THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 Feb. 10, 2010 • vol 25 no 19 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Rugby star is out, and winning big BY ROSS FORMAN page 17 Sandra Gareth Thomas, a muscled sportsman in the ul- Bernhard timate macho sport, was admittedly nervous be- fore coming out this past December. He had the normal and natural personal is- sues to consider of family and close friends. He also had teammates, coaches, opponents, fans and his worldwide appeal as one of the greatest rugby players ever. “Right before coming out, I was really ner- vous,” he said. “Sports—rugby, in particular— have been my life. I can never imagine living without sports or rugby. It’s in my blood to play rugby. But I really was nervous for the reaction that I was going to get.” Especially since he made the meticulously- planned announcement in the morning, and then that afternoon joined his Cardiff Blues teammates for a match against Toulouse—which was a team he previously played for, and a hos- Kirby tile place for opponents. Dick page 14 “I thought the reception I’d get [before] that game might be a bit frosty, but actually, when my name was announced, and then when I took the field, it probably was the loudest cheer of the day—and that totally blew me away,” Thom- as said. “Ever since then, all I’ve heard is cheers. I think people appreciate what I’ve done and Turn to page 19 Chicago’s Chasnoff wins leader honor BY MICKI LEVENTHAL ists. Nobody really understood or valued what The marginalization of women’s voices, par- we did. The value of story telling and first voice ticularly in the news media became apparent to Sotomayor Salome Chasnoff, founder and executive director is beginning to be understood; McCormick Foun- Chasnoff in 1995 when traveled to Beijing to Event page 9 of Beyondmedia Education, has been named a dation [the philanthropic arm of the Chicago attend the United Nations Fourth World Confer- Leader for the 21st Century by Women’s eNews Tribune] is now one of our major funders.” ence on Women. The documentary she produced in the category of “Seven Who Invent a Better Chasnoff’s journey into media activism began about the conference led to the first iteration of Future.” Chasnoff, who received the Ida B. Wells when she was a PhD student in performance Beyondmedia, which was originally established Having NIGHTCAPS with Plucky tFebruary 3, 2010 Rosenthal at Berlin. Bravery in Journalism award, will join her fel- studies at Northwestern University. As part of as a commercial venture to distribute the docu- nightspots page 12 Celebrate It low awardees at a gala celebration in New York her dissertation project she worked with a group mentary. Mr. Chicago Leather 2010 competition at Touché. page 25 May 6. of pregnant teens and produced the documen- In 2000, Beyondmedia incorporated as a In addition to the activism on behalf of wom- tary “Looking at Teen Motherhood: The Fantas- not-for-profit educational organization. Today, en and girls for which Chasnoff won the award, tic Moms Video.” Through the honest telling of Chasnoff leads the organization and staff in pro- nightspots she and her organization provide media educa- their own stories, the project assisted the young viding education and services in four program n tion and advocacy for LGBT youth. women in changing both their self images and areas. Girls! Action! Media!, Women and Prison, pick it up status within their communities. For Chasnoff, and Q’d in Media provide their cohorts with me- “I am really thrilled to receive this journal- take it home Back on We show you ism award,” said Chasnoff. “It has been a bat- the experience helped crystallize the importance dia arts skills and technology to tell their own, the Rehab everything wagon. butt love. page 12 page 13 tle for us as we have been in a nether space. and validity of what she named “first voice, the Funders who support journalism saw us as the first-person accounts of lived events and experi- Turn to page 6 arts. Funders who support arts saw us as journal- ence.” AdWindyCityTimes15x1025_01outlined.indd 1 2/8/10 3:18:21 PM 2 Feb. 10, 2010 M?D:O9?JOC;:?7=HEKFFH;I;DJI I^emYWi_d]j^[8;IJFhe\[ii_edWb7cWj[khJWb[dj_d9^_YW]eÊi=B8JYecckd_jo Cki_Y":WdY["?cf[hiedWj_ed"Fe[jho":hW]"9ec[Zo"WdZceh[ EDBOJMEEFFEHJKD?J?;IJEGK7B?<O<EHJ>;8?=J7B;DJI>EM '&&YWi^fh_p[jeWkZ_[dY[\Wleh_j[$+WYji[WY^d_]^jWZlWdY[jeI_Z[jhWYa '&jeYecf[j["+WjZeeh IF?DJ>KHI<;8(+ HEI9E;ÊIM;:C7H) .fci_]dkf%/fcijWhj .fci_]dkf%/fcijWhj I?:;JH79A I7JC7H(&'fcZeeh%)fcijWhj '&Yel[h_dYbkZ[iZh_daj_Ya[jWdZ[djhojem_d J>;8?