Obama Signs LGBT Hospital Access Memo President Calls Lesbian Denied Access to Partner Page 8 by Tracy Baim
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 April 21, 2010 • vol 25 no 29 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Gender JUST rally Obama signs LGBT hospital access memo President calls lesbian denied access to partner page 8 BY TRacY Baim “I’m sorry.” Those two little words are what Janice Lang- behn has been waiting to hear since February 2007, when her partner of 18 years, Lisa Pond, just 39 years old, died separated from Langbehn and their children. But the apology did not come from Jack- son Memorial Hospital in Florida, where Pond lay dying from a brain aneurysm suffered Feb. 18, 2007, hours after the family boarded the R Family Cruise. Instead, President Barack Obama said those words to Langbehn in a phone call April 15, 2010, when he phoned her in Olym- pia, Wash., from Air Force One, ironically while it circled over Miami, where Jackson Memorial is Chicago located. Obama called Langbehn to explain a memo he Red Stars page 22 had signed that day to address discrimination LGBT families face from healthcare facilities. The Obama memo directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, to move forward on steps to address hospital visitation and other related LGBT healthcare access issues. The resulting regula- tion is expected to require hospitals that receive Turn to page 6 Janice Langbehn (left) and Lisa Pond in 1996. Dan Choi sounds off at Boston gala BY CHUCK COLBERT What should the president do? Choi insists that the president include repeal language in the Mario In the nearly six weeks since his arrest for civil Defense Authorization Act of 2010. At the same Cantone page 19 disobedience, Lt. Dan Choi, an Army infantry of- time, Choi believes the commander-in-chief must ficer turned gay-rights activist, soldiers: From immediately issue a “stop-loss” order, thereby coast to coast, Choi preservers—speaking out putting in place a de facto moratorium on all on college campuses and other public venues. discharges from the armed forces. Too much make-up at Mary’s tApril 14, 2010 Attic. nightspots page 29 His is a one-man advocacy campaign, pressing The 28-year-old West Point alumnus served the president to show more leadership to repeal “under don’t ask, don’t tell (DADT)” for 10 years “don’t ask, don’t tell.” before self-identifying as gay on the Rachel Mad- Despite some criticism for handcuffing himself dow Show in March 2009. For saying out loud in uniform to the wrought iron fence surround- three words, “I am gay,” Choi faces a very real ing the White House gates, Choi remains unapol- possibility any day now, of being discharged. ogetic in taking aim at the commander-in-chief. New guidelines recently announced by Defense pick it up Light It Dancing with laser precision at Hunters. pages 29 Choi’s beef with the president is this: Obama is Secretary Robert Gates and designed to make Sigur Rós’ The night the take it home Jónsi comes to lights went out Chicago. in Georgia. page 14 page 16 not using his bully pulpit strong enough in pres- implementation of DADT more humane, don’t ap- Lt. Dan Choi in Boston. Photo by Chuck Colbert suring Congress to lift the ban on openly gay military service. Turn to page 4 WINDY CITY MEDIA GROUP presents SPIN THURSDAY, APRIL 22 2 April 21, 2010 WINDY CITY MEDIA GROUP presents 8TH ANNUAL CHICAGO’S BIGGEST GLBT CONTEST! WILD PUG 4810 N. Broadway THURSDAY, APRIL 29 • 7pm sign up/8pm start SPIN SCARLET 3220 N. Halsted 800 W. Belmont Ave. TUESDAY, MAY 4 • 7pm sign up/8pm start $100 TO WINNER WITH MOST VOTES SOFO 4923 N. Clark THURSDAY, APRIL 22 THURSDAY, MAY 13 • 7pm sign up/8pm start NORTH END 3733 N. Halsted 9:00 PM TUESDAY, MAY 18 • 8pm sign up/9pm start $5 cover, Singers sign up at 8pm/$10 fee BERLIN 954 W. Belmont SUNDAY, MAY 23 • 9pm sign up/10pm start Plus, at Spin you can win Blue Note Records presents ROSCOE’S 3356 N. Halsted WILD CARD NIGHT Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates WEDNESDAY, MAY 26 • 9pm sign up/10pm start from acclaimed band THE BIRD AND THE BEE SIDETRACK 3349 N. Halsted SEMI-FINALS A love letter to famed duo Hall & Oates SATURDAY, JUNE 5 • 1pm door/3pm start featuring eight classic covers and the new original song "Heard It On The Radio." Available now! SIDETRACK 3349 N. Halsted FINALS www.thebirdandthebee.com SATURDAY, JUNE 19 • 1pm door/3pm start GRAND PRIZE AT FINALS: Over $5000 in cash and prizes! $1000 in cash, American Airlines tickets, Ravinia tickets, and more For more, visit windycitymediagroup.com or email [email protected] SPONSORED