The Williams Institute and the Kirkland & Ellis LLP Diversity Committee’s LGBT Subcommittee invite you to:
“When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage”
June 7, 2010 6pm
Kirkland & Ellis LLP (300 N. LaSalle, Chicago)
Featuring:
Lee Badgett, Research Director, The Williams Institute and Doug NeJaime, Associate Professor of Law, Loyola Law School
Please join us after the presentation for drinks and light hors d’oeuvres!
RSVP to Katie Dowd, dowd@law.ucla.edu or 310-794-5192
The Williams Institute advances sexual orientation law and public policy through rigorous, independent research and scholarship, and disseminates it to judges, legislators, policymakers, media and the public. A national think tank at UCLA Law, the Williams Institute produces high quality research with real-world relevance.
When we lived in the East Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, we used to pick up the Chicago Free Press (weekly LGBT newspaper) on Wednesdays.
Sadly, it has been announced that after 11 years, they will be closing their doors. As we reported before, the staff had a walk-out this past December, including the editor-in-chief, for not receiving their pay. Managing editor Kerrie Kennedy made the following statement in a letter, Due to health problems, publisher David Costanzo is no longer funding the operation of Chicago Free Press and subsequently the paper will no longer publish. The community was curious since there were no papers for last weeks issue in the stacks. It had a readership of 50,000 and we hope that maybe someone will pick it up one day in the future. To Read more CLICK HERE
Openly Lesbian, Illinois State Representative Deborah Mell will marry her fiance (Christin Baker) in Iowa. Mell announced her engagement on Chicago Public television last night. We wish them the absolute best!
We met Deb Mell one day in March 2004, when we all marched for equal marriage rights (photo above left was taken of us in the protest in March of 2004 and right is Deb Mell’s photo taken that same day). Mell, who was little known then, was arrested that day as we all did a sit-ins in Chicago’s city hall and Washington Avenue down the street from city hall and Daley Plaza. It was a small surprise to the police when they realize the woman they arrested is the daughter of a Chicago Alderman, sister of the First Lady of Illinois, at the time, Patricia Mell Blagojevich and of course sister-in-law of the infamous Governor Rod Blagojevich (now impeached).
According to Mell, she said she would use a point of personal privilege Wednesday on the state house floor in Springfield to spark conversation about marriage equality among her colleagues and the public. “I’m going to talk about Christin, and I’m going to talk about how we have built this life together, and how just being with her has made me a better person, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and I want to get married in Illinois”
On April 1st, the Lakeshore Theater announced that it closed its doors on Saturday, April 10. Its brilliant marquis will be forever unlit. The Theater was becoming profitable with its comedian based performances, however a mountain of previous debts and needed, costly upgrades were forcing its doors closed. LGBT favorites performed there such as, Sandra Bernhard, Judy Tenuta, and musical theatre and drama productions.
We used to live around the corner by this venue in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood and sadly, our old neighborhood is losing its artistic spaces. On a sadder note, we went there to see a show with one of our best friends shortly before she passed away, a lot of great memories there. We hope it will not be a domino effect in the beautiful neighborhood.
I must do this story cause its great, but Marcos will get mad cause he’s a Chicago Sox fan and the only time he’s sports anything Cubs is a baseball hat that he’s had since he was 4 years old (he didnt buy it; that’s his excuse).
Anyway.
The Ricketts family (new owners of the Cubs) includes Laura Ricketts, an openly Lesbian co-owner, and the first EVER openly Lesbian MLB team owner. Ricketts is also a board member of civil rights organization, Lambda Legal. They purchased the Cubs for $845 million back in October ‘09. For more INFO
Our first apartment together was down the block from Wrigley Field which neighbors Boystown Chicago.
A man and a woman walk into the county clerk’s office, they spend $40.00 USD and they are wed and legally protected.
A man and a man, or woman and a woman walk into the county clerk’s office and they, well really don’t get anything.
To organize a will, benefits, and other legal protections could cost thousands, and that just the beginning. The Chicago Tribune featured the Wax-Pooley Family. Unlike the majority of heterosexual couples, they had to pay $10,000 USD for using wills, trusts, and powers of attorney (the protections a $40 marriage could afford). This family knew it was important to do this since they are parents to toddler twins who need to be protected as well. Similar situation happened to the Walker-Ferguson Family-a Lesbian couple who are expecting (Melissa Walker is pregnant) and Erin Ferguson needs to spend $2,000 to adopt the child so they are both legally parents.
Whats common between these two couples is that they are doing it for the best interest of their partners and their children. In regards to protecting the family, homosexual couples are the same as heterosexual couples, yet, because of unfair recognition, there is a clear story here of inequality.
As Chicago and Chicagoland natives, it hurts when you fight for LGBT rights nationally and you still hear about the multitude of hate crimes that happen in your own neighborhood back home.
In Blue Island, Illinois an African-American, Gay, HIV+ male by the name of Demetrius Anderson is suing the Blue Island Police Department for alleging excessive force, malicious prosecution, and hate-crime worthy verbal assault on his supposed religion, sexuality, mental health, and HIV+ status.
Bilerico.com’s D Gregory Smith covered the story and when I saw the town he mentioned, my eyes bugged out. I grew up with some of the BIPD’s children and the one’s I knew were good people. Unfortunately, there are always some bad apples. I realize that no matter how many 1,000’s of miles away we moved, part of the rights we fight for are for our neighbors’ rights back home.
Attorney Jacob Meister decided to leave the race for U.S. Senator of Illinois (President Obama’s old seat). The only openly Gay candidate, Meister will now support State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ race for that seat. Meister stated that at this point it is best, for the party, to pull out of the race and support Giannoulias. The Illinois State Treasurer is most likely the democratic party nominee for the senate seat.
We had the pleasure of meeting Meister in DC and we are sad to see him leave the race, but his campaign alone is a victory.
A domino effect of struggles has been hampering the Chicago Free Press newspaper. We used to pick-up this issue every Wednesday when we resided in Chicago. Sadly, the staff has walked out!
When we lived in the East Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, we used to pick up the Chicago Free Press (weekly LGBT newspaper) on Wednesdays.
On April 1st, the Lakeshore Theater announced that it closed its doors on Saturday, April 10. Its brilliant marquis will be forever unlit. The Theater was becoming profitable with its comedian based performances, however a mountain of previous debts and needed, costly upgrades were forcing its doors closed. LGBT favorites performed there such as, Sandra Bernhard, Judy Tenuta, and musical theatre and drama productions.
I must do this story cause its great, but Marcos will get mad cause he’s a Chicago Sox fan and the only time he’s sports anything Cubs is a baseball hat that he’s had since he was 4 years old (he didnt buy it; that’s his excuse).
A man and a woman walk into the county clerk’s office, they spend $40.00 USD and they are wed and legally protected.
Attorney Jacob Meister decided to leave the race for U.S. Senator of Illinois (President Obama’s old seat). The only openly Gay candidate, Meister will now support State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ race for that seat. Meister stated that at this point it is best, for the party, to pull out of the race and support Giannoulias. The Illinois State Treasurer is most likely the democratic party nominee for the senate seat.
A domino effect of struggles has been hampering the 
