VOL 32, NO. 31 APRIL 19, 2017 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com ILLUSIONIST Otis Mack: Heavy Diva’s show goes on BY MELISSA WASSERMAN Otis Mack, also known as “Chicago’s Heavy Diva,” does not take entertainment lightly. CEO and founder of HeavyDiva Productions and creator of The Chicago Warriors, Mack cel- ebrates milestones on the stage. Born in Houston, and then moving to Chicago at the age of 3, Mack was brought up in a religious Christian home INCLUSIVE with accepting parents. At Prairie View A&M University, Proud & Included is for LGBTQs with disabilities. he majored in mass communication and minored in music Photo of Donyetta Barnes courtesy of Proud & Included Otis Mack. theory. 14 Photo courtesy of HeavyDiva Productions Turn to page 30 CHILD WELFARE SERIES BUTOH GARDEN OF EVE RENEE WSOL WCT concludes investigation Queer dancers take part in WCT previews Howard Brown Planned Parenthood on trans kids. Japanese art form. Health event. patient becomes advocate. Photo of Dr. Dana Beyer from Beyer 6 Photo8 by Rebecca Ciprus 17 GlitterGuts.com Photography 19 14 Photo courtesy of Wsol 12 @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com 2 April 19, 2017 WINDY CITY TIMES WINDY CITY TIMES April 19, 2017 3 NEWS Women’s March in Springfield; column 4 Emanuel reaffirms N.C. travel ban 5 DCFS investigation, part three 6 Uptown advocate talks decision 11 Planned Parenthood patient turns activist 12 YOUR PERFECT DAY Howard Brown hosts trans forum 13 Garden of Eve; Proud & Included 14 In the Life: PR expert Joel Morales 15 VIEWPOINTS: Rudolph 16 ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS Dancin’ Feats: Post-Butoh Festival 17 INDEX Theater reviews 18 Films: Matthew Aaron talks ‘Landline’ 20 LGBT films in Chicago Latino Film Festival 21 DOWNLOAD ‘Aladdin’ scribe Chad Begeulin 22 THIS ISSUE Book review: Trans*Am 23 Christian rock singer talks about coming out 24 AND BROWSE THE ARCHIVES AT ‘Time-traveling’ event for queer women 25 www.WindyCityTimes.com NIGHTSPOTS 26 Classifieds 28 Calendar Q 28 Otis Mack is an illusionist 30 VOL 32, NO. 31 APRIL 19, 2017 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com ILLUSIONIST Otis Mack: Heavy Diva’s show goes on BY MELISSA WASSERMAN Otis Mack, also known as “Chicago’s Heavy Diva,” does not take entertainment lightly. CEO and founder of HeavyDiva Productions and creator of The Chicago Warriors, Mack cel- ebrates milestones on the stage. Born in Houston, and then moving to Chicago at the age of 3, Mack was brought up in a religious Christian home INCLUSIVE with accepting parents. At Prairie View A&M University, Proud & Included is for LGBTQs with disabilities. he majored in mass communication and minored in music Photo of Donyetta Barnes courtesy of Proud & Included Otis Mack. theory. 14 Photo courtesy of HeavyDiva Productions Turn to page 30 CHILD WELFARE SERIES BUTOH GARDEN OF EVE RENEE WSOL WCT concludes investigation Queer dancers take part in WCT previews Howard Brown Planned Parenthood on trans kids. Japanese art form. Health event. patient becomes advocate. Photo of Dr. Dina Bayer from Bayer 6 Photo8 by Rebecca Ciprus 17 GlitterGuts.com Photography 19 14 Photo courtesy of Wsol 12 @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com online exclusives at www.WindyCityTimes.com PAL JOEY WCT talks with former New Kid on the Block Joey McIntyre (left). Photo by Jerry Nunn IT STARTS HERE Where Magnificent Mile elegance meets the grandeur of Chicago’s architectural glory, THE INDIE CITY LondonHouse Chicago offers couples one of the city’s most unforgettable wedding venues. Offering an array of incomparable options, including our iconic rooftop and cupola, the stunning Juliette Grand Ballroom along with our ‘ART’-FELT incredible views of the Chicago River and the city WCT reviews the book The Art of the skyline, the city’s newest event space provides a ® Affair. show-stopping location for your special day. THAT’S SHOW BIZ Find out the latest about Andrew Rannells, Janelle Monae and Stranger Things. Local dishes (such as the Indie Ocean, 85 EAST WACKER DRIVE AT NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE above), a Candis Cayne book and a documentary of the LA Riots are 312 357 1200 | LONDONHOUSECHICAGO.COM plus among Five Worth Finding. DAILY BREAKING NEWS Photo by Andrew Davis 4 April 19, 2017 WINDY CITY TIMES lllinois Women March RELATIONSHIPS & on Springfield April 25 THE LAW TODAY for agenda, budget BY MATTHEW J. RUZA Comptroller Mendoza, Rev. New IRS notice allows same-sex Jesse Jackson, candidates for couples exclusions for estate tax governor among speakers The IRS, in conjunction with the Supreme taxpayer’s same-sex spouse. Almost 100 organizations and dozens of politi- Court’s decision in Windsor, 133 S. Ct. 2675 This complicated tax matter is best viewed cians have endorsed the Illinois Women March on (2013), issued Notice 2017-15, which