THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 Oct. 8, 2008 • vOl 24 nO 4 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Two Icons, Two Stories VP Debate Fallout page 4 Ladies’ Night page 7 Lauper’s View page 10 Nate Berkus. Elton John. Photo courtesy of Joseph Carozza. Nate Berkus Elton John: He’s still standing EXCLUSIVE TO WINDY CITY TIMES talks life and love BY MARK SEGAL, GAY HISTORY PROJECT BY ROSS FORMAN As part of GLBT History Month, Philadelphia Gay News Publisher Mark Segal nightspots talked with gay icon Elton John, who discussed everything from his own foun- October 8, 2008 #965 Nate Berkus has gone to a lot of sports-memorabilia conventions over n dation to his personal take on the phrase “gay history.” the years. But he’s not a collector or a dealer, and doesn’t even like Close To You pick it up Zach and Charis gettin’ it on in this year’s Carpenters Halloween, by Scooty & JoJo at Mary’s Attic. Mark Segal: Oscar Wilde wrote “Anybody can make history. Only a great page 14 sports: He’s just a loving, supportive son. inSIDE The fur flies at Big A Palin the ass. Chicks’ Formerly page 22 Known As. take it home page 8 You see, his dad, Mike, is a lifelong sports-memorabilia collector, man can write it.” Your new musical Billy Elliott certainly fits that realm, dealer and card-show promoter. He is a co-founder and current co-exec- and at the same time takes on homophobia. Was that one of the issues utive director of the annual National Sports Collectors Convention, set that brought you to this project? for its 30th annual gala next summer in Cleveland. Elton John: The main attraction to me for Billy Elliott was the deep con- “Growing up, I spent a lot of time behind tables at [trading] card and nection I felt with the film. Billy’s artistic and social journey had parallels memorabilia conventions,” Nate Berkus said. “I was always interested in with my own life and wanting to be a musician. Having said that, I find Turn to page 22 Turn to page 17 www.WindyCityQueercast.com BRAND NEW - DIRECT FROM NEW YORK! WINNER! AND 2008 DRAMA DESK AWARD Dec 3 thru Jan 4 - Special Holiday Edition! PREVIEWS BEGIN OCT 9 - OPENS OCT 14! 8 WEEKS ONLY! 10/9 THRU 11/30 ROYAL GEORGE CABARET THEATRE • 1641 N Halsted • BO: 312.988.9000 • Ticketmaster.com • Group Theater Tix: 312.423.6612 2 Oct. 8, 2008 index Oct. 8, 2008 3 News VP debate fallout McCain talks with gay paper T Nat’l roundup 4 O Tackling gay elder issues P 5 Rea 1 Latino/a LGBT confab 5 sons To Love0 Equality IL women’s party 6 The F Das Auto.TM Chicago House gala pics 7 all Season Lynch, ‘Sweet Tea’ 7 DP event, Center’s auction 7 10. Cu World roundup 8 bs Folding in Quotelines 8 the P Views: Lauper, Day ost-Se 9 9. ason 9 A puppy was among the items at the Retirin eNTeRTAINMeNT 10 Center on Halsted’s auction on g the Levi Kreis interview more on page 8. “Summer Scarf Dancin’ Feats; theater Oct. 5 Photo by Yasmin Nair . See 8. ” Bent Nights: Tina Turner 11 Pumpkin Spic Elton John interview 12 e L Books: The Black Tower 7. Debut attes 17 ing Winter Knight at the Movies 17 6. Boots Nate Berkus & his life 18 Football Sea 20 5. Skimpy Hall son OUTLINe 22 oween Pets S Real estate; classifieds Costumes Calendar 18 4. Wearin Sports briefs 19 g Jackets 21 3. Finding The Wishbone 22 Evette Cardona (left) and 2. B were among the couples at a party to obbin’ For Mona A celebrate the fifth anniversary of CookNoriega pples County’s domestic-partnership registry. See more on page 8. 1. www. Photo by Yasmin Nair LEFTOV Web-only ERS! Windy features include: City —Media Watch —Janet Jackson ‘08s at Media concert pic/roundup Unb —Bent Nights: elievable Pri Group Lindsey Bucking- .com ham profile (right) ces Photo by Vern Hester nightspotsn CLOSe TO YOU Sleek. Sexy www.WindyCity Zach and Charis . 