WINDY PAGE 28 PRIDE IN THE PARK Inaugural concert event CITY held in Millennium Park. Photo of co-headliner PROUD TO RUN Steve Aoki by Jerry Nunn 38th annual event introduces half-marathon. PAGE 27 THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, Photo of Mayor Lori Lightfoot TIMESTRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 (center) by Carrie Maxwell VOL 34, NO. 30 JULY 10, 2019 50TH ANNUAL PRIDE CHICAGO SOUTH PRIDE SIDE First-ever range of events PARADE celebrate Pride on the Stonewall anniversary is South Side. celebrated. Photo of Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus by Matt Simonette Photo by Julia Hale PAGE 12 PAGE 30 THIS IS PRIDE@windycitytimes /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com 2 July 10, 2019 WINDY CITY TIMES WE WON'T ASSUME YOU′RE STRAIGHT / Primary Care for All Ages / Sexual & Reproductive Health / Mental Wellness / Transgender Health / Youth Services / Citywide Ca re / Insured & Uninsured howardbrown.org 773.388.1600 WINDY CITY TIMES July 10, 2019 3 NEWS Urvashi Vaid speaks at DignityUSA conference 4 OBIT: Steve Courtney 7 A STREET ART FESTIVAL Business profile: Custom framer Leif Forre 10 LGBT veterans’ salute 11 PRIDE ROUNDUP 12 IN ROGERS PARK Pritzker signs order protecting trans+ students 18 WorldPride 18 Viewpoints: Mark S. King, Larry Kramer 20 ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS Theater reviews 22 INDEX ART: Darling Shear on artistic journey 24 Teen performer talks being on Broadway 25 MORE PRIDE COVERAGE 26 NIGHTSPOTS 36 DOWNLOAD Classifieds 37 THIS ISSUE Calendar 38 AND BROWSE THE ARCHIVES AT www.WindyCityTimes.com REMAINING 2019 WINDY CITY TIMES PRINT DATES: WINDY PAGE 28 PRIDE IN THE PARK Inaugural concert event CITY held in Millennium Park. Photo of co-headliner PROUD TO RUN Steve Aoki by Jerry Nunn 38th annual event introduces July 10 Sep. 4 Nov. 13 half-marathon. PAGE 27 THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, Photo of Mayor Lori Lightfoot TIMESTRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 (center) by Carrie Maxwell VOL 34, NO. 30 JULY 10, 2019 July 24 Sep. 18 Nov. 27 50TH ANNUAL PRIDE Aug. 7 Oct. 2 Dec. 11 CHICAGO SOUTH PRIDE SIDE First-ever range of events PARADE celebrate Pride on the Aug. 21 Oct. 16 Dec. 25 Stonewall anniversary is South Side. celebrated. Photo of Chicago Black Gay Men’s Photo by Julia Hale Caucus by Matt Simonette PAGE 12 PAGE 30 Oct. 30 THIS IS PRIDE@windycitytimes /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com SATURDAY, online exclusives at FR www.WindyCityTimes.com JULY 20 EE! WIN OR LOSE The local gay band They Won't Win talk about their music—and their connection 11AM TO 8PM to Crowded House. Photo (left) courtesy of They Won’t Win Howard Street, Chicago East of the Howard Red Line ‘L’ ‘POST’-MODERN Taste Great Food, Wine & Beer Hear Live Music All Day Express your own creativity by purchasing Q&A a 4’ x 4’ square for chalk art. The most recent installment of 10 Questions features Felix Maritaud. howardstreetchicago.com Sponsored by: THAT’S SHOW BIZ Find out the latest about Lee Daniels, Kylie Jenner and Miley Cyrus. Presented by: WCT reviews the Wrigleyville spot plus Maddon’s Post, which offers Italian and Polish twists on dishes. DAILY BREAKING NEWS Photo by Andrew Davis 4 July 10, 2019 WINDY CITY TIMES Activist/author Urvashi Vaid keynotes DignityUSA event BY CARRIE MAXWELL that it must be so.” Activism and faith in change was also shaped Attorney, author and advocate Urvashi Vaid gave by two encounters Vaid had with Catholic tradi- a keynote address at DignityUSA’s three day con- tion—attending Catholic school in India where ference, “True to the Spirit, True to Ourselves,” she was taught by Carmelite nuns and discovering July 6 at The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago. liberation theology in college, including reading (DignityUSA is a national pro-LGBTQ Catholic or- theologians like Gustavo Gutierrez, credited as a ganization.) founder of liberation theology. Vaid is a longtime activist in the LGBTQ move- “Gutiérrez … proposed that there are three lev- ment and is currently the president of the Vaid els or dimensions of liberation—material, inter- Group, a social innovation firm working for eq- nal, and spiritual … and that the true measure of uity, justice and inclusion. spiritual life was to be found in praxis or action DignityUSA board member and Dignity/Boston for social justice,” said Vaid. member Peggy Hayes introduced Vaid and spoke According to Vaid, the LGBTQ movement is an about her influence on the international stage. example of the principles of faith and liberation Vaid spoke about the ways in which Dignity has in action. helped LGBTQ Catholics over the past five decades “The advocacy arms of our movement have navigate their faith in the face of resistance by worked to enable each person to find well-being the institutional church