Chicago dining, nightlife, events and photos for the gay and lesbian community http://www.chicagopride.com en-US http://www.chicagopride.com/graphics/cplogo-sm2.gif http://www.chicagopride.com Mayor Richard M. Daley and members of the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations Advisory Council on LGBT Issues welcomed over 500 leaders, friends and advocates of the Chicago gay community to the Chicago Cultural Center for the 18th Gay Pride Month Reception, an annual event he started in 1991. Joining Daley and the Commission on the podium were prominent LGBT supporters Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL), Chicago Public School Chief Ron H... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7630516 2009-06-30 Reports that a Fort Worth, Texas gay bar was raided on Saturday have left gay activists angry as police remain quiet on specifics. Gay weekly the Dallas Voice was first to report on the raid that occurred Saturday night at the Rainbow Lounge, located at 615 S. Jennings Street. The Fort Worth police have not commented on the specifics of the raid, but a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission spokeswoman, Carolyn Beck, confirmed to a Dallas Observer... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7625025 2009-06-29 The 40th Annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade kicked off at noon today with what is estimated to be the largest crowd ever for the event reaching 500,000 according to Chicago Police sources. An official count has yet to be released by the Mayor's Office of Special Events. On this near weather perfect day of sun and comfortable temperatures, the streets were packed with onlookers and vocal pride enthusiasts. Leading the parade was Grand Marshall Alex... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7619536 2009-06-28 Chicago Pride Fest, a two-day prelude to Sunday's Pride Parade, kicked off Friday afternoon on a near perfect Summer afternoon in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Pride Fest, now in it's 6th year, has expanded to become a two-day celebration. The event is hosted by The Northalsted Area Merchants Association (NAMA). "This opportunity to start celebrating at 3 p.m. on Friday allows us to bring more great talent, bands and performers, as wel... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7614049 2009-06-27 Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) was awarded $331,000 grant from the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services to enhance its existing mental health and substance abuse programs. In March 2008, TPAN launched the POWER program (Positive Outcomes for Wellness, Education, and Recovery), designed to serve African-American men who have sex with men (MSM), are HIV-positive or at-risk, and struggling with addiction issues. With the program's ... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7608564 2009-06-25 In a statement released Wednesday, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton admitted "words hurt" but refused to apologize to Black Eye Peas frontman Will.i.am for calling him a "f*cking f*aggot." "Words can hurt," Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, writes on his blog. "My intention however misguided as it may have been was to stand up for myself and tell this belligerent man that I had enough of his badgerin... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7603081 2009-06-25 For more than 20 years, Deborah Gibson has proven she's an entertainer of immeasurable talent. From singer, songwriter and musician to actor and dancer, she embodies what it truly means to be an entertainer. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the celebrated singer started her personal love affair with music at the ripe age of two and a half. "I'd put my ear to the speaker in my bedroom and run back to the piano and play left and right... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7592121 2009-06-23 A non-stop lineup of rock and dance music performers on two stages are just a few of the many highlights of Chicago's 7th annual Pride Fest this Friday and Saturday. Among the more than 20 stage artists will be dance/club music faves Ultra Nate, Inaya Day, Thelma Houston, Jeanie Tracy and Martha Wash& '80s teen pop sensation Debbie Gibson& and local rock acts the Kimi Hayes Band, Dot Dot Dot, The Joans, Sixteen Candles and Rock Candy. Others sch... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7586644 2009-06-23 Openly gay celebrity blogger Perez Hilton refused Tuesday to apologize for using an anti-gay slur, adding that he was the victim in Monday's altercation with Black Eyes Peas' frontman Will.i.am. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) called on Hilton to apologize for calling Will.i.am a "f*cking f*ggot" during a confrontation after Monday's MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto. "I am saddened GLAAD chose to victim... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7581169 2009-06-23 Wednesday's executive order signed by President Obama that extends certain benefits to the spouses of gay and lesbian federal employees has failed to stem the rising tide of defections from next Thursday's gay DNC fundraiser. Gay activists called for a boycott on the LGBT Leadership Council's fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee to protest the Obama administration's defense of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, the 1996 law that a... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7575696 2009-06-19 Bud Light, in conjunction with Media Consultants, announces the new Bud Boyz competition in Chicago, starting with the first event at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, June 19 at Hamburger Mary's - Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark. Sign-up starts at 9 p.m. The search is on to find four of the hottest guys in Chicago to be hired as "spokesmodels" for the rest of 2009. Competitors have to be over 21 with a good personality. There will be three prelimina... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7570225 2009-06-17 Nevada Senator John Ensign admitted Tuesday he had an affair with a former staffer, the Los Angeles Times reported. Ensign, a gay rights opponent, was considered a rising star of the Republican party and possible presidential material. "If there was ever anything that I could take back in my life, this would be it," Ensign said Tuesday afternoon during a news conference in Las Vegas. The fifty-one-year-old Republican indicated he wou... