Rod 2.0:Beta

Burris Will Not Seek New Term

Roland Burris (D-IL), the only black member of the Senate and the embattled and controversial replacement of President Barack Obama, says he will not seek a new term in 2010. It's all about the Benjamins.

Burris' fundraising has been lackluster; he raised only $845 during the first three months of 2009. Polls have shown he has little voter support and he doesn't have the backing of top Illinois politicians, including fellow Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who has said repeatedly he would not support Burris for a full term. [...]

Equality Illinois political director Rick Garcia said he thinks Burris made the right decision, but he attended Friday's event to show his support because the Chicago Democrat has been a backer of the gay community. "One thing about good politics is you're not only with people who are on their way up, you've got to be with them on their way out," Garcia said.

Interesting the AP quoted prominent Rick Garcia, the prominent Chicago gay activist mentioned earlier. Burris, first black elected to statewide office in Illinois, was one of the first state officeholders to hire prominent openly gay staff when he was the state attorney general. Two weeks ago during Gay Pride, Burris "proudly" came out against the military's failed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and promised to vote for a repeal when a bill is introduced.

Burris will not face perjury charges for statements made before the Illinois House impeachment committee.

Opposition Grows to Anti-Gay, Rev. De Jesus as Chicago Alderman

There is growing opposition to Rev. Wilfredo De Jesus, the influential anti-gay Chicago evangelical minister being considered by Mayor Richard Daley for the vacant 26th Ward alderman seat. Despite the specious claim to the Chicago Tribune earlier this week that he will not let his "religious beliefs influence policy", a group of Chicago Latino LGBT activists met with the good reverend and found just the opposite, the Windy City Times reports.

On June 3, a network of about 30 LGBT activists and community leaders met with De Jesús at La Bruqueña restaurant, 2726 W. Division. “People asked him very pointed questions about his Web site, which has a page about homosexuality and how it's sinful and wrong. They asked him if he would change that, and he said absolutely not,” said Rick Garcia of Equality Illinois, who attended the meeting.

“Somebody asked, 'What if your daughter told you she was a lesbian?'. And I looked at this guy's reaction and it was sad. He looked like somebody threw cold water on him. He said something to the effect of, ‘That's not how my wife and I raised our family.' Then she pushed him and he said ‘Well, I would want to know who did that to her.'“ “I have to say that I don't think he swayed anyone in that room in his favor,” said Garcia.

“Many of us at the meeting were not confident that Rev. De Jesús would be able to separate his religious views from his role as an alderman,” said Lourdes Torres, president of Amigas Latinas, an organization that advocates for lesbian, bisexual and questioning Latinas, and their families. Torres said her concerns go beyond his stance on sexuality and include his position on other hot-button issues, including a woman's right to choose.

Earlier this week, Rod 2.0 questioned the Tribune's claim that "some gay residents" supported De Jesus and our response was: "It's difficult to imagine they would be welcome at De Jesus' church." WCT quotes one former congregant, a lesbian, who attended New Life Covenant Ministries during the time De Jesus was leading the charge against the Chicago Public Schools' proposed Pride Campus.

Esmeralda Román, said she left his church because of a sermon that he gave about the school that she said felt more "like an anti-gay rally." Román, a lesbian, had asked De Jesús just weeks prior if she and her partner and their three children were welcome to worship at New Life Covenant. De Jesús said they were. "We didn't go back because we didn't feel safe there," said Román. "I have sat in churches and seen people being hypocrites, people lying, people stealing—but I never felt hate like that at church. That's exactly what I felt."

De Jesus is the senior pastor of 4,000-member New Life Covenant Ministries, which is affiliated with the charismatic and very anti-gay Assemblies of God/Pentecostal movement.

Mayor Daley has until August 1 to fill the 26th Ward City Council seat, which was vacated when former Ald. Bill Ocasio became an adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn.

Thanks ANDRES!

Some Background...
Anti-Gay Pastor: Beliefs Will Not Influence Role as Alderman [R20]
Will An Anti-Gay Minister Be Appointed as a Chicago Alderman? [R20]

Anti-Gay Pastor Says His Beliefs Will Not Influence Role as Alderman

An update to the story of Rev. Wilfredo De Jesus, the influential anti-gay Chicago evangelical minister who is being considered by Mayor Richard Daley for a vacant alderman seat. Despite his noted public opposition to gay rights, De Jesus tells the Tribune he will "not not let his religious beliefs influence his policy making."

