We’ve resigned ourselves to our Wednesday reality, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a “Saturday In The Park.” Doesn’t that sound delicious?

And, yes, there will be ice cream.

Now this is a revelation. Key Republican donor Stuart Levine told a federal jury that he hosted dozens of drug-filled parties populated solely with male friends.
Chicago’s Sun Times reports that Levine, a key witness against embattled real estate developer Tony Rezko, testified that his clandestine antics back to 1972: Levine said he first experimented with drugs in 1972, primarily using marijuana and cocaine during that decade. He said he also tried quaaludes a couple of times in the same period and did LSD once.

In the mid-1980s, Levine said there was a change in his drug use when he began partying with a group of five male friends — two or three at a … Continued…

Charlene Cothran’s back in action!

The “ex-gay” former Venus publisher has been hard at work on an inflammatory new project: a speech entitled “How Homosexuality Destroys Families, Not Just Values.” Sounds like a real winner.

Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network will protest Cothran’s appearance on March 13th. As a publisher of Venus magazine, a publication formerly oriented towards African American lesbians, about a year ago Cothran apparently decided that the grass (and money) was greener on the Republican right, and has since become a tool of their movement and a professional gay hater. Her presentation, which is advertised as “free and open to the public,” will be at 7 PM, Thursday, March 13th at … Continued…

Black gay activists in Chicago claim two seemingly unrelated deaths have an unspoken connection: Leaders of Chicago Black Lesbian and Gay Organizations announced a community alert Thursday morning after two recent homicides in which they believe black gay men were targeted.
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The community organizations called the alert in response to the deaths of Larry Bland, on Nov. 17, and Donald Young, on Dec. 23, according to a news release. Bland’s mother believes that a potential lover shot him to death last November.

Young, a choir director and deacon, seems to have been murdered in an apparent pre-Christmas robbery.

Chicago-based Larry Bland died violently two weeks ago and his mother suspects his one his chat room mates may have murdered him. This isn’t the first time online sex has been brought up in a gay man’s murder.

Michael Sandy met his killers online, as have a number of other men who have come up on this site. Never in our eons of reporting gay murders, however, have we heard a story start with such panicked condemnation.

From local Fox reporter Darlene Hill: Log in, type the address, and enter a world unknown to many: a world full of men seeking sex with men.

Josephine Bland says her son was so consumed by that activity, she moved out of her own home.
Continued…

Yesterday we reported that a Chicago-area man filed a federal lawsuit against particularly brutal and anti-gay police officers.

Some of you wanted to know what this man looked like and who’s representing him. The man, Frankie Brown, can be seen to the right.

As for his legal representation, Brown’s hired Jon Loevy and Matt Jenkins of Loevy and Loevy, a firm known for taking on over-aggressive cops.

For more pictures of Brown and his lawyers, check out Chicago Indy Media.

Remember when we praised Miami detective Confesor Gonzalez for keeping a queer cold case hot? Well, now we have to wag a finger at some of his police officer peers. We’ve just received a press release announcing a lawsuit against Chicago police for allegedly gay bashing, tormenting and stealing from a peaceful gay man.

Read the truly disturbing details after the jump.
Continued…

• PlanetOut-owned Men magazine named abdominally-bless Johnny Castle as their “Man of The Year”. On a somewhat related note, Matt Damon won People magazine’s Sexiest Man top slot. Note that the gays have far more flare - and flesh. [See a NSFW shot of Castle, after the jump. And be sure to check out the magazine’s new blog.]

• Iranian Chief Justice halts “gay” execution, calls sentence violation of Islamic teachings: The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has learned that the Iranian Chief Justice, Ayatollah Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, has nullified the impending death sentence of Mr. Makvan Mouloodzadeh, a 21-year old Iranian citizen found guilty of multiple counts of anal rape (ighab), allegedly committed when he was 13 years old. The Iranian Chief Justice described the death sentence to be in violation of Islamic teachings, the religious decrees of high-ranking Shiite clerics, and the law of the land.
For the record, no one accused the man of rape.
Continued…

Maybe God does hate fags…

Chicago-based Episcopal Reverend Tracy Lind lost her bid to become the Windy City’s new Bishop. Instead, the Chicago diocese voted a Washingtonian named Jeffrey D. Lee as their new spiritual leader. NY Times provides more details: The Rev. Tracey Lind lost her bid Saturday to be the second openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church and the first female bishop of its Chicago diocese.

The Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee, rector of St. Thomas Church in Medina, Wash., won the election to lead the 40,000-plus member diocese.
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The outgoing bishop, the Rev. William D. Persell, said the election “should not, in any way, be seen as a vote against a gay or … Continued…

A big congratulations to absolutely adorable lesbian teens Lupe Silva and Brandy Johnson.
Continued…

Turf war! Bird watchers and sex trolls are clashing over Chicago’s Montrose Park, thus giving reporter Joel Turner an opportunity to flex his imagination: Luis Munoz, an avid bird watcher of 12 years, has seen a remarkable range of rare winged creatures this fall migration season, including the Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow and the red knot.

He also has come face to face with one species he hopes never to encounter again but knows he will: the Chicago cruiser. That’s far more flattering than the name we were thinking, which we’re sure most of you can imagine.

Russian rabble-rouser Nikolai Alexeyev will be the keynote speaker at Chicago’s Matthew Shepard March this Saturday. Alexeyev’s made international headlines for his tireless gay activism and the outing of prominent politico Alexander Chuev.

That stunt may earn Alexeyev slander charges.

Of Alexeyev’s involvement, Gay Liberation Network’s Andy Thayer says “[His work] demonstrates how rights have always been won, regardless of country.”

• Brooklyn lesbians calendar proves that New York’s the most attractive city in America.

• Chicago’s Fire Department calendar proves that New York’s the most attractive city in America.

• Episcopal Church votes to “restrain” gay officiation, no official same-sex blessing.

• Senator Ted Kennedy comes out for ENDA hate crime legislation. Senate to vote Thursday.
Continued…

Peter Akinola and other anti-gay Anglicans may soon get a new punching bag. The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago included openly gay Rev. Tracey Lind on their shortlist for the Windy City’s new bishop.

New Hampshire caused an international - and ongoing - religious incident when they inducted Gene Robinson back in 2003.

Robinson’s ascension riled up conservative leaders, such as Nigeria’s Akinola, who are urging the international Communion to take a firmer stance on the fagalas.

What a shitty way to start the weekend: a 22-year old Chicago homo asserts a gang of three anti-gay men harassed him this morning. Then, as a bit of icing, one of the thugs punch him in the face. The man told Chicago police three men confronted him early Friday morning in the 6700-block of North Sheridan Road, used a derogatory anti-gay term and then one of the men punched him in the face before they all ran off. Yes, FRC, police are treating the incident as a hate crime.

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