Tag: Chicago

Safe in America: LGBTQI+ Asylum Seeker Shot in Chicago Gun Violence

April 12, 2023

By Melanie Nathan, April 12, 2023. Jaime* is a young woman who identifies as a lesbian. She fled her African country desperate to escape the criminalization and the violence she was experiencing, almost daily, at the hands of known community and police authorities. There was nowhere to receive government help or justice, because she, the … More Safe in America: LGBTQI+ Asylum Seeker Shot in Chicago Gun Violence

Meet the Obama Foundation’s First Group of Fellows

April 16, 2018

Congratulations to the 20 Fellows chosen out of 20,000 applicants. When the Obama Foundation opened applications for the inaugural Obama Foundation Fellowship,2018, over 20,000 people from 191 countries applied. From that incredible pool, they selected 20 inaugural Fellows who represent 11 countries around the world. Welcome to the Fellows: Erin Barnes, Veronica Crespin-Palmer, Clarissa Delgado, … More Meet the Obama Foundation’s First Group of Fellows

Chicago Dyke March Commits Religious Bigotry Against American Dyke Jews

June 26, 2017

See petition at end of this article: Chicago Dyke March, an annual event in Chicago turned Jewish marchers away from their event because they were carrying a rainbow flag with a Star of David embossed on it. . Laurie Grauer, a member of Chicago’s queer Jewish community and her friends were turned away from the … More Chicago Dyke March Commits Religious Bigotry Against American Dyke Jews

Growing List of Cities and States Banning Official Travel to North Carolina

April 13, 2017

An ever-growing chorus of cities and states are not fooled by North Carolina’s discriminatory “bait and switch” on HB2 WASHINGTON — Today,  Equality NC hailed the news that Chicago and California are maintaining their bans on taxpayer-funded travel to North Carolina. The announcements come after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Senate President Phil Berger, and House Speaker Tim Moore passed … More Growing List of Cities and States Banning Official Travel to North Carolina

Protesters Win in Shutting Down Trump Rally

March 11, 2016

Just when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump thought he was infallible, and that he could get away with racist violence at his rallies, Americans in Chicago responded to his bigotry and his calls for violence with a protest the likes of which has not been seen at a political rally in American history.  Protesters succeeded … More Protesters Win in Shutting Down Trump Rally

National LGBTQ Task Force’s Halfhearted Condemnation After Creating Change Attack on Jews

January 25, 2016

ious protest that led to the shut down of a Jewish Shabbat and reception event at Creating Change Conference 2016, Rea Carey of National LGBTQ Task Force issued a statement which is headed “National LGBTQ Task Force Condemns Anti-Semitism”. But that is not really what her statement says given the veils and context. Instead its a mish-mash of zero apology and a myriad of ineffectual excuses, hiding behind verbiage which, by virtue of its context, halfheartedly condemns Anti Semitism. The below statement by Rea Carey of National LGBTQ Task Force leaves a lot of questions and much to be desired. … More National LGBTQ Task Force’s Halfhearted Condemnation After Creating Change Attack on Jews

LGBT Protesters at Creating Change Call for the Destruction of Israel

January 23, 2016

Has Creating Change taken on a New Meaning: Does that Change involve LGBTQ America Supporting Anti Semitism? By Melanie Nathan, January 21, 2016. This week will go down in history as one of the saddest and most destructive, ever, in the lives of LGBTQ Jews.  We became the target of antisemitism disguised as protesting alleged … More LGBT Protesters at Creating Change Call for the Destruction of Israel

Famed LGBT Voices Blast Task Force For Banning Jewish Event from Creating Change Conference

January 18, 2016

The Hypocrisy of Rea Carey and the LGBT Task Force : “Our vision for the future of the movement is one that is broad, inclusive and dynamic” – and yet they ban a pre-arranged and once accepted  Jewish event within days of the Conference. See Call to Action below! By Melanie Nathan, January 18, 2016. … More Famed LGBT Voices Blast Task Force For Banning Jewish Event from Creating Change Conference

Cut from 50th Anniversary Dream Defenders want your 2 minutes

August 31, 2013

Our March Campaign Will Not Be Silenced By Cathy Kristofferson, August 30, 2013 At Wednesday’s 50th anniversary March on Washington celebration Dream Defender’s Philip Agnew and United We Dream’s Sofia Campos were denied their opportunity to speak at the last minute. The excuse given?  Officials said they had “run out of time.”  This follows the … More Cut from 50th Anniversary Dream Defenders want your 2 minutes

Illinois LGBT community urgent call to counter the radical rights efforts to kill marriage equality

April 25, 2013

SB 10 Marriage equality in Illinois By Melanie Nathan, April, 25, 2013. On February 14, the Illinois State Senate voted to pass the legalization of marriage equality (IL SB10) bill, entitled the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, by a 34-21-2-2 score in favor of marriage equality. The vote is one step closer to making … More Illinois LGBT community urgent call to counter the radical rights efforts to kill marriage equality

Gays can defeat Chick-fil-A and Dan Cathy employing true American Values

July 29, 2012

By Melanie Nathan, July 29, 2012 By now you have all read that the inventors of the chicken sandwich, Chick-Fil-A, have gone cuckoo, with clucked anti-gay cluck by owner Dan Cathy, who said the company was “guilty as charged” in its stance against same-sex marriage and equality.  He made  gay-hate comments which fueled protests by … More Gays can defeat Chick-fil-A and Dan Cathy employing true American Values

Moscow Pride: Police Attack Genderqueer Activist Anna Komarova – First Interview

May 30, 2011

05/30/2011, Melanie Nathan,  4.03 PM (PST) Moscow: One of the most courageous voices of GayRussia, a group that organizes direct LGBTQI action, is Anna Komarova.   Anna, a genderqueer activist was one of the eighteen LGBTQI rights protesters arrested, as they tried to stage the banned Moscow Gay Pride parade on Saturday.  All were roughly manhandled … More Moscow Pride: Police Attack Genderqueer Activist Anna Komarova – First Interview