Anti-Suicide Project Reflects on Cases
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PETERSON, AMADOR DIE WINDY CITY THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 OCT. 13, 2010 VOL 26, NO. 2 PAGE 12 TIMES www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Anti-suicide project reflects on cases BY SAMUEL WORLEY The increased volume of calls coming into the The attention, McGinnis told Windy City Times, lifeline—meant only for emergency situations— is a mixed blessing, coming as it has on the The Trevor Project, a nationwide nonprofit that is an indication of burgeoning public attention heels of tragedy. “Anytime we lose a life, that’s works to prevent suicide in young LGBT people, to what some see as an epidemic: the number of always a tragedy,” she said. “This additional re- maintains a “lifeline”: a phone number that suicides—at least five high-profile cases in the porting does not diminish the hurt and pain of OLYMPIA DUKAKIS teens can call in times of distress. In recent past month—of LGBT teens. The suicides have the survivors. PAGE 29 weeks, that line has been flooded with calls. fallen across a wide age spectrum: the youngest, “If there is one thing that the end of these Some come from young people seeking help; but Seth Walsh and Asher Brown, were 13; the oldest young lives has brought, it’s more awareness. Laura McGinnis, Trevor’s communications direc- and most recent suicide, Raymond Chase, was What we know is that [when] a young person is tor, said that a growing proportion of callers are 19. They have spanned the country, occurring in feeling suicidal, when they know that there are individuals with questions about the organiza- Texas, California, Indiana, Rhode Island and New Turn to page 10 tion, or people wishing to make a donation. Jersey. In remembrance of... ‘COMING OUT’ BOOK PAGE 34 MIKE RUIZ PAGE 32 tOctober 13, 2010 See you in Seattle! nightspots page 8 Rip You a New One Ed Jones stars in Hell In a Handbag’s Rip Nelson Halloween Spooktacular, playing at Mary’s Attic through Sat. Nov. 6. pages 10, 18 pick it up take it home Hundreds of people took part in a vigil at DePaul University Oct. 8 to remember those who have committed suicide in the wake of anti-gay bullying. Windy City Times has a special section featuring essays by people who have been in the depths of despair and know that “It Gets Better”—which Don’t Ask, just Wild Pug’s read Pubert’s Unpugged is also the name of the YouTube channel launched by Dan Savage to help LGBT teens; that section begins on page 18. The description of the vigil porn review. celebrates page 28 one year. page 12 is on page 10. Photo by Denver Smith Photography 2 Oct. 13, 2010 WINDY CITY TIMES Obama and the Gays A POLITICAL MARRIAGE The new book by Tracy Baim 570 140 pages photos and images With contributions by Essayists Photographers Chuck Colbert Wayne Besen Renee Brown Ross Forman Sean Cahill John Gress Lisa Keen John D’Emilio Patsy Lynch Micki Leventhal Kerry Eleveld Jamie McGonnigal Jerry Nunn Rod McCullom Rex Wockner Karen Ocamb The Rev. Irene Monroe Israel Wright Bob Roehr Michelangelo Signorile Pam Spaulding Timothy Stewart-Winter Andrew Tobias Phill Wilson Senior Editors Toni Armstrong Jr., Jorjet Harper, William B. Kelley Interviews in the book with: Plus current and former Chicagoans: Brian Bond Michael Bauer Stampp Corbin Lora Branch Eric Stern Phil Burgess Representative Tammy Baldwin Tom Chaderjian Representative Barney Frank Jamie Citron Representative Jared Polis Terry Cosgrove Laura Cuzzillo Justin DeJong Book discussions J. Cunyon Gordon Vernita Gray and signings: Kim Hunt Mark Ishaug Sherri Jackson Wed., Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m. Art Johnston Jackie Kaplan Women & Children Gail Morse and Lauren Verdich Mary Morten First Bookstore David Munar 5233 N. Clark, Chicago John Myers Phil Palmer Obama marched in the 2003 Chicago LGBT Pride Parade. His volunteers Jim Pickett posed with the Senate candidate before the parade. Included with Laura Ricketts Wed., Oct. 27, 6 p.m. Obama are John Myers (behind Obama’s right shoulder) and Kevin Jane Saks Thompson, front row, right. Myers and Thompson are among the current Debra Shore and former Chicagoans interview in the book. Courtesy Kevin Thompson Harold Washington Max Smith Kevin Thompson Library Tom Tunney 400 S. State Street, Chicago Ronald Wadley Darrell Windle Israel Wright Jr. www.ObamaAndTheGays.com Available on Amazon.com and Amazon Kindle tinyurl.com/ObamaGayBook and http://tinyurl.com/ObamaGayKindle Also available at Women & Children First Bookstore (5233 N. Clark, Chicago) and Unabridged Books (3251 N. Broadway, Chicago) WINDY CITY TIMES Oct. 13, 2010 3 this week in OUR ULTIMATE NIGHT OF DRESS-UP IS FINALLY HERE! presents WINDY CITY TIMES NIGHT OF 100 DRAG QUEENS THE 18TH ANNUAL REVUE... NEWS ‘IT GETS BETTER’ Federal grant addresses bullying 4 Essays 18-25 LGBT history along Boystown? 