THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 Dec. 23, 2009 • vol 25 no 12 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com A foundation’s funds: Taking a closer look by SAMUEL WORLEY African-American HIV/AIDS Response Act, and Among other provisions, the act called for signed into law by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. the creation of “Response Officers” in four state The Let’s Talk, Let’s Test Foundation (LTLTF), cur- Authored by state Rep. Constance “Connie” agencies: IDPH, the Department of Human Ser- Sweet rently under investigation for misspending state Howard and state Sen. Kimberly Lightford, the vices, the Department of Corrections and the page 10 funds, received over a million dollars in grants Response Act was initially hailed as innovative, governor’s office. It focused particularly on the Travel in 2007 from the Illinois Department of Public if not visionary—POZ Magazine named How- problem of HIV in prisons, allowing for inmates Health (IDPH). As reported two weeks ago in ard one of “ten black AIDS warriors to watch.” to receive confidential testing upon request and Windy City Times, IDPH is now asking for over And AIDS Foundation of Chicago President Mark mandating a study of the link between incarcer- $500,000 of that money back. Ishaug said recently that the Response Act “was ation and HIV infection. Aiming to make HIV/ The grants came from a legislative initiative and is a very important idea. AIDS-prevention resources widespread, the act called the African-American HIV/AIDS Response “We need to bring attention to the epidemic in called for high-traffic state agencies, such as Fund, which established a pool of state money, communities of color,” said Ishaug. Indeed, the motor-vehicle bureaus, to double as HIV testing under the administration of IDPH, to fund orga- statistics are stark: though Black people account and counseling sites. nizations doing work to combat the spread of for just 15 percent of Illinois’ population, the The act also mandated the creation of a panel HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. same demographic accounts for half of all new Turn to page 9 The fund was legislated as a follow-up to the HIV infections. ‘Kiss,’ Cruz Kristin Congeniality Control Chenoweth page 13 Alan Cumming page 16 page 19 page 11 nightspotsn pick it up Personality Bertha Mason (left) and Chicago House CEO the Rev. Stan December 23, 2009 take it home #1008 Sloan get their just desserts at the agency’s “French Kiss: The 8th An- 2009 - The Green Issue WCT movie critic Richard Knight, Jr., reviews two high-powered holiday Almost 100% recycled material. We’re, like, soooooo sustainable. nual Champagne Wrapture,” held Dec. 16. Photo by Kat Fitzgerald (Mys- movie—Nine (above, with Penelope Cruz) and A Single Man—and calls ticImagesPhotography.com). See more on page 11 and online at www. one of them among the best he’s ever seen. See page 19. WindyCityMediaGroup.com. Brought to you by the combined efforts of page 20 2 Dec. 23, 2009 Season’s Greetings Walter Burnett, Jr. Darlena Williams-Burnett Jesse White Walter Burnett, Jr. Committeeman, 27th Ward Alderman, 27th Ward IL Secretary of State—Punch 24 Darlena Williams-Burnett State Central Committeewoman, 7th District – Punch 51 and Candidate for Congress in the 7th Congressional District – Punch 41 & Ken Dunkin State Representative, 5th District - Punch 72 & Keith Jackson Candidate for State Representative, 9th District– Punch 71 & Derrick Smith Candidate for Cook County Commissioner, 1st District – Punch 115 Dec. 23, 2009 3 index GOLDEN GLOBE® AWARD NOMINATIONS • BEST ACTOR DRAMA COLIN FIRTH NEWS BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS BEST ORIGINAL SCORE D.C. bill heads to Congress 4 Julianne Moore Abel Korzeniowski HFPA® Ryan White honored 4 3 Immigration bill disappoints 5 Passages: Matonovich 9 An AIDS group’s funds 9 “ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF THE YEAR! Colin Firth is magnificent in one of the best performances of the year! Lesbians’ Sweet journey 10 Tom Ford brings tenderness, wisdom and a gorgeous palette to this adaptation.” Champagne Wrapture 11 –Richard Corliss Star Gaze’s last Latin night 11 Quotelines 11 Views: Monroe, Hoag 12 ENTERTAINMENT Musician Vicci Martinez—who recently Kristin Chenoweth talks 13 won an OUTMusic Award for a song that Theater 14 is on the Hannah Free soundtrack—is Autos 16 profiled on page 17. Alan Cumming and his ‘Car’ 16 Photo by Elizabeth Leitzell Vicci Martinez 17 Knight at the Movies 19 Pets 19 Billy Masters 21 OUTLINES Real estate; classifieds 18 Calendar Q 20 COLIN FIRTH JULIANNE MOORE Sports: Athletes of the year 22 Cover photos and credits (from top): Photo of Sweet A SINGLE MAN Travel excursion by Kellen Bennett; Kristin Chenoweth photo by Brian Bowen Smith; Alan Cumming PR photo A FILM BY TOM FORD Jack Neilsen has been selected as Male www.asingleman-movie.com Athlete of the Year. Find out who his ARTWORK © 2 00 9 THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. female counterpart is on page 22. IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE CHRISTMAS DAY Photo courtesy of Neilsen 8]fle[Xk`feËj]le[j1 KXb`e^XZcfj\icffb Jn\\k ;FNECF8;K?