BY: * Windy City Media Group includes Windy City Times, Nightspots and WindyCityQueercast.com April 21, 2010 3 index NEWS Supreme Court candidates 4 Lt. Dan Choi at gala 4 Anti-bullying actions 5 Obama calls lesbian couple 6 D’Emilio talks Nixon 8 Gender JUST rallies for safety 8 UIC’s Lavender Forum 9 Quotelines 9 View by Sylvia Rhue 10 ENTERTAINMENT Theatrical premieres 11 Theater reviews 12 Knight at the Movies: Divas 14 Hannah Free DVDs coming 14 Pop Making Sense 15 Event co-organizer Pat McCombs (above) Bent Nights: OK Go, Samba 16 attended Saturday’s “Four Months Until ‘Michfest’ party; singer Sia 17 Michfest” party. See page 17. Judy Gold, Mario Cantone 19 Photo by Con Buckley Billy Masters 21 OUTLINES Real estate; classifieds 18 Calendar Q 20 Sports: Red Stars tie St. Louis 22 Sky-high expectations 22 Gay Games: Stewart Hendrix 22 Photos on left side of cover (from top): Photo of Shawn at the Gender JUST rally by Micki Leventhal; Image of the Chicago Red Stars’ Julianne Sitch at the team’s 2010 home Windy City Times talked with out opener by Tracy Baim; Mario Cantone photo by Peter Lau comedian Judy Gold. See page 19. Photo by Dan Dion FYXdXj`^ejC>9K >\e[\i ALJKiXccp _fjg`kXcXZZ\jjd\df Gi\j`[\ekZXccj c\jY`Xe[\e`\[ XZZ\jjkfgXike\i ;FNECF8;K?@J >fkfnnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfdkf[fnecfX[Zfdgc\k\`jjl\jf] :_`ZX^f I\[JkXij 9fjkfe^XcX ;Xe:_f`jfle[jf]]Xk N`e[p:`kpK`d\jXe[E`^_kjgfkj% DXi`f :Xekfe\ SPIN K_\eZc`ZbfeXepX[Xe[Y\kXb\e[`i\Zkcpkfk_\X[m\ik`j\iËjN\Yj`k\ www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Too much nightspots make-up at Mary’s tApril 14, 2010 Attic. n page 29 ONLINE INDEX nightspots USING YOUR SIGUR ROS’ NOODLE JONSI COMES TO TOWN This week’s Amuse Light It Bouche column looks at Dancing with laser precision at Hunters. pages 29 Sigur Rós’ The night the beef stroganoff (right). Jónsi comes to lights went out Chicago. in Georgia. page 14 page 16 fAREWELL MISS Photo by Greg Perrine DIXIE SEMI TOUGH SHOW Windy City Times talks #361 with Justin Tranter, the lead singer of the band Semi Precious Weapons. Photo by Giuliano Bekor www.WindyCityQueercast.com MINDING THE STARR QueerTVTVNetwork.comN Windy City Times pho- tographer Steve Starr Check OUT OUR recently received an video CHANNEL fOR award for his work. Find new videos WEEkly out more online. www.QueerTv Network.com Photo by Steven A. Richards 4 April 21, 2010 ONLINE AT radio broadcaster serving the gay community. to gay-rights cases. But he said the president’s Supreme court And he joined then D.C. Circuit Judge John Rob- chief considerations now are “who he connects WINDYCITYMEDIAGROUP.COM erts, Jr., in a decision rejecting police liability with best on a visceral level” and “who is most candidates: NATIONAL NEWS for misconduct by officers who sprayed a chemi- likely to be confirmed.” cal deterrent on members of a pro-gay protest ©2010 Keen News Service What the short group during President George W. Bush’s first inaugural parade. list is like —Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is la- BY Lisa KEEN beled a “long shot” by her home state newspa- KEEN NEWS SERVICE per, the Free Press, but her name keeps coming up. She opposed an amendment to the state The White House has begun floating trial bal- —Gainesville, Fla., constitution to ban same-sex marriage and, fol- loons for candidates President Obama might ap- elects gay mayor lowing that, sent a letter to constituents assur- point to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace retir- ing them she was not ending benefits for domes- ing Justice John Paul Stevens. It’s a well-known —Univ. of Penn. tic partners. She riled right-wing conservatives ritual—played by anonymous White House OKs insurance for recently by issuing a statement calling on state sources; a willing and competitive media; and reassignment legislators to pass an anti-bullying bill, which even justice wannabes who know how to capital- operations the American Family Association sees as part of ize on the power of the rumor mill. the gay agenda. The Associated Press is, thus far, winning: —Pro-gay GOP man Obama is meeting with several members of the claiming that it has “confirmed” the names of (left) to run for Senate next week to hear their thoughts on fill- seven potential nominees on a list of candidates governor of Mass. ing Stevens’ seat. it says is 10 people long. Richard Socarides, who worked in the Clinton The seven include nominees that are gener- White House, said he thinks all the potential ally friendly to the LGBT community, based on olent acts of vandalism during a gay pride event.