5 LGBTs give Rahm mixed reception 9 ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS Anti-gay pastors in mayoral race 9 Dancin’ Feats 26 Beyondmedia’s ‘Taste of Ten’ 9 Olympia Dukakis 29 DePaul vigil; Trevor Project 10 Music: Big Freedia; Jennifer Knapp 30 Gay in the Life: Scott Weddle 11 Bent Nights: Bettye LaVette 31 Petersen, Amador pass away 12 Mike Ruiz; NO H8 photos 32 Local events 12 Books: ‘Against Equality’; Berube 34 View: Nair 17 Knight: Red, Conviction; film fest 35 Billy Masters 37 Photos on cover (left): Laird Petersen pic by Tracy Baim, Alicia Amador image by Hal Baim; Olympia Dukakis photo by Deborah OUTLINES Goldstein; photo of Mike Ruiz courtesy of Real estate; classifieds 33 Logo Calendar Q 36 Sports: CRU; Hoosier Mama 38 E , AMADOR DI PETERSON WINDY CITY TIMESediaGroup.com www.WindyCityM Anti-suicide project reects on casesDOWNLOAD THIS! In remembrance of... Go to www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com EVENT TO BENEFIT to download complete issues of Windy City Times and Nightspots. EQUALITY ILLINOIS Then click on any ad and be taken directly to the advertiser’s Web site! this tuesday, Oct 19 online exclusives at and wednesday, oct 20 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com RECEPTION 7PM • DOORS OPEN AT 8PM OPEN DOOR TICKETS Door County, Wis., has much to offer—as AVAILABLE AT SIDETRACK WCT recently discovered. OR ONLINE AT EQIL.ORG Sidetrack the Video Bar Limited availability at the door 3349 N. Halsted Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Garcia on performance nights. SidetrackChicago.com DOWNLOAD THE SPORTS WRAP-UP Club Industry Federation of Gay Read about the Gay Bowl, gay hockey in 2010 featured Games President Toronto and a regatta involving our own Richard Simmons Kurt Dahl reflects Chicago Rowing Union (CRU). (above) and on the most recent some interesting Games. products. THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT Photo by Andrew Davis Photo courtesy of Dahl Read the latest entertainment news on Tim McGraw, Wanda Sykes and ‘q’ SOMETHING ZacharyQuinto, among others. iPhone app MORE D’EMILIO Read the entire interview with out historian John D’Emilio about Allan Berube’s influential book, Coming Out Under Fire. plus Amuse Bouche looks at potato soup while WCT takes a look at Gold Coast DAILY BREAKING NEWS BBQ restaurant Chicago Q (above). Photo courtesy of Lee Lampert tOctober 13, 2010 See you in Seattle! Rip Nelson at nightspots page 8 Vote Rip You a New One Naked You can also Ed Jones stars in Hell In Mary’s Attic a Handbag’s Rip Nelson Halloween Spooktacular, playing at Mary’s Attic Finchy’s Going- through Sat. Nov. 6. Illinois view each issue away party at Show #386 Big Chicks as a PDF on your Unpugged turns 1 iPad through Don’t Ask, just Wild Pug’s read Pubert’s Unpugged porn review. celebrates page 28 one year. page 12 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Find Nightspots on www.WindyCityQueercast.com 4 Oct. 13, 2010 WINDY CITY TIMES And the week in April 2009 when the Obama ONLINE AT court settlement, the school district agreed to administration offered him the position as head pay the boy $50,000, legal fees, and the cost of of OSDFS, news broke about the bullying-related WINDYCITYMEDIAGROUP.COM therapy. suicide of 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover NATIONAL NEWS Jennings said the OSDFS has also pulled to- of Springfield, Massachusetts, who had been the gether the many disparate resources the govern- subject of anti-gay taunts. That news, he said, ment has on bullying into a new consolidated inspired him to take the job. Web site, Bullyinginfo.org, which the office Jennings, in an interview, said Education Sec- launched in August. retary Arne Duncan has also been long aware It has also worked with the Health Resources that “bullying and harassment are first and and Services Administration (HRSA), part of foremost an education issue,” because he under- —The life of HHS, on a Stop Bullying Now campaign initially stands kids will not want to be in school if they Constance aimed at middle school students. The Educa- are bullied and harassed. McMillen (left) tion Department provided additional funding Jennings pointed to Duncan’s hiring of him for to be a movie to expand the campaign to elementary schools. the safe schools position as proof of the Secre- (The “What Adults Can Do” section of the site— tary’s commitment, and notes that Duncan met —Rutgers prez: We stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov—includes a page on with GLSEN student leaders even before that. did all we could in anti-gay bullying.) Jennings noted, however, that there is no Duncan also released a statement Oct. 1 in Clementi case response to the news of the recent suicides. But federal law on bullying and “no specific protec- Jennings notes that he and Duncan have been tions for students based on sexual orientation —’Broad-minded’ prioritizing efforts to prevent bullying since and gender identity.” As part of the executive HIVster.com they each took office.