@J KiXm\c :ilq ÊB`jj#Ë :fekifc :fe^\e`Xc`kp >fkfnnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfdkf[fnecfX[Zfdgc\k\`jjl\jf] Bi`jk`e :_\efn\k_ N`e[p:`kpK`d\jXe[E`^_kjgfkj% 8cXe :ldd`e^ n K_\eZc`ZbfeXepX[Xe[Y\kXb\e[`i\Zkcpkfk_\X[m\ik`j\iËjN\Yj`k\ 4 COLOR www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com WEINSTEIN 5" X 6.625" WINDY CITY TIMES - 4 COLOR nightspotsn ONLINE INDEX WEDNESDAY: 12/23 2009: THE POLITICAL PARTIES GREEN With primaries mere ISSUE ALL.ASM-A1.1223.WCTEMAIL.PDF (ALMOST weeks away, fundraisers 100% are in full swing. See JL JL AL AL RECYCLED pictures of out candidate MATERIAL) Todd Connor and pro- December 23, 2009 #1008 2009 - The Green Issue Almost 100% recycled material. We’re, like, soooooo sustainable. marriage equality candidate David Hoffman pick it up, 2009’S glbt (right). CELEBRITY Photo by Andrew Davis stories SHOW# 344 FROM ‘BOY’ TO ‘MAN’ take it home Nicholas Hoult (left)— who is in the new movie A Single Man—has certainly grown from www.WindyCity the Hugh Grant movie Queercast.com About a Boy. Find out more about him online. SLOAN LOVE TVN See photos from the- QueerTVNetwork.com ater’s recent Larry Sloan Awards, which were December 23, 2009 bestowed upon actress #1008 Check OUT OUR Rondi Reed (right) and video CHANNEL for WCT critic Jonathan new videos weekly Abarbanel. 2009 - The Green Issue www.QueerTV Almost 100% recycled material. We’re, like, soooooo sustainable. Network.com Photo by Steve Starr 4 Dec. 23, 2009 Committee, is trying to convince Republicans in nity,” said Barry. “I’m voting No against this ONLINE AT Congress not to attack the new D.C. marriage particular action.” law. “I still stand with this community,” he added. WINDYCITYMEDIAGROUP.COM Also working in the bill’s favor is the 30-day “After this vote is over, I’m going to still stand NATIONAL NEWS clock running down during a time when the Sen- with this community.” ate is fiercely occupied with health care reform, The bill’s other opponent, Yvette Alexander, and that both the Senate and the House would said she, too, was appreciative of the LGBT com- have to vote to overturn the measure. munity’s respect and support despite her deci- Those odds are apparently not stopping a sion to vote against the measure. group of clergy who oppose the bill. They vow Council judiciary committee chairman Phil to continue their opposition both in Congress Mendelson said the vote marks the “final step —Activist Dennis and in the courts. With the help of the Alliance in this long march” toward equality. He noted deLeon (left) dies Defense Fund, a right-wing legal group that has that, while four states—Connecticut, Iowa, New filed many challenges against equal rights for Hampshire and Vermont—approved marriage- —Gay-porn gays, the clergymen are still pressing forward equality laws in just over a year, the District first actor dies after with an effort to put the issue before voters in approved domestic-partnership benefits in 1992. being tasered the District. Others, including openly gay Councilmember Jim But if there was any surprise with the Dec. 15 Graham, noted that sodomy was still illegal in —Newsweek: vote, it was from the tenor of discussion in the the district just 20 years ago. No gay rights council chambers. One month earlier, the Coun- Human Rights Campaign President Joe Sol- for Obama in cil had entertained two public hearings at which monese issued a statement following the vote, 2010 hundreds of District residents gave testimony— saying “Today’s vote is a victory for all D.C. resi- Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty. much of it marked with harsh and hostile words dents, whose relationships will soon be treated about LGBT people and gay marriage. equally and fairly in the eyes of the law.” has taken significant action to advance equality That rancor was gone during the final vote. ©2009 Keen News Service for all New York state employees. The ability to D.C. marriage bill Before casting his vote in favor of the legisla- provide for our families is non-negotiable. We tion, which he sponsored, openly gay Council- N.Y. gov. signs applaud Governor Paterson for his commitment heads to Congress man David Catania thanked the council leader- to the LGBT community and look forward to BY Lisa KEEN ship for its help. In addition, he acknowledged gender-identity order working with fair-minded New York legislators to KEEN NEWS SERVICE pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination the longtime support of the LGBT community of New York Gov.