now through an example. Suppose, pre-Windsor, Springfield event Tuesday, April 25. Coming the spells out the procedures same-sex married that John and Jim were a same-sex married first day that legislators are back to work for the couples should use to recalculate the trans- couple and wished to purchase a home. John, final weeks of the Spring session, the march is fer-tax treatment for property transferred to the wealthier spouse, bought the house but focused on dozens of progressive bills, and the spouses before the U.S. Supreme Court invali- placed the title in both John and Jim’s names. passing of a responsible budget in Illinois. dated Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act If John and Jim had been opposite-sex cou- The day begins at noon with a rally at the Lin- (DOMA). ples during this time, John would not have coln Statue outside the Capitol Building. Among DOMA, which was enacted in 1996, defined used his gift tax exclusion amount by giving the scheduled speakers are elected officials and marriage for federal law purposes as the le- Jim half of the home. However, because DOMA constituents impacted by legislation being pro- gal union of one man and one woman. Un- caused John and Jim’s marriage not to be rec- posed. Speakers include State Comptroller Susana der Section 3 of DOMA, same-sex marriage ognized under federal law, John would have was not recognized for any federal purposes, had to file a gift tax form because he gifted Mendoza; Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.; state Sens. complex, and lobbying elected officials inside. including the filing of joint tax returns and half of the house to Jim. If the purchase price Mattie Hunter and Heather Steans; state Reps. At 2:30 p.m., there will be a final rally in the the unlimited marital estate tax deduction. In of the house was $2 million, John would have Sara Feigenholtz, Litesa Wallace, Kelly Cassidy rotunda, including next steps on organizing sup- Windsor, the Supreme Court held that Section made a gift to Jim of $1 million, and John and Will Guzzardi; Khadine Bennett of the ACLU; port for the legislation still pending in Spring- 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional because it would have had to pay $217,500.00 in fed- Planned Parenthood’s Brigid Leahy; William Mc- field. People are encouraged to make April 25 violated the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process eral gift taxes. Now, after the new IRS Notice, Nary of Citizen Action Illinois; Maaria Mozaffar appointments now with their representatives and Clause by denying equal protection to same- John can file an amended return (assuming senators, and lobby for legislation from now until from CAIR-Chicago; Mony Ruiz-Velasco of Illinois sex couples who are lawfully married in their the statute of limitations has not ran) and re- the end of May, when this session ends. Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights; and states. coup the $217,500.00 tax he then had to pay Alice Johnson of the Illinois Nurses Association. Available on site April 25 will be thousands This notice will prove to be very valuable to the federal government. Following the rally there will be a march around of pink post cards, which individuals can use to for same-sex couples. According to the notice, As you can see, prior to Windsor, if a taxpay- the Capitol Complex, and then lobbying inside. send or drop off a message to their elected of- the applicable exclusion amount from estate er made a gift to his or her same-sex spouse, At 2:30 p.m. there will be a final rally in the ficials on legislation they support. The website or gift taxes, originally only allowed for oppo- no estate or gift tax marital deduction was al- rotunda, with speakers including gubernatorial has printable and shareable post cards and social site-sex couples, now will be applied retroac- lowed and the taxpayer’s applicable exclusion candidates Sen. Daniel Biss, Ald. Ameya Pawar media, so people can lobby in advance for bills. tively to same-sex couples. Same-sex couple amount would have automatically applied to and J.B. Pritzker. The website also has a process where organiza- taxpayers will now be permitted to establish reduce the amount of the gift or estate tax Deborah Lane, a union leader with Amalgam- tions and elected officials can join the effort. The that the estate tax or gift tax transfer quali- due. This new IRS notice, now garners the ated Transit Unit 241/308, will be the featured site also has transportation suggestions, includ- fied for the marital deduction and recover the same protections as every other opposite-sex singer at both events. ing some free buses, and legislative tips. applicable exclusion amount previously ap- couple under the eyes of federal tax law. The list of bills people can choose to lobby The Champion partners of the march are: Action plied on a return.