THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 January 2, 2008 • vol 23 no 16 DP, Immigration Bills in Congress by BOB ROEHR anti-nepotism and financial disclosure rules, ences] but also refugees who are seeking asy- which now apply only to legal spouses. lum in our country,” said Kerry. “My legislation An ‘Amazing’ Gay and lesbian relationships of federal employ- A companion bill was introduced in the House would end this draconian law.” ees would be treated similarly to marriage under under the lead sponsorship of Democrats Tammy Only a dozen other countries have similar re- Duo page 20 legislation introduced Dec. 19 by Senators Joe Baldwin (Wisconsin) and Henry Waxman (Califor- strictions, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya, Lieberman, I-Conn., Gordon Smith, R-Ore. and nia), and Republicans Tom Davis (Virginia) and and Sudan. China recently changed its policy. 19 co-sponsors. The bill is called the Domestic Chris Shays (Connecticut). It has 35 additional On World AIDS Day 2006, President George W. Partner Benefits and Obligations Act of 2007. co-sponsors. Similar legislation previously has Bush said he would modify administration of the “It’s time for the federal government to catch been introduced in both chambers. law to make it easier for persons to get an ex- up with the private sector, not to just set an ex- The Human Rights Campaign has pressed for emption to enter the country. However govern- ample, but so that it can compete for the most the legislation. It noted that a majority of the ment lawyers concluded that the law gave them qualified employees and ensure that all of our Fortune 500 companies, the largest in the na- little flexibility. Some advocates have argued public servants receive fair and equitable treat- tion, provide domestic partner benefits to their that recent modifications proposed by the De- ment,” said Lieberman. “It makes good econom- employees. partment of Homeland Security are even worse ic and policy sense, and it is the right thing to than what currently exists. do.” Immigration reform Much of the processing of visas at US con- “The federal government should be leading the Repeal of legal provisions barring persons who sulates is handled by local employees and an way rather than following when it comes to pro- are HIV-positive from entering the country was applicant disclosing their HIV status when seek- viding benefits,” said Smith. “Rights and ben- introduced in the Senate on December 14 by ing a visa waiver opens up the possibility that efits must be afforded to all employees equally. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore. the information may spread and put them at risk This bill corrects the current inequity.” It would reform the Immigration and Nationali- for discrimination in their own country. Persons Sports The legislation allows same-sex domestic part- ties Act. with AIDS are not allowed to apply for a work ners to take advantage of health, retirement, “It’s incredible that the federal government permit or asylum either. Story of page 22 and other benefits associated with federal em- still tolerates a ban that not only restricts AIDS Turn to page 5 the Year ployment. It also extends restrictions such as experts with the disease [from attending confer- Black Gay page 12 Activists Fear Violence Pattern BY AMY WOOTEN Local Black LGBT activists are concerned about the recent murders of two openly gay Black men ‘Blood’-y on the South Side, and in light of the passing of the anniversary of last year’s New Year’s Eve Good Fun page 15 South Side shooting, they are calling for the city to step up on combating what they fear is a pat- tern of violence against the community. “We are calling on the police department to let the community know what’s going on,” said the Coalition for Justice and Respect’s Mark Love- less. He and others feel that the city and police nightspots haven’t adequately responded to the killings. n Critical Caucus—a coalition of LGBT organiza- tions such as the Coalition for Justice and Re- pick it up spect—as well as event planners and businesses, take it home held a press conference at City Hall Dec. 27 to issue a community alert in response to the news Achy Obejas of the murder of an openly gay choir director as well as the mid-November killing of a Black Talks About gay man. Loveless feels that the killings show a continued pattern of violence against Black gay Cuba, Books men on the city’s South Side. Since the press conference, the Chicago Police and www.WindyCityQueercast.com Turn to page 6 Sexuality www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com 2 January 2, 2008 Af`ek_\N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg Fec`e\:fddle`kp Dfi\k_Xe (.