To reinforce his point, he even pledged to seek city funds for a proposed homeless shelter for gay teens in Humboldt Park. 'I would tell [critics]: Isn't it ironic that you're asking me to be tolerant and you're intolerant to my beliefs. How is that? [De Jesus] said. 'We already know there are differences. Let's put that to the side. What's hurting our community today? Let's focus on that.'

Much of the opposition to De Jesus stems from previous public statements and information on the church's Web site. In an interview last year, De Jesus told Christianity Today that his paramount priorities were opposing abortion and homosexuality. In a neighborhood newspaper story about a proposed new high school geared toward gay students, De Jesus raised the specter of a virgin being harassed by gays or lesbians to have sex.

And a member of De Jesus' congregation posted a testimonial on the church Web site about how she 'started doing drugs, drinking, partying, gang banging, fighting and hanging with the wrong crowd. I also lived a lifestyle of homosexuality and sexual immorality.' Through the church, she wrote, "I was delivered from homosexuality, anger, bitterness and resentment.'"

De Jesus is the senior pastor of 4,000-member New Life Covenant Ministries, which is affiliated with the charismatic and very anti-gay Assemblies of God/Pentecostal movement. The Tribune also claims "some gay residents [say] De Jesus' record of community service should trump any concerns about his religious views." None were quoted by name and it's difficult to imagine they would be welcome at De Jesus' church.

Julio Rodriguez, president of the Association of Latino Men for Action, a Chicago-based gay advocacy group, disputes De Jesus' statements that his religious views are irrelevant.  Rodriguez tells the Tribune:  "We don't see how someone who has such a strong foundation with his church can separate his belief system [from] his public role, even though he thinks he can."

Mayor Daley has until August 1 to fill the 26th Ward City Council seat, which was vacated when former Ald. Bill Ocasio became an adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn.

Pastor Who Opposes Homosexuality May Get Chicago City Council Seat Held by Ald. Billy Ocasio [Trib]

Some Background...
Will An Anti-Gay Minister Be Appointed as a Chicago Alderman? [R20]

Roland Burris Comes Out Against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

This was probably buried under the all the pre-Pride hoopla and the recent tensions between gays and the White House: Roland Burris,(D-IL) the Senate's only black-member and the controversial replacement of President Barack Obama, comes out against the military's failed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The Chicago Free Press reports: "Burris said he chose to come out against the policy, which prohibits gays and lesbians from openly serving in the Armed Forces, in celebration of Pride Week and the upcoming July 4 holiday. 'It’s time to promote unity and respect and progress,' the senator said. Burris called Don’t Ask Don’t Tell 'wrong strategically and wrong based on America’s principals,' noting the number of talented men and women discharged, particularly during wartime."

Burris was the first black elected to statewide office in Illinois. As Illinois Attorney General he was one of the first state officeholders to hire prominent openly gay staff.

Burris will not face perjury charges for statements made before the Illinois House impeachment committee.

White House Reception Recognizes LGBT Pride and Stonewall 40th

Forty years after the Stonewall riots sparked the gay rights movement, President Barack Obama hosts an historic reception for LGBT activists and their families to honor LGBT Pride and the 40th Stonewall anniversary. The speech, carried live on CNN and other networks, marks the first time a sitting president has given a live televised speech on LGBT issues.

The President, who has been criticized by many LGBT rights advocates for inaction on his many campaign promises, says his Administration has made some progress on behalf of gay Americans and will do more. Full remarks AFTER THE JUMP:

"I know that many in this room don't believe that progress has come fast enough, and I understand that," Mr. Obama said at a reception for LGBT Pride Month at the White House. "It's not for me to tell you to be patient anymore than it was for others to counsel patience to African-Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-century ago."

"But I say this: We have made progress," the president continued. "And we will make more. And I want you to know that I expect and hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I've made, but by the promises that my administration keeps."

Obama spoke about the "movement" created some 40 years ago: "The riots at Stonewall gave way to protests, and protests gave way to a movement, and the movement gave way to a transformation that continues to this day. It continues when a partner fights for her right to sit at the hospital bedside of a woman she loves; it continues when a teenager is called a name for being different and says, 'So what if I am?'; it continues in your work and in your activism, in your fight to freely live your lives to the fullest."