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Barack Obama’s campaign put more and more aware of the need to treat all BY MARK SEGAL no conditions on the interview. Obama spoke to people equally regardless of sexual orientation. GAY HISTORY PROJECT Mark Segal by phone Sept. 16; an audio version There are some people who disagree with that, of the interview will be posted at www.epgn. but frankly those folks—many of them—proba- In this election season, the Gay History Project com. In his first interview with the gay press bly have already made their minds up about this attempted to bring you the views of both the since he officially took the Democratic nomina- election earlier. Democratic and Republican candidates for presi- tion, here’s what Obama had to say. Segal: You’ve talked about your many gay ;FNECF8;K?@J dent —just as we attempted to bring you the Mark Segal: You are the most LGBT-friendly friends. Would you and Michelle be comfort- views of the top two candidates for the Demo- candidate running for president in history. able attending their commitment ceremo- cratic presidential nomination for the spring pri- Are you concerned that John McCain and the nies? mary. The format for both candidates was to be Republicans might use this as a divisive issue Obama: We would. But I’ll be honest with you the same: the same questions, with no follow-up as they did in 2004? that, these days, I can’t go anywhere. questions and the same time limit. And since Barack Obama: No. I think they can try, but I Segal: The current President Bush has used April, we have repeatedly reached out to Repub- don’t think it will work for a couple of reasons. KliekfgX^\+ ;i`m\ lican Sen. John McCain’s press representative Jill Number one, I think that the American peoples’ Hazelbaker by phone, letter and e-mail. attitudes with respect to LGBT issues are con- Fe gX^\(. FLET gX^\)) C>9KH8jZ_ffc >fkf d\\k`e^Zfm\ij nnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfdkf dXep`jjl\j BY AMY WOOTEN CHER Although many people had specific questions about the proposed LGBTQA Chicago public high school at a recent community forum, most present appeared to support the idea of such a [fnecfX[Zfdgc\k\`jjl\jf]N`e[p:`kpK`d\j C`cpKfdc`e# school. On Sept. 18, Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) Of- nightspotsKXb\Knf gX^\(( n fice of New Schools held a community forum at the Center on Halsted regarding the proposed Social Justice High School—Pride Campus, a public school for LGBTQA students. Roughly 150 people, including politicians, local LGBT activ- ists, teachers and students were present. There, CPS officials, as well as the proposed LGBTQA JONES high school’s design team, discussed the pro- Xe[E`^_kjgfkj% :fd\ cess, presented details and answered questions. The Pride Campus, if approved, would open in g`Zb`klg the fall of 2010. A location has not been chosen. kXb\`k_fd\ The school would, in many ways, replicate the successful components of the Greater Lawndale V Kf^\k_\i Little Village School for Social Justice, which was born out of a community hunger strike. Like the School for Social Justice, the Pride OLKSW A group including AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s David Munar and Mark Ishaug (far left and far Campus would implement college preparatory right, respectively); State Rep. Greg Harris (second from left) and activist Michael O’ Connor curriculum. The overall goal is to provide LGBTQA (third from right) was among those at a record-setting AIDS Run & Walk held Sept. 20 in Grant KliekfgX^\. nnn%N`e[p:`kpHl\\iZXjk%Zfd Park. Photo by Kat Fitzgerald; see more on page 22, at www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com and at www.MysticImagesPhotography.com. WINNER! 2008 DRAMA DESK AWARD OM NEW YORK AND K_\eZc`ZbfeXepX[Xe[Y\kXb\e[`i\Zkcpkf DIRECT FR STRICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT A 8 WEEKS ONLY! 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