#''' K\ejf] k_fljXe[jf] XiZ_`m\[Xik`Zc\j ^f`e^YXZbdfi\k_Xe g_fkfj X[\ZX[\ C`ebjkfkn`Z\$n\\bcp 9i\Xb`e^e\nj# N`e[p:`kpHl\\iZXjk `eZcl[`e^ \ek\ikX`ed\ekXe[e\nj [li`e^k_`j <c\Zk`feJ\Xjfe J`^elg]fifli n\\bcp\$e\njc\kk\i ;fnecfX[XYc\G;= kfn`e^i\Xkgi`q\j Zfg`\jf]\XZ_n\\bËj N`e[p:`kpK`d\jXe[ E`^_kjgfkj ?le[i\[jf] Zfddle`kp Xe[Ylj`e\jj c`jk`e^j :_\Zbfec`e\[X`cpXk nnn%n`e[pZ`kpd\[`X^iflg%Zfd January 2, 2008 3 index News Republicans and gays 4 Appropriations done 4 Veterans and PTSD 5 LOPAÁLBRSOBPM>PQ>SBDBQ>?IBP Congressional bills 5 Local: Choir director killed 6 Pickett on nat’l TV 6 ªKLAOFKHQF@HBQP« celebrate Passages: Hansen, Pudgy! 6 Activists fear violence pattern 6 F@HBQMOF@BFK@IRABPELROPLCELPQBA?BBOTFKB>KA Local: Smoking ban, death 7 >OHFKDTFII?B>S>FI>?IBCLOFK>KB>O?VD>O>DB @>II?>O J>FKBKQOBB>KAABPPBOQ?RCCBQPTFII?BPBOSBA Local events 7 Before I Forget (above) is one of Rich- National roundup 8 ard Knight, Jr.’s top LGBT movie picks RKA>V >KR>OVQE¦MJ The year in trans 8 for 2007. See what else made his list on >OAL@H>CBKQ>OFLQEF@>DL World news 9 page 15. AS>K@BAMRO@E>PBQF@HBQP>S>FI>?IBRKQFI CLO JBJ?BOP>KACLODRBPQP IB>PBSFPFQEQQMP¥¥@EF@>DLJP>APMLOQPOBD@LJCLO>AS>K@BAMRO@E>PBAQF@HBQP Chat Daddy; Lynch; letter 10 QQEBALLOª@>PELKIV«@LPQTFII?BCLOJBJ?BOPCLODRBPQP RPQ?BQLBKQBOQLAOFKH Business: Dr. Pielet; Scarlet 11 Quotelines 11 >GJ>>II FJF >OHP FPPQEFLMF> EB eNTeRTAINMeNT FPPLKQFKBKQ>IIRP EBLOIAÁP LPQ FPPRQLCQEFPKFSBOPB EF@>DLLF>KAROI Writer Achy Obejas 12 ¦ B>RQFCRIO>KPPBUR>I ¦ LFW Theater 13 Warren’s movie picks 14 Knight at the Movies 15 Kuda: Boys in the Band 17 Pop Making Sense 17 Starrlight: Fantasia 19 Ross Forman chats with Chicago Metro- ‘Amazing Race’ lesbians 20 politan Sports Association head Marcia Julian Fantechi 20 Hill (above) about the year in sports and her organization’s own milestone. See OUTLINeS page 22. Real estate ads 18 Classifieds 19 Calendar, Dykes 21 Sports 22 —Amaechi; CMSA This week’s online-only www. features include: Windy —Interior Motives; and —A tour of Buenos City Aires and Montevideo Media (right) Group There are also extended online specials of: .com —Deep Inside Hollywood; and —a review of the DVD ShowBusiness www.WindyCityQueercast.com A NeW LOOK FOR AN OLD FRIeND Check out Nightspots’ new makeover for 2008! nightspotsn 4 January 2, 2008 “Why would you link homosexuality with sa- On his own radio show as governor in Arkansas, didate. domasochism, pedophilia and necrophilia?” Rus- just days after the decision was issued, Hucka- In short order, Giuliani began leaning heav- sert asked Huckabee. bee had said state sodomy laws were essentially ily to the right. He revised his position against Huckabee said that he was pointing out that unenforceable. a federal constitutional amendment banning “all of these are deviations from what has been The following week, she said Huckabee re- same-sex marriage, saying, “If a lot of states the traditional concept of sexual behavior and sponded to her criticism of his position on the start to [approve same-sex marriage] —three, men and women having children, raising those 2003 Lawrence v. Texas decision by saying that four, five, six states, where we have that kind children in the context of a traditional marriage his comment in 2003 had relied heavily on the of judicial activism, and the kind of situation and family.” Taken in the context of the book, he word of a caller to his radio show and hadn’t the governor is talking about actually occurs, said, it was a discussion of “how so many of our known the details of the case. if we’re dealing with a real problem—then we social institutions have Given the enor- should have a constitutional amendment.” He broken down.” mous amount of publicity revised his position in favor of civil unions, say- “But do you think ho- Iowa Caucus surrounding the decision, ing now that they “go too far.” And he trotted mosexuality is equiva- Don’t forget to visit www. wrote Coulter, “this little out the endorsement of right-wing anti-gay tel- lent to pedophilia, sa- WindyCityMediaGroup.com to find out the stretch-marked corn- evangelist Pat Robertson. domasochism.....” latest results, analyses and more! pone is either lying, has Given his pro-choice position on abortion, Mike Huckabee. Campaign photo “No, of course, not,” a closed head injury, is a there seems little likelihood that right-wing said Huckabee, inter- complete ignoramus—or conservative leaders will take a second look at rupting.