Gay bars in elgin illinois

Johnston, 81, is a longtime gay philanthropist and co-founder of Equality Illinois. In the early days, customers sat on beer cases. Forty-three years later, Sidetrack is an iconic, two-story, 15,square-foot nightclub with dozens of TV screens pumping out music videos, four bars and a rooftop deck.

It also serves as a community center for meetings, fundraisers and celebrations, where powerful politicians, community leaders and activists, gay and straight, gather. Hostile forces threaten that progress. The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics has removed all references to gender or gender identity from at least four federal surveysreports The Appeal, a news organization that examines racism and inequity.

The changes will make it nearly impossible to monitor crimes and other forms of violence experienced by transgender people. The revered name of Harvey Milk is being removed from an American battleship. Milk served during the Korean War as a Navy diving officer on a rescue submarine. The first openly gay person elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors; he was assassinated in shortly after leading the passage of legislation that banned housing and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Freddie's Hidden Gay Bar

And at the end of the day, you know, we need to have presence. We need to have a seat at the table. We need to have representation everywhere. And fun. Planning is in the initial stages but there might be a piano on-site. Perhaps sing-along show tunes? But we will.

Her column returns on July 9 and will run every other week. Laura Washington is a political commentator and longtime Chicago journalist. Her columns appear in the Tribune on Wednesdays. Write to her at LauraLauraWashington gmail. Submit a letter, of no more than words, to the editor here or email letters chicagotribune.

By Laura Washington Chicago Tribune. More in Commentary.