryan. I've met with just about everybody. Publicly, they aren't supportive of transgender rights," Jenner said for the publication's "Trans Hollywood" issue. Still, Jenner said she was "very proud" of stepdaughter Kim Kardashian for meeting with Trump in May to discuss prison reform.

A United States Postal Service ( USPS ) employee in Columbus, Ohio, is accused of calling two gay men a homophobic slur, 10TV.com noted. Michael Coward and his fiance Michael Vaughn were headed to a dinner party when Coward went over and grabbed his mail from his mailbox. Allegedly, the postal worker was annoyed that he didn't wait until she was finished, and called him a slur. The USPS said the matter was being investigated.

Chris Donohoe was removed from Encore Beach Club at the Wynn Las Vegas, allegedly because of his choice of swimwear—but Donohoe, who is gay, believes that it was an act of discrimination, The Huffington Post noted. "I was made to leave the pool for wearing a Mr. Turk bathing suit that they said was not 'in integrity' with the brand of the pool party," he posted on social media. However, according to Encore's website, the dress code states: "Dress to impress, no baggy clothing, jeans, or basketball shorts. Pool attire is required to enter the venue." Wynn Resorts issued an apology and said, "Wynn welcomes and appreciates all of our LGBTQ+ guests. Decisions to enforce policies are solely based on guest behavior, or in this case, attire."

A short and sparsely attended white nationalist rally broke up Aug. 12 as police ushered the attendees into white vans and drove them away from a crowd of thousands of angry protesters in downtown Washington, D.C., The Washington Post reported. The rally's end followed a day in which large numbers of police officers sought to keep the two sides from clashing in a repeat of last year's deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. The demonstration's message of "white civil rights," delivered in an overwhelmingly liberal city where African-Americans outnumbered whites at the last Census count, was angrily denounced by those who flocked to Lafayette Square. "As a Black queer man, I feel called to confront hate and oppression with love," the Rev. Jason Carson Wilson said in a press release. "That's what Jesus would do."

Maine's Deering High School apparently has become the first school in the nation to outfit athletes with hijabs designed for physical activity—a move Athletic Director Melanie Craig hopes will encourage more Muslim girls to play sports, CentralMaine.com reported. Among other things, the sports hijabs are helping to foster a greater sense of inclusivity in a social climate where Muslims have been targeted. There was a 44-percent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in America from 2015 to 2016, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Former Ohio State University wrestler Mark Coleman told a national newspaper that his former assistant coach, now an Ohio congressman, must have known about sexual-abuse allegations against a team doctor—but has now changed his account, CNN.com noted. Coleman told CNN he wants to clarify his comment, and he stressed he has no direct knowledge that Jordan knew of any sexual abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss, a doctor at Ohio State. More than 100 former students, including Coleman, have accused Strauss of sexual misconduct.

Aug. 13 was National Gay Uncles Day, LGBTQ Nation noted. Gay Uncles Day occurs every year on the second Sunday of August. According to Gay Star News, Gay Uncles Day began with a suggestion two years ago by Florida resident C.J Hatter.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended his company's decision not to kick far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones off its platform, CNN.com reported. "We didn't suspend Alex Jones or Infowars yesterday," Dorsey tweeted. "We know that's hard for many but the reason is simple: he hasn't violated our rules." Twitter was notably absent from a list of big tech companies that cut some ties with Jones and his InfoWars site this week; Apple, Facebook and Google's YouTube removed content associated with Jones and InfoWars for violating their policies.


This article shared 1085 times since Tue Aug 14, 2018
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill
2024-03-27
On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event
2024-03-25
Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors
2024-03-24
On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Family of 2004 murder victim holds event in Lake View; reward announced
2024-03-24
The year 2004, for the family and friends of Lake View resident Kevin Clewer, will forever be marked by tragedy. On March 24 of that year, Clewer, 31, was found in his apartment at 3444 N. Elaine Pl.; he was the ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama
2024-03-22
Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

No charges filed in Nex Benedict fight; campaigns call for Walters' removal
2024-03-22
In Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced that no charges will be filed in connection with the fight that happened the day before transgender, nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict died by suicide, NBC ...


Gay News

Congressional Equality Caucus on FY24 bills passing the house
2024-03-22
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement after the House successfully passed the final funding bills for Fiscal Year ...


Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds
2024-03-21
It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist
2024-03-21
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ candidates Marcelino Garcia, Precious Brady Davis win primary elections to keep MWRD seats
2024-03-21
Marcelino Garcia and Precious Brady-Davis, the two openly LGBTQ+ incumbents in the race to keep their seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), won their primary elections and will move on to the general this ...


Gay News

Small LGBTQ+ candidate pool nevertheless scores some important victories March 19
2024-03-20
Relatively few openly LGBTQ+ candidates were running in the March 19 Illinois Primary Election. But there were some significant contests in play at the local, state and federal levels. Openly gay Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) ...


Gay News

Gay Irish prime minister to step down
2024-03-20
In a surprise move, openly gay Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing "personal and political, but mainly political reasons," according to CNN. Varadkar said he felt he was no longer ...


Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course
2024-03-18
Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

WORLD Leaked messages, Panama action, author dies at 32, Japan court, out athletes
2024-03-15
Hundreds of messages from an internal chat board for an international group of transgender health professionals were leaked in a report and framed as revealing serious health risks associated with gender-affirming care, including cancer, according to ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools
2024-03-15
In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.