THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 Dec. 2, 2009 • vol 25 no 9 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com page 6 Cook County AND UNDER candidates Holiday page 15 Gift Guide Week one of our two-week guide to affordable gifts for your loved ones this hectic holiday season Pgs. 9-11 Charles Busch in Chicago FBI: Hate crimes on the rise by SAMUEL WORLEY cent increase in bias-motivated incidents from FBI tracks 11 types of potential bias-motivated 2007 to 2008, nationwide. The number of crime offenses, including rape, assault, robbery and New data collected by the Federal Bureau of In- victims—classified as individuals, institutions, vandalism. vestigation (FBI) appears to show an increase and property—was up slightly from 9,535 to The parallel tracking methods also make it in bias-motivated crimes—hate crimes—on the 9,691. difficult to identify trends in the data. For in- basis of sexual orientation in 2008. Crimes on The FBI collects data on bias-motivated crimes stance, though the number of legal offenses on Wendy the basis of religious prejudice may also be up on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, the basis of anti-gay prejudice were up nearly Williams page 21 sharply, although crimes based on racial prej- ethnicity, and disability. Under federal hate- 11 percent in 2008, the number of discrete inci- udice—which still account for more than half crimes legislation recently signed by President dents appeared to increase only 2.5 percent. of the 7,783 bias-related incidents reported— Barack Obama, the bureau will begin to collect And though the number of racially-motivated appeared to decline slightly. statistics on crimes against transgender people. offenses declined slightly—by half a percent— In Chicago, the FBI reported 31 total inci- the number of incidents rose more than three Attached to the findings was an FBI note cau- November 25, 2009 tioning against identifying trends from year to dents: 13 on the basis of race, seven each moti- percent. #1006 year—the data is not collected systematically vated by anti-gay or anti-religious animus, and Moreover, the numbers are at odds with those and can be subjectively reported. Because the four on the basis of ethnicity. Houston, Texas— released by other organizations which collect number of agencies which voluntarily report to only slightly smaller than Chicago—reported 28 this sort of data. Earlier this year, for instance, nightspots the Bureau changes from year to year, so can the total incidents; Los Angeles, the next largest the Chicago Commission on Human Relations n numbers which it compiles in its reports—and U.S. city, reported 168. said that it had collected information on 72 pick it up It’s a Chocolatey World the FBI cautioned that the apparent increase The FBI sorts hate-crimes data into three hate crimes in Chicago in 2008. And the Center Take a bite of AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s World of Chocolate on December 3. take it home inSIDE Naked Sushi at Miss Jackson at Hydrate. categories: incidents, offenses and victims. In- on Halsted’s Anti-Violence Project reported 125 page 16 might be attributable to more agencies report- @mosphere. page 16 ing than in previous years. cidents are defined as the overall situation in Turn to page 5 The data compiled showed an overall 2 per- which one or more legal offense can occur. The Brought to you by the combined efforts of page 18 windy 1202 am buff:Layout 1 11/24/09 10:19 AM Page 1 2 Dec. 2, 2009 steppenwolf american buffalo written by David Mamet directed by ensemble member Amy Morton featuring ensemble members Francis Guinan and Tracy Letts with Patrick Andrews In a cluttered, run-down Chicago junk shop, three small time crooks plot to steal a valuable coin collection. As the heist unravels, the men’s frustration and paranoia intensify. Ensemble member Amy Morton directs this groundbreaking American play that weaves humor and menace throughout an emotionally charged struggle for identity and dominance. Begins Thursday, December 3! December 3, 2009 - February 7, 2010 American Buffalo Wine Tasting Wednesday December 23 at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy varietals from Vinci’s wine cellar paired with dishes like risotto and orzo salad from their gourmet kitchen in Steppenwolf’s Balcony Lounge before the show. Tickets only $60 for tasting & the show – one of the best deals in town! Please use code 5822 when ordering. buy online at steppenwolf.org or call 312-335-1650. Production Sponsor of American Buffalo Dec. 2, 2009 3 index 4 DAYS ONLY NEWS Dec 3 – 6 Clinton urges stand 4 Minn. lesbian couple 4 Local: Forum on Hunters 4 Passages: Gallup, Smith 5 FBI hate-crime statistics 5 Cook County