…and today Civil Union Bill passes in the senate: 32 to 24. The bill will go to Gov Quinn who already promised to sign it into law, and will be available on July 1, 2011.
Yesterday, the house voted 62 to 52 in FAVOR of civil unions. The senate will get the chance to vote on Thursday, Dec 2nd.
The first hotel company to receive a 100% score of the HRC Corporate Equality Index, Kimpton Hotels are boutique hotels and the staff is GREAT! Most importantly they are GLBT supportive inside and out. Throughout all levels of employment, GLBT is represented, and they also outreach to the community through their project KGLEN (the Kimpton Gay & Lesbian Employee Network)
The Burnham Hotel Chicago was AMAZING to our pup. We had a sleek room, with a window seat overlooking beautiful State Street. The historic stairway in the lobby is worthy of a sneaky peek!
First of all, for those of you who voted, consider yourselves lucky, its quite a luxury to be able to have the final say…even though 10 years ago, our final say may have been altered [cough] Dade County, FL [cough]. As residents of California, we are happy with some of the results! Governor-Elect Brown, Lt. Gov-Elect Newsom, Sen. Boxer and others. However, we are unsettled by our home state of Illinois since Mark Kirk was elected US Senator-an anti-Gay individual who may cause trouble for himself more than others. READ HERE from Towleroad.
Why we picked out Mark Kirk to talk about is that there is this denial in the air. The air is thick with denial. Untruthful candidates-not that surprising, but do politicians have to change because of the 24 hr news cycle, and blogs? Or do they just have to be honest of who they are, where they are coming from, and maybe ask “Where will I be in X amount of years?” Will I be honest about who I am, telling my constituents that I was honest with them or myself, or just plain lied? It may be a victory for Mark Kirk, but the closet doors are creaking, and if the doors do open, what then?
We usually hate this question when asked in interviews, but if we really thought about it in a grand scale and asked candidates Where will you, your home life, your private life, sex life, future bills, future votes, strengths, and pending weaknesses will you see by the end of your first term? There would be some interesting answers. It needs to be asked more.
If I remember correctly, when we used to live in Chicago, the Windy City times hit newsstands every Thursday. This week marks their 25th anniversary and is Chicago’s oldest Gay & Lesbian newspaper. The Windy City Times started in 1985 with a small voice, but a long-term dream that LGBT topics would not only come from The Windy City Times, but that their own newspaper would continue, as other media, to have our news stories and issues mainstream.
Co-founder and current publisher Tracy Baim says “25 years is an important milestone because the modern gay rights movement had just begun its strongest push in the 1960s and 1970s.”
She says now that gay issues are covered better in the mainstream media, niche publications are crucial for covering the community in more meaningful ways.
What an amazing neighborhood to visit and live! The charm of the city life with a small town feel-the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago is also known as Boystown, but it’s so much more than that. Cafe’s, bookstores, art galleries, small businesses, and clubs line the streets. It is conveniently located between Wrigley Field and Lake Michigan. If you go this summer (especially for Pride, because its one of the best) stay at a Gay friendly Kimpton Hotel in the Loop, hop the red line and get off at the Belmont stop and head east. It is a beautiful walk and so many lovely shops to peruse. With the support of Mayor Daley of Chicago, this neighborhood has grown to be a go-to place to live and visit. If you are planning a getaway, don’t forget to include Chicago!
Frank and I are very fortunate to have many mother figures in our lives. Five years ago on Mother’s day weekend, I lost one of them. She was a music teacher, a very close friend, and to many of us students, she was like a mom. Her name was Lynette K. Mulder and she was so beautiful. She died due to complications from LUPUS at the young age of 36, she would have been 41 today. We will always remember her as young, beautiful, and a teacher who did whatever she could, and even broke the rules because it was the right thing to do in the best interest of the students. We know we have an angel who watches over us and still tells us to go the distance, cope and deal, and live every day as your last. I was so happy that she met my husband Frank before she died, we miss you Lynette. The following is from when she directed me and my friends in the Eisenhower Express showchoir. If you look close enough behind the ‘Eisenhower Express’ backdrop you can see her directing the band.
First of all, for those of you who voted, consider yourselves lucky, its quite a luxury to be able to have the final say…even though 10 years ago, our final say may have been altered [cough] Dade County, FL [cough]. As residents of California, we are happy with some of the results! Governor-Elect Brown, Lt. Gov-Elect Newsom, Sen. Boxer and others. However, we are unsettled by our home state of Illinois since Mark Kirk was elected US Senator-an anti-Gay individual who may cause trouble for himself more than others. 
If I remember correctly, when we used to live in Chicago, the Windy City times hit newsstands every Thursday. This week marks their 25th anniversary and is Chicago’s oldest Gay & Lesbian newspaper. The Windy City Times started in 1985 with a small voice, but a long-term dream that LGBT topics would not only come from The Windy City Times, but that their own newspaper would continue, as other media, to have our news stories and issues mainstream.
