THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 Aug. 19, 2009 • vol 24 no 46 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Groups split on Prop 8 repeal time BY REX WOCKNER “There’s no question that the community is, EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors said that Clinton Rues you know, not unified behind one position and “if (other) people want to move forward with DOMA, DADT page 4 Equality California said Aug. 12 that it does not we really feel that we ... owe the LGBT commu- 2010, they’re welcome to it.” support returning to the ballot to try to repeal nity and our allies our best analysis,” Solomon “It’s a democracy and a free country,” Kors Proposition 8 until 2012. said. “We’d be leading people down a path that I said. “If something qualifies, we will support it Other groups are preparing for a 2010 ballot don’t feel comfortable leading them down (if we (but) we think we have one shot over these next fight. They include the Courage Campaign, Love supported 2010). It’s our job to say, ‘We think elections. ... We’ve come to a different conclu- Honor Cherish, Los Angeles’ Stonewall Demo- this 38-month path is the right path.’” sion than other organizations. ... We’re going to cratic Club and at least 40 other organizations. Solomon said the next ballot fight will cost do this right and smart and strategically.” “Donors want to make sure their investments “$40 million to $60 million.” Meanwhile, the Courage Campaign announced to win back marriage are wisely invested,” EQCA “Californians have been static on the issue of Aug. 12, an hour before EQCA’s announcement, Marriage Director Marc Solomon said in an Aug. marriage equality over the last four years,” he that it is moving forward with plans for a 2010 12 conference call with reporters. “Monolithi- added. “We’ve been stuck and we need to figure ballot battle. cally, they are not supportive of returning to the out how to get unstuck. ... There are a small Turn to page 4 ballot (in 2010).” number of undecided voters on this issue.” LGBTI Health Summit page 7 Kiss, Kiss Project Runway page 19 August 19, 2009 #999 nightspotsn pick it up Horsin’ Around Lasso yourself some fun with the 2009 Windy City Rodeo. page 7, 26 take it home inSIDE Pubert interviews A hanger-lickin’ good time Kristen Bjorn. at the Flesh Hungry Dog page 28 Show. page 17 page 6 At the downtown Chicago event Saturday, Aug. 15, in Millennium Park, coinciding with “The Great Nationwide Kiss-In.” Pictured are Becky Flory www.WindyCityQueercast.com and Betty Lark Ross wearing mustaches as part of an “American Dali” photo project by Jessica Hudson. More photos inside and online at www. windycitymediagroup.com. Photo by Tracy Baim AUTOSINSURANCEDENTISTSHAIRSALONS FLOORINGINSURANCEBANKINGGETTRAVEL IT ALL LEGALSERVICESBOOKSTORESELECTRICIANS PHOTOGRAPHERSRESTAURANTSCONTRACTORSonline nnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfd 2 Aug. 19, 2009 Aug. 19, 2009 3 index 8th Annual NEWS DoJ switches on DOMA 4 Prop 8 conflict 4 Clinton regrets DOMA, DADT 4 Transfusions and gay men 6 Kiss-in protest 6 Health summit 7 Controversial Chicago cop 8 Lakeview crime/meeting 8 Local news 8 Quotelines; world roundup 9 Viewpoint; letters 10 ENTERTAINMENT Windy City Times talks with Fred Schneider of the group B-52s. See page Scottish Play Scott 11 16. Theater reviews 12 AUG 22-23, 2009 Knight at the Movies 15 B-52s’ Fred Schneider 16 Pop Making Sense 17 NOON-8PM • FREE BEHIV’s royal wrap-up 18 Project Runway interview 19 Billy Masters 20 Entertainment items 21 FRIDAY NIGHT OUTLINES Calendar 18 Real estate; classifieds 19 KICKOFF Sports: Jake Conrad 22 Sports: World Series coming 22 AUG 21 6pm Cover photos and credits (from top): Photo of Bill Clinton by Kat Fitzgerald (MysticImagesPhotography.com); photo of 2009 National LGBTI Health Summit presenters by An- Mel Ferrand writes an op-ed based on drew Davis; photo of Ra’mon-Lawrence Coleman courtesy her visit to a Chicago vigil in honor of of Mike Yarish/Lifetime the recent tragedy in Tel Aviv, Israel. See page 10. Photo by Mel Ferrand ARTS • CRAFTS Jflk_J`[\nfdXed\e _\cgj?@M$gfq C>9KM\kj ?fefi\[ ;FNECF8;K?@J Fcjfek\Xd jelYj^Xp N_fc\ c\^Xc_\cg ;feeX CfccX Jldd\i MUSIC • DANCE =le >fkfnnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfdkf[fnecfX[Zfdgc\k\`jjl\jf] >Xp>Xd\j GXikp N`e[p:`kpK`d\jXe[E`^_kjgfkj% n HAIRSALONS TRAVEL K_\eZc`ZbfeXepX[Xe[Y\kXb\e[`i\Zkcpkfk_\X[m\ik`j\iËjN\Yj`k\ INSURANCEDENTISTSBANKINGGET IT ALL AUTOS online FLOORINGINSURANCEBOOKSTORESELECTRICIANSCONTRACTORS LEGALSERVICES PHOTOGRAPHERSRESTAURANTS FOOD & DRINK www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com nightspotsn ONLINE INDEX HORSIN’ August 19, 2009 SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE #999 AROUND The 2009 National Queer WITH Asian & Pacific Islander WINDY Conference took place CITY RODEO Aug. 14-16 in Seattle. Horsin’ Around Lasso yourself some fun with the 2009 Windy City Rodeo. Catch photos of the 2009 page 7, 26 Glenwood Ave Arts District inSIDE Pubert interviews A hanger-lickin’ good time Kristen Bjorn. at the Flesh Hungry Dog page 28 Show. page 17 Chicago contingent. 