candidates 6 Chicago’s Thanksgiving delivery 6 Quotelines 7 most Views; letter 8 onederful ENTERTAINMENT Holiday Gift Guide 9 time of Lesbian comic Cameron Esposito, who is Charles Busch 15 recording a live CD this week, is profiled. the year. Theater 16 See page 16. Cameron Esposito 16 KATM: DVD gifts 17 Rendering courtesy of Cameron Esposito Billy Masters 19 Wendy Williams 21 OUTLINES Calendar Q 18 Real estate; classifieds 20 Sports: Cleveland 22 Cover photos and credits (from top): Photo of Toni Pre- ckwinkle by Meghan Streit; Photo of Charles Busch (left) ROUND NO: 1 and Julie Halston courtesy of Victory Gardens Biograph Barbara Heinrich Studio Theater and Busch; Wendy Williams photo by Amy Etra The theatrical production Perseus and Judlo J. Medusa (above) is reviewed this week. AE: See page 15. M.Mach Photo courtesy of the Piccolo Theatre DESIGNER: Pdfx1a imes’ Windy City T AND UNDER SPECS: Holiday Gift Guide :ffb:flekp ;FNECF8;K?@J ZXe[`[Xk\j >fkfnnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfdkf[fnecfX[Zfdgc\k\`jjl\jf] :_Xic\j9ljZ_ `e:_`ZX^f =9@1?Xk\Zi`d\jfek_\i`j\ N`e[p:`kpK`d\jXe[E`^_kjgfkj% 11/25/09 N\e[p N`cc`Xdj n K_\eZc`ZbfeXepX[Xe[Y\kXb\e[`i\Zkcpkfk_\X[m\ik`j\iËjN\Yj`k\ www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com ® CLOSE DATE: MAT. nightspots Show and Sale Chicago n ONLINE INDEX DEC 02 November 25, 2009 WORLD OF #1006 NUNN OF THE abovE Shop for unique gifts from more than CHOCOLATE 500 artists, artisans and designers. ISSUE DATE: WCT’s Jerry Nunn talks 4C Photo by Randy with Jane Seymour (right) The Merchandise Mart Pubert COLOR: and dog whisperer Cesar Open to the public 4 x 9 It’s a Chocolatey World Millan, who are both Take a bite of AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s World of Chocolate on December 3. inSIDE Thurs Noon – 9pm Opening Day Naked Sushi at Miss Jackson at Hydrate. @mosphere. page 16 page 16 coming to town. Fri 11am – 9pm TRIM SIZE: Sat 10am – 7pm ACTRESS PR photo JACkIE Sun 10am – 5pm HOFFMAN SHOW# 341 OUT IN LEBANON TIMES CITY WINDY Matt French’s (left) series about being Adults $12 | Seniors & Students $9 | Children 12 & under Free in the Middle East PUBLICATION: continues with this For details and tickets visit: www.WindyCity round-up of an oneofakindshowchicago.com Queercast.com average day. OOAK CHICAGO NAME: Photo courtesy of Matt French 15738 ‘holiday’ SpIRIT JOB #: TVN Opening Day Benefiting QueerTVNetwork.com Pop Making Sense offers various CD Sponsored By possibilities for the Check OUT OUR holidays, including video CHANNEL for Kathy Griffin’s ‘Suckin’ It new videos WEEkLy for the Holidays.’ (right) www.QueerTv Network.com 4 Dec. 2, 2009 ment to fighting this epidemic and the stigma a nursing home 200 miles away from Thompson, ONLINE AT surrounding it.” who was denied visitation rights. “Now is the time to redouble our efforts, not With the support of several LGBT rights, wom- WINDYCITYMEDIAGROUP.COM just abroad, but here at home, where HIV/AIDS en’s rights and disability-rights groups, Thomp- NATIONAL NEWS still infects 56,000 and kills 14,000 Americans son began an almost-decade-long legal battle each year,” said Sebelius. “That’s why my de- to bring Thompson home, in a groundbreaking partment is devoting new energy and resources situation. In 1993, Kowalski returned home with to reduce the spread of HIV, improve treatments Thompson. for people with AIDS, and eliminate HIV-related To read a more detailed account about Kowalski health disparities here in the U.S.” and Thompson, visit windycitymediagroup.com/ President George W. Bush signed legislation in gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=15473. 2008 to end the statutory ban on people with —Lambda HIV entering the U.S. President Obama on Oc- LOCAL NEWS Legal’s tober 30 directed the Department of Health and suit against cops Human Services to end its long-standing policy Forum held —GOP Mass. Bill Clinton. Photo by Ralph Alswang of banning people with HIV from the U.S. The new policy will take effect beginning early next on Hunters’ gov. year, said Clinton. hopeful chooses Clinton: U.S. At the press event, Eric Goosby, the president’s ID policy gay running U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, noted that it has by STEVEN CHAITMAN mate must ‘stand been 20 years since the last International Con- (left) ference on AIDS was held in the United States— The T-Storm Coalition for Gender Justice orga- against’ bias in in San Francisco. nized a forum Nov. 23 to discuss the new door Sebelius noted that the Obama administration policy at Hunters Nightclub in Elk Grove Village a separate issue that Hunters is responsible for fighting HIv was launching a new HIV education campaign— that supposedly targets transgender individuals.