NatIONAL TREASURES VOL 31, NO. 43 JULY 20, 2016 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Poet Richard Blanco. Photo by Kat Fitzgerald/www.MysticImagesPhotography.com Poet Richard Blanco keynotes National Archives LGBTQ Human and Civil Rights discussion BY Matt SIMONETTE sure that I belonged to America or what part of America be- longed to me,” Blanco said. Speaking at the Chicago History Museum July 16, poet Richard Blanco was the inaugural poet at President Barack Obama’s Blanco said that his work has long been dominated by a search second inauguration in 2013; he was the first openly gay per- for and a remembrance of “home,” adding that he frequently son, and the first immigrant, to fill that role. He was in Chi- evoked “a universal longing to ‘belong’ to someone or some- cago July 15-16 as part of the National Archive and Records BRIT BY BRIT place.” Administration’s (NARA) National Conversation on Rights and Growing up as part of a Cuban family in Miami, Blanco said Justice series, which this month focused on LGBT human and Talking with the stars of ‘Absolutely Fabulous: there were two representations of ‘home’ that frequently haunt- civil rights. The Movie.’ ed his imagination: Cuba, of which his exiled family frequently Blanco spoke about the importance of studying and preserv- Photo from Fox Searchlight spoke, and the generic representations of American families, ing historical documents, illustrating his point with a 1978 20 like the Brady Bunch, that populated afternoon TV reruns. “This was the only America that I thought existed. I wasn’t Turn to page 6 RACHEL WILLIAMS JIM FLINT RITA ADAIR Activist talks about BYP100, recent shootings. Baton founder looks forward while turning 75. Activist talks about Photo by Danielle Scruggs 8 Photo by Hal Baim 10 upcoming book, social work. 17 @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com 2 July 20, 2016 WINDY CITY TIMES FINAL EXTENSION BY POPULAR DEMAND THROUGH AUGUST 21 TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER PATTI LUPONE CHRISTINE EBERSOLE IS HELENA RUBINSTEIN IS ELIZABETH ARDEN A WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL ABOUT TWO LEGENDARY BUSINESS TITANS—AND THEIR INFAMOUS RIVALRY. BOOK BY DOUG WRIGHT MUSIC BY SCOTT FRANKEL LYRICS BY MICHAEL KORIE DIRECTED BY MICHAEL GREIF NOW PLAYING | HURRY, GREAT SEATS STILL AVAILABLE! GoodmanTheatre.org/WarPaint FOR GROUPS 15+: 312.443.3820 Major Corporate Sponsors Official Lighting Sponsor WINDY CITY TIMES July 20, 2016 3 WINDY CITY TIMES INDEX presents NEWS A look at trans-related workplace bias; column 4 DOWNLOAD National Archives event 6 THIS ISSUE Pence and Trump; RNC protest 7 AND BROWSE THE ARCHIVES at BYP100 activist Rachel Williams 8 Jim Flint looks forward, at age 75 10 WWW.WINDYCITYTIMES.COM Viewpoints: Samantha Power 12 ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS NATIONAL Scottish Play Scott 13 TREASURES Theater reviews 14 Knight: Ab Fab movie, Star Trek Beyond 16 VOL 31, NO. 43 JULY 20, 2016 Rita Adair talks new book, social work 17 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com NIGHTSPOTS 18 ‘Ab Fab’ stars Saunders, Lumley talk 20 Poet Richard Blanco. Photo by Kat Fitzgerald/www.MysticImagesPhotography.com OUTLINES Poet Richard Blanco keynotes Calendar Q; Art AIDS America 21 National Archives LGBTQ Human Classifieds 22 and Civil Rights discussion Chicago Dancers United BY MATT SIMONETTE sure that I belonged to America or what part of America be- longed to me,” Blanco said. Speaking at the Chicago History Museum July 16, poet Richard Blanco was the inaugural poet at President Barack Obama’s Blanco said that his work has long been dominated by a search second inauguration in 2013; he was the first openly gay per- for and a remembrance of “home,” adding that he frequently son, and the first immigrant, to fill that role. He was in Chi- evoked “a universal longing to ‘belong’ to someone or some- cago July 15-16 as part of the National Archive and Records BRIT BY BRIT place.” Administration’s (NARA) National Conversation on Rights and Growing up as part of a Cuban family in Miami, Blanco said Justice series, which this month focused on LGBT human and Talking with the stars of ‘Absolutely Fabulous: there were two representations of ‘home’ that frequently haunt- civil rights. The Movie.’ ed his imagination: Cuba, of which his exiled family frequently Blanco spoke about the importance of studying and preserv- Photo from Fox Searchlight spoke, and the generic representations of American families, ing historical documents, illustrating his point with a 1978 20 like the Brady Bunch, that populated afternoon TV reruns. “This was the only America that I thought existed. I wasn’t Turn to page 6 RACHEL WILLIAMS JIM FLINT RITA ADAIR Activist talks about BYP100, recent shootings. Baton founder looks forward while turning 75. Activist talks about Photo by Danielle Scruggs 8 Photo by Hal Baim 10 upcoming book, social work. 17 @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com online exclusives at www.WindyCityTimes.com OH, SHEILA Sheila E. (left) was among the musicians providing a lot of entertainment at the Taste of Chicago. Photo by Vern Hester REMEMBERING SANDRA August 20, 2016 WORLD PREMIERES BY Randy Duncan 5pm Harrison McEldowney Hilton Chicago’s Dara Holmes & Tom Mattingly Dara Holmes & Tom Grand Ballroom EMCEES Carisa Barreca and Tim Mason 7:30pm of The Second City DANCER ‘KIN’ DO Auditorium Theatre WCT reviews the theatrical A vigil was held in the Loop on the one- of Roosevelt University BENEFICIARIES Sandro | production Kin Folk. year anniversary of Sandra Bland’s death The Dancers’ Fund PERFORMANCES BY AIDS Foundation of Chicago that occurred while she was in custody. Giordano Dance Chicago Photo by Nina Matti Hubbard Street Dance Chicago $15 – $75 Performance Only Joffrey Ballet PHOTOGRAPHY Chicago Dance Crash $250 – $600 Includes admission A TALL ORDER JAZZIN’ IT UP Visceral Dance Chicago to the 5:00p.m. gala reception and On the reality show My Giant Life, premiere seating at the 6’8” Katja Bavendam is planning to performance SPONSORS have a child with her 5’2” wife. THAT’S SHOW BIZ Find out the latest about Abby MEDIA PARTNERS Wambach, Christian Siriano and a&u Magazine | 4Dancers.org | Best Gay Chicago | ChicagoPride.com | GC Magazine rapper Deadlee. GRAB Magazine | Positively Aware Magazine | SDC Chicago SeeChicagoDance.com | Windy City Media Group Trans star Jazz Jennings was among plus those at the TLC Block Party. ChicagoDancersUnited.org | 312-922-5812 DAILY BREAKING NEWS Photo of Jazz (center) with her parents by Nina Matti /DanceForLifeChicago @danceforlifechi /DanceForLifeChicago 4 July 20, 2016 WINDY CITY TIMES Looking at workplace bias against trans GUEST VIEW BY NADINE SMITH people of color The Problem is Fear: BY CARRIE MAXWELL non-conforming people of color who’ve been discriminated against since the EEOC ruling Gun control and the LGBT In April 2012, the Equal Employment Opportu- is Austin Fonville of Beaufort County, North nity Commission (EEOC) determined in the case Carolina. Fonville—who identifies as a Cuban community in the wake of Orlando Macy v. Holder that transgender and gender African-American transgender male, attends I am a pretty good shot with a rifle. huddled in camo gear as part of their non-conforming people are a protected class community college in nearby Pamlico County, I won a turkey shoot as a teenager. I make-believe militias. under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, North Carolina and was the school’s Student have destroyed clay pigeons and discs They wish it were not so. They which protects people based on sex. Government Association president last year— skeet shooting with a double-barreled cannot accept the story that they are This EEOC ruling was affirmed by numerous told Windy City Times it’s only gotten worse shotgun. I trained on an M-16, an the bad guys, because they believe, court decisions, the Department of Labor and since HB2 was signed into law. adaptation of the AR-15.So when I talk when push inevitably comes to shove, the Department of Justice. These federal en- “HB2 made my life worse,” said Fonville. about guns, I understand the allure we will be begging to join them as the “It’s opened me up to cruelty from my school’s —and the repulsion. I wore a uniform boogeymen come for “decent people.” board members and pointed a spotlight on me when I fired that M16. Civilians should They believe they have faced up to an even more than there already was. People have not be walking about with that kind of inconvenient truth the rest of us want been reluctant to hire me because I may cause firepower. desperately to avoid. They have a story them to lose business. Within this small com- that is as logical and munity, there aren’t many secrets. It’s hard to powerful to them prove why you don’t get a job, but when some- “But we make a mistake if as it is cynical and one tells you directly, ‘Look, I like you but I dangerous to us.:“I’m can’t hire you because they won’t let me’ that we simply believe the NRA’s a good person. I’m not says it all. looking for trouble, “I’m in school to be a group counselor, but dollars have purchased the but I will protect they make it difficult here for me to offer help mine.” to the LGBTQ community. I don’t have a crimi- conscience of legislators.” We may mock the nal record, so there’s no reason why I can’t get “good guy with a gun” a job. When I apply for jobs, if someone knows rhetoric, but the idea me from before, they feel it necessary to inform that a good heart and people of my previous name/pronoun.