leadership. and emerge from material conditions of suffer- “My focus today covers three areas,” said Vaid. ing caused by inequality and discrimination,” “A personal reflection on faith and liberation; said Vaid. “The service and cultural arms of our where we find ourselves as a movement in terms community have worked to strengthen our in- of what we won, the unfinished business and this ner sense of freedom, and overcome self-hatred cultural moment we are in and where we go next.” and shame as well challenge as intra community Urvashi Vaid Vaid joked that because she was raised as a prejudice. The faith-based arms of our movement Photo by Carrie Maxwell Hindu in India it makes her a pagan and apostate have built alternate churches, theologies, spaces in the eyes of Christians worldwide. and movements within each faith tradition de- tural control. She discussed her theory of how a outspoken moral voice on gender and sexuality “I am one of those heathens that my beloved spite massive persecution and repression.” form of toxic masculinity is fueling the white na- and a witness for social justice in society, work spouse and partner, Kate Clinton, the recovering Vaid spoke about LGBTQ movement advances tionalist movements, and urged LGBTQs to speak for those who are the most vulnerable and perse- Catholic, was asked to pray for every Sunday dur- across five dimensions—legal equality, cultural out about the danger and limitations of tradi- cuted and organize with other progressive faith- ing Mass,” said Vaid. “‘Pray for the pagan babies,’ respect, material or lived equality, inclusion, tional forms of masculinity and femininity from based groups and leaders. she was told. Little did she know that her prayers power and freedom and self-determination. She our feminist and non-binary gender perspectives. Vaid called this moment the most exciting time for one would be answered.” noted that LGBTQ people have only won partial The current political climate does not leave for progressive politics in her lifetime because This drew uproarious laughter and applause legal equality, gains have been uneven and trans- Vaid in despair. Instead, she said she sees a vital of the organizing that has emerged since 2016. from the more than 300 people in the room. gender and gender non-binary people, people of role for Dignity and faith-based organizations in “I refuse to give in because I have a stubborn Vaid said she has always viewed her political color and people living in poverty have not ben- this moment, to provide the moral compass for optimism,” said Vaid. activism as an act of faith even though she did efitted as fully. liberation. She urged Dignity members to con- A Q&A session followed. not have a religious practice, a fact that bothered “Cultural progress has been great because of tinue to love and support LGBTQ Catholics, be an her late mother. She explained that there is a marriage equality and Kate always says it ‘turned difference between religion and faith and being outlaws into in-laws,’” said Vaid. spiritual is more interesting than any tradition. Vaid noted that 37 percent of U.S. residents Recent killings in Ethiopia and a coup at- She said emigrating to the United States in still say that sexual relations among same-sex Gay tourism group tempt convinced Ware that the situation in 1966 and moving to a small upstate New York adults are always wrong, and an indicator that cancels Ethopian trip that country were too unstable to risk a trip. town when Vaid was 8 made her an outsider and they still see LGBTQ individuals as immoral. She The five people who had booked the trip have that, she explained, was revealing to her. She also analyzed the history of the backlash that is after death threats had their money refunded, Ware said. said that an outsider's perspective has informed still happening in the U.S. Vaid cited a number of Dan Ware, the owner of Chicago-based Toto The Sun-Times article is at https:// her entire life’s work. individuals to discuss the alliance between evan- Tours—which has a mostly gay clientele—has chicago.suntimes.com/busi- “Alongside the experience of being an outsider, gelical white Christians, the religious right and cancelled an October trip to Ethiopia after re- ness/2019/6/25/18744139/gay-tour-group- this formative experience of being an immigrant the Republican Party—from Nixon to Reagan to ceiving death threats from people in the Afri- toto-cancels-ethiopia-trip. taught me that migrating and leaving everything both Bush presidents to Trump. can country, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Chorus; After School Matters Choir; and others. you know behind to seek a better life for oneself “There is an intricate connection between rac- The “Treasures of Ethiopia” trip had been in In addition to the inauguration, Lightfoot and one’s family is a deep act of open-hearted- ism, sexism and religion,” Vaid argued.