= 7c[h_YWd7_hb_d[ij_Ya[jiWdZceh[ J7B;DJI>EM =H7D:FH?P; je79Jm_j^ceij7kZ_[dY[LEJ;I '&&&YWi^"7c[h_YWd7_hb_d[j_Ya[ji"Ij[ff[dmeb\j^[Wjh[j_n" C_bb[hB_j[WdZIaooLeZaW]hWdZfh_p[iWdZceh[ 7BB79JI7J<?D7BIM?BB8;IK8C?JJ;:ED:L::?H;9JBOJEJ>;97IJ?D=:;FJ$ E<7C;H?97ÊI=EJJ7B;DJ$M;M7DJCEH;=B8J;NFEIKH;EDJ>;I>EM <ehceh["l_i_jm_dZoY_joc[Z_W]hekf$Yec =;JOEKH79JJE=;J>;H IFEDIEH;:8O0 windy 0210 brother:Layout 1 2/4/10 2:26 PM Page 1 Feb. 10, 2010 3 index “Surely the greatest piece of writing by an NEWS American playwright under 30 in a ACT UP-like group forms 4 Prop 8 lawyer Therese Stewart 4 generation or more.” Gay candidates’ wrap-up 5 -Chicago Tribune Albie Sachs at U. of C. 6 Beyondmedia’s Chasnoff 6 Development angers activists 7 “Such a perfect, youthful confluence of Gay attorney helps N.Y. family 7 confidence, individuality, originality and pure The Dinah’s Mariah Hanson 8 Debbie Allen at Columbia 8 theatrical savvy happens only rarely.” Sotomayor remembered 9 - Chicago Sun-Times Quotelines 9 Views: Rehwinkel, Hoover 10 ENTERTAINMENT Dancin’ Feats 11 Theater reviews 12 Justice Albie Sachs (above) recently Knight: Valentine’s Day 14 talked about marriage equality in South Kirby Dick interview 14 Africa. See page 6. Gays Got Talent call 15 Orgasm, Inc.; Lampanelli 16 Photo by Micki Leventhal Sandra Bernhard 17 Rugby player Gareth Thomas 19 Billy Masters 21 OUTLINES Real estate; classifieds; Pets 18 Calendar Q 20 Sports: Pride House 22 Photos on left side of cover (from top): Photo of Sandra Bernhard by Jasmine Hirst; PR photo of Kirby Dick; photo of Gabriel Gomez by Tracy Baim Comedian Lisa Lampanelli gets nasty with Windy City Times. See page 16. Photo by Karen Moskowitz Il^YpjkXi`jflk# Xe[n`ee`e^Y`^ the brother/ JXe[iX ;FNECF8;K?@J 9\ie_Xi[ >fkfnnn%N`e[p:`kpD\[`X>iflg%Zfdkf[fnecfX[Zfdgc\k\`jjl\jf] B`iYp ;`Zb n`ejc\X[\i_fefi :_`ZX^fËj:_Xjef]] N`e[p:`kpK`d\jXe[E`^_kjgfkj% JfkfdXpfi <m\ek K_\eZc`ZbfeXepX[Xe[Y\kXb\e[`i\Zkcpkfk_\X[m\ik`j\iËjN\Yj`k\ sister plays www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com written by Tarell Alvin McCraney Having NIGHTCAPS nightspots with Plucky tFebruary 3, 2010 directed by ensemble member Tina Landau Rosenthal at Berlin. n nightspots page 12 ONLINE INDEX Celebrate It Mr. Chicago Leather 2010 competition at Touché. page 25 ANALYZING ADAM A breakthrough theatrical event: three interconnected plays in two programs by a brilliant new American voice. Grand in scope, Adam Lambert’s yet intimate and heartfelt, Tarell McCraney’s plays are daring, MR. debut CD, For Your funny and genuine. CHICAGO Entertainment, is not LEATHER 2010 living up to the hype, Back on We show you the Rehab everything wagon. butt love. page 12 page 13 commercially speaking. Andrew Davis looks at the Now Playing! GUITARIST In the Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre SHARON album, song by song. ISBIN OUT OF AFRICA SHOW #351 Center on Halsted’s Gregory Gross talks steppenwolf about an initiative to help Zimbabweans www.WindyCity infected with HIV/AIDS. buy online at steppenwolf.org or call 312-335-1650. Queercast.com Photo courtesy of Gregory Gross Corporate Foundation Hotel Partner WHAT CAN BROWN Production Sponsor Production Sponsor DO FOR YOU? QueerTVTVNetwork.comN This week’s Pop Mak- ing Sense looks at more Check OUT OUR ear-catching musicians, video CHANNEL for including V V Brown new videos weekly (right). www.QueerTv Network.com 4 Feb. 10, 2010 “We know that many people across the country ONLINE AT Nat’l ACT UP- feel the same way, and that many have been ac- tively working within their own communities for WINDYCITYMEDIAGROUP.COM like network a long time,” they said. “The Highlander Center NATIONAL NEWS can comfortably accommodate about 35 people, forming and we broke those limits because we wanted BY REX WOCKNER more people to participate in the conversation. “We had no secrets, only limited space and Around 45 LGBT activists of varying national resources, and a very short time to organize this stature met at the Highlander Research and Edu- retreat. We wish we could have invited thou- cation Center in rural Tennessee in late Janu- sands. We want to work with everyone to help —Bashing ary to create a new national LGBT direct-action inspire our community to bold action. ... We sergeant movement. Around 45 LGBT activists of varying national want to make the White House and Congress stripped of rank “We had one thing on our agenda: Discuss stature, including National Equality March take notice. And we want everyone who stands ways to build a national network of activists to leaders Kip Williams and Robin McGehee, in the way of full equality to be held account- —Project Inform demand full equality now,” said Kip Williams and met at the Highlander Research and Educa- able and wonder what just hit them.” disappointed Robin McGehee, who are best known as key orga- tion Center in rural Tennessee in late January For more information or to join the network, with Obama nizers of last year’s National Equality March on to create a new national LGBT direct-action e-mail [email protected].