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7564756 2009-06-17 The best gauge of the temperature on gay and lesbian rights is the mood at the annual Gay Pride parade and festival. Two festivals this weekend produce contradictory readings. In Boston, the atmosphere is absolutely exuberant as Massachusetts celebrates its fifth year of legalized gay marriage and recent wins by its New England neighbors Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut. The Massachusetts Supreme Court ordered the state in 2003 to ... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7559289 2009-06-14 The gay blogosphere lit up like a firecraker Friday on news the Obama administration was defending the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) in a federal lawsuit. The 1996 law was signed into law by President Clinton (also angering gay groups). It allows states to ignore legal gay marriages performed in other states and defines marriage as a heterosexual union for federal agencies. During the campaign Obama called the law "abhorrent" and pr... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7553824 2009-06-13 Chastity Bono, daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono, is undergoing a sex change operation to become a man. "Yes, It's true," a Bono spokesperson confirmed. "Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7548361 2009-06-11 Two thousand and nine marks the year of many challenges, obstacles and lessons yet the overall undertone is one of great hope and positivity. This week, JASON ANTONE is celebrating this and more on his debut full-length studio album "Start To Move" co-written and produced by Willie Lewis (Astralwerks, Jive), releasing on Chickie Records. Jason's first video single for the album "To The Limit" also premiered in MTV's Logo Net... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7542900 2009-06-10 On Monday, June 22, the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame will begin its 2009 fund-raising effort with its annual Pride and Joy Reception from 6 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Circuit Night Club, 3641N. Halsted Street. Tickets are $10 and available from members of the Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues, from Hall of Fame inductees, and at the door at Circuit. The evening will include a buffet of heavy hors d'oeuvres prov... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7537441 2009-06-10 Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee says California's gay marriage ban is a "miracle." Huckabee made his comments on Friday at a forum in Virginia Beach titled Rediscovering God in America, where he told a conservative Christian audience that Proposition 8 the voter-approved measure that banned gay marriage in California passed as a result of prayer. "There's no way in the world & that there should have been Proposition 8, m... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7531984 2009-06-10 Last year's torrential rains, lightening, and false reports that the festival was cancelled almost washed out the Milwaukee's Pride Festival. This year, PrideFest returns boasting the nation's largest LGBT pride entertainment lineup. Milwaukee PrideFest 2009 takes place June 12, 13 and 14 at Henry Maier Festival Park&rain or shine. PrideFest's mission is to celebrate the diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) culture and ... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7526529 2009-06-09 American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert says he's gay on the cover of Rolling Stone. Lambert scored second to Kris Allen on Fox's popular singing contest but the media's obsessive speculation about his sexuality, at, some would say, Lambert's own prodding, has thrust the twenty-seven-year-old into a dazzling spotlight. "I'm proud of my sexuality. I embrace it. It's just another part of me," Lambert reportedly says in the new interview. ... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7521076 2009-06-09 An openly lesbian politician who came close to unseating incumbent South Carolina Representative Henry Brown in November has outed three Republican lawmakers. Linda Ketner's narrow loss to Brown heartened South Carolina gay politicos who never expected such a tight race. A longtime businesswoman and community activist, Kerner's clear leadership attracted strong support from a community mostly cool to gay rights. In 2006, a large majority (78%) o... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7515625 2009-06-06 As riders and crew members prepare for the two-day, 180-mile Ride for AIDS Chicago, they'll be energized by the performances of the Chicago Spirit Brigade and MidTangent Productions on June 6. Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN), the producers of the Ride for AIDS Chicago (RFAC), have announced that opening and closing ceremonies will take place on the east lawn of Northwestern University's Norris University Center. Approximately 130 riders and ... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7510176 2009-06-05 Cyndi Lauper burst onto the world stage as the quintessential girl who wants to have fun. After more than 20 sterling years and global record sales in excess of 25 million, she has proven that she has the heart and soul to keep her legion of fans compelled by her every creative move. With her newly minted collection, Bring Ya To The Brink, Cyndi firmly asserts her position as one of the most beguiling, innovative, and downright exciting recording... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7504729 2009-06-05 New Hampshire today became the sixth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage, after a bill was enacted by both the state House and Senate and then signed by Governor John Lynch. Lynch, a Democrat, signed the bill into law at about 4:20 p.m. (CDT). "Today we're standing up for the liberties of same-sex couples by making clear they will receive the same rights, responsibilities and respect under New Hampshire law," said Lync... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7499284 2009-06-03 On the first day of Gay Pride, three major political actors reiterated their support for gay and lesbian rights, including former Vice President Dick Cheney. In a proclamation that declares June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride month, President Obama restated his pledge to gay rights, but failed to offer a timeline on action and continued to back civil unions for gay and lesbian couples over marriage. "My Administration has par... http://www.chicagopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/7493841 2009-06-01