6900 N / 1400 W - ROGERS PARK - CHICAGO Photo courtesy of Liz Thomson SINGER/ ALL AROUND THE WORLD SONGWRITER Barry Lasswell is www.GlenwoodAve.org PHIL PUTNAM taking a one-year tour SHOW# 322 of the globe—and has discovered some very www.WindyCity colorful LGBT-related Queercast.com items/people. See pictures of his journey. Photo courtesy of Barry Lasswell GRIM JIM ArtSpace RP TVN Be sure to check WCT’s Al Goldberg QueerTVNetwork.com national-news roundup this week and find out, among things, why Common Cup, Moran Associates, DDJ Vintage Renovations, Harmony Health Plan, Check OUT OUR former N.J. Gov. Jim RE/MAX NorthCoast Realty, Rogers Park Builders Group, video CHANNEL fOR McGreevey (right) is State Rep. Harry Osterman and State Sen. Heather Steans, Cagan Management, new videos weekly New England Financial, Pilates Chicago, AZ Castle Construction, Devon Bank, getting bad news. Evil Squirrel Comics, Alpha Adjusting, 1408 W. Morse Building, Kass Management, Clark-Devon Hardware, Rogers Park Community Council, Leona’s, www.QueerTv Photo by Andrew Davis Sweet Home Properties, Rogers Park Florist, Morse L Drugs, rogerspark.com Network.com 4 Aug. 19, 2009 line with its policy position—that the so-called DoJ switches Defense of Marriage Act is deeply discriminatory PROP 8 from cover and needs to go.” In recent months, the Courage Campaign ar- Bill “I hope we’ll also see the White House work guably has become as important a player in on DOMA with leaders in Congress to repeal DOMA as soon Clinton. BY Lisa KEEN statewide GLBT politics as EQCA, though EQCA as possible,” said Wolfson. “But this brief is def- Photo by KEEN NEWS SERVICE is a traditional lobby group while Courage Cam- initely a vast improvement over the last one.” Kat paign is more of a netroots and grassroots op- Fitzgerald Aug. 17—In a dramatic turnaround, a brief filed “They’re still defending the law,” added Wolf- eration. by President Barack Obama’s Justice Department son, “but they’ve repositioned themselves in In an Aug. 12 mailing to its 700,000 sup- states emphatically that the administration much better way.” porters, the Courage Campaign sent a “special “does not support DOMA [the Defense of Mar- ©2009 Keen News Service message” from Steve Hildebrand, who was Ba- riage Act] as a matter of policy, believes that it rack Obama’s deputy campaign manager. is discriminatory, and supports its repeal.” Reactions to brief In the message, Hildebrand, who is openly gay, said: “I feel strongly that 2010 is the right The brief was filed in Smelt v. U.S., a contro- A variety of individuals and organizations have time to courageously win back marriage rights versial federal lawsuit seeking to strike down issued statements in response to the brief filed this will be a basis for dismissal.’ It all turned in California—as strongly as I felt when I de- the Defense of Marriage Act. In an earlier brief, by the Department of Justice against the Defens out to be a fraud because of the enormous re- cided to devote two years of my life to help Ba- filed in June, the Department of Justice (DoJ) of Marriage Act (DOMA). action against it among the middle-level of- rack Obama run for President despite warnings asserted that DOMA addresses a legitimate need U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley said, “It is en- ficers and down after it was promulgated and from the pundits and pollsters that he would for the federal government to adopt “a cautious couraging to see the Administration state in a Colin was gone. So nobody regrets how this never occupy the Oval Office.” policy of federal neutrality towards a new form court document what we all know to be true— was implemented any more than I do.” In an Aug. 10 interview with Los Angeles of marriage.” It asked the courts to uphold DOMA that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is dis- “Look, I think it’s ridiculous,” Clinton con- journalist Karen Ocamb, Hildebrand elaborated: in order to protect the federal government’s criminatory and demands repeal. Even though tinued. “Can you believe they spent—whatever “I believe it’s winnable in 2010 and that the “scarce resources” and its ability “to respond to DOMA continues to be upheld, we are seeing they spent—$150,000 to get rid of a valued community should not be afraid to take this new social phenomena one step at a time, and cracks in the foundation upon which opponents Arabic speaker recently? And, you know, the to the ballot in 2010.