The list of attendees was forwarded by the White House Press Office to Rod 2.0. (Full list AFTER THE JUMP.) Invited guests included openly gay Administration officials such as Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg, Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry and Asst. Labor Secretary Mary Beth Maxwell. Leading LGBT advocates such as Human Rights Campaign's Joe Solmonese, and Jarrett Barrios, the new president of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

There were a number of prominent black and Latino LGBTs that should be familiar to Rod 2.0 readers: Phil Wilson, Black AIDS Institute; HRC's Donna Payne; Andre Leon Talley; Connecticut State Rep. Jason Bartlett; Denise Simmons, Mayor of Cambridge, MA;  Cornelius Baker, National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition; San Diego City Commissioner Stampp Corbin; actor Wilson Cruz; Bishop Yvette Flunder, City of Refuge United Church of Christ;  Earl Fowlkes, International Federation of Black Prides; Lupe Valdez, Dallas County Sheriff; and black Chicago lesbian leaders Mary Morten and Vernita Gray, interviewed in my Advocate cover story on Obama and Hillary Clinton.

An historic occasion and we should be mindful of the progress being made and how much further we have to go. It was also a pleasure to hear Obama allude to the black Civil Rights Movement. The occasion would have been more meaningful if there were more substantive policy initiatives to announce. The guest list was pleasantly diverse ... but very Stonewall 1.5. Online LGBT activists are leading the fight for equality and none were represented. Very out of character with the Facebook, YouTube and BlackBerry-driven White House.

WHEN YOU JUMP, Obama's full remarks and the guest list.

NBA Baller Ben Gordon's Backup Plan: Barney's Creative Director

Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon, one of the standout players in the NBA, goes from making some rather suggestive moves on-the-court to making some moves behind the scenes in the fashion industry. Gordon is well-known for his tasteful fashion aesthetic and gets his fashionista on for ESPN: The Magazine. The baller spends the day and camps it up with Simon Doonan, the Barney's creative director and husband to designer and Bravo personality Jonathan Adler.

"I have a European fashion sense," Gordon tells Doonan. "I love the fine tailoring and the fit."

AFTER THE JUMP, via Rod 2.0 reader FF, watch the video and a few more photos. And despite the many  stereotypes, how freakin' cool is it that a black professional ball player appreciates fashion and can glam and camp it up with fashion's power gays?

Chicago Tribune Goes "Beyond Boystown" and Looks at Black LGBTs on the South Side

Three weeks ago Rod 2.0 reported a fascinating digital history of black LGBTs on Chicago's South Side. On Friday, the cover of Chicago Tribune's Red Eye supplement updated this and ventured "beyond Boystown" to the city's predominately black South Side and discovered a "vibrant" black LGBT community. Jeffery Pub, seen above via Google Earth, is described as "possibly the oldest gay bar in Chicago" and serves as a meeting place for many black gay South Siders.

Nestled between a bank parking lot and a beauty salon, the Jeffrey Pub, a gay bar since 1965, beckons with two rainbow-striped martini glasses on its marquee. Once buzzed inside, visitors find rainbow flags hanging from the walls, carnival masks dangling from the ceiling, a disco ball above the dance floor and, beside the shot glasses, a glass bowl filled with free condoms.In the window, an illuminated sign glows "Pride."

The Jeffrey Pub plans to trumpet its pride louder than ever on Sunday, when it will send a 30-foot float down Lakeview's streets for the 40th annual Pride Parade--the first time the bar has had a float in the parade. "We just want to let people know that the South Side is here and it's vibrant," said Roberaiste Warden, director of health and public relations for the Jeffrey Pub and a patron of the bar for 34 years.

The Jeffrey Pub isn't alone in hoping to boost the visibility of the South Side gay community. Though Chicago's gay scene has long been concentrated on the North Side, particularly the stretches of Lakeview with the rainbow pylons officially designating Boystown, the South Side has a stable gay population that seeks the resources to stay and thrive within its own culture and neighborhoods.

The Youth Pride Center (MySpace), a nonprofit that organizes activities for LGBT youth of color, recently opened a satellite location in the nearby Hyde Park neighborhood. YPC "saw its membership triple, to 291 kids", according to staffer Francisco Walker, who explains the black LGBT youth say their biggest issue is family acceptance and many have been kicked out of their homes. "Some also have faced harassment on the streets. Walker said that since February, eight kids from YPC have told him they were harassed near the Red Line stop at 95th Street and the Dan Ryan, apparently because of their sexual orientation."

In recent years there has been a revitalization of LGBT activities on the city's South Side, from the Black Pride events next weekend (more on that later this week) to black LGBT-specific cultural events. Otis Richardson, the Chicago-based activist and creator of the black LGBT-themed Lavenderpop Greeting Cards, tells Rod 2.0: "My friend photographer Richard Gray recently held a Stonewall 40th Anniversary event at the Carter G. Woodson Library on 95th and Halsted. There is definitely a push among grass roots oriented black LGBTs to be visible on the South Side. Our challenge is to create and support those resources. I have nothing against the Boystown community, but I want to spend money supporting groups and businesses run by people who look like me."

UPDATE: On the story's photos (or lack of) at Facebook. While you're there, add me to your Facebook and Twitter (@rodmccullom).

You May Enjoy ...
Fascinating Virtual Archive of Black LGBTs on Chicago's South Side [R20]
NYC Pride Event on Black Gays and New Media [R20]

Koko Taylor, Blues Legend and Chicago Music Icon, Dies at 80

The sharecropper's daughter who became "queen of the blues" has died.

Koko Taylor—a blues legend, Chicago musical icon, and one of the most revered female blues vocalists of her time—passed away Wednesday due to complications from gastrointestinal surgery. Taylor's death comes less than four weeks after her last performance at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, where she collected her record 29th Blues Music Award.

The singer internationally renown for her gruff, no-nonsense roar was born Cora Walton near Memphis. Taylor's 1965 hit recording of "Wang Dang Doodle" launched her career and the song has become a blues anthem. Among her many others hits "I'm a Woman" and "Sweet Home Chicago." Koko Taylor won a Grammy Award in 1984. She was 80 year old.

AFTER THE JUMP, via Alicia Banks, watch Koko Taylor perform "Wang Dang Doodle" and other hits, including "I'm a Woman" at the recent Kennedy Center tribute to Morgan Freeman, and, a rare 1967 recording of her signature hit. If you've never seen Koko Taylor perform live, you missed a beautiful thing. I've had the great fortune to see her many times at the old Checkerboard Lounge and at the Blues Fest in Chicago, and in New York City once or twice. Good times. No, those were great times.

Fascinating Virtual Archive of Black LGBTs on Chicago's South Side

If there is one thing that you read today make sure that it's "Queer Bronzeville", a brilliant virtual history of black gays, lesbians and transgenders on Chicago’s South Side.

The online exhibit focuses on the Chicago's original black community on the South Side and was created by Tristan Cabello, a doctoral candidate at Northwestern University. The wiki is a collection of more than 100 historical documents—including photographs, videos, maps, interviews and articles. Cabello shows "the visibility of queers on Chicago’s South Side, and their relative acceptance" from the turn of the century to the early 1980s. That was the beginning of the AIDS crisis, when homophobia and anti-gay attitudes toward gays began creeping across society. Cabello writes from the 1920s to 1940s ...

Homosexuality was quietly accommodated. Bronzeville’s most powerful inhabitants (Reverend Clarence Cobb, Reverend Mary G. Evans, and possibly Louise Smith Collier) and its most famous musicians (Tony Jackson, Rudy Richardson, Sippie Wallace, Frankie “Half-Pint” Jaxon, and George Hannah) were homosexuals. Joe Hughes, owner of a popular homo-friendly bar, was elected honorary mayor of Bronzeville in 1940. Journalist Theodore Jones regularly hired drag queen Valda Gray’s troupe of female impersonators for parties given for Bronzeville’s upper class.

There is also a fascinating history on Broneville's many black gay and lesbian religious leaders, such as Reverend Clarence Cobbs seen below, the head of the First Church of Deliverance, described as "the most popular church in Bronzeville."

Cabello writes: "While he never publicly revealed or discussed his homosexuality, neither did he hide it. Cobb’s homosexuality was well known within the Bronzeville community: historian Timuel Black claimed that 'Cobbs was gay,'  adding that 'everybody knew about it.' Bronzeville old-timers remember a choir filled with gay men and vacation trips that Cobb would take with his male “assistant;” which led historians such as Wallace Best to claim that Cobb 'lived openly, yet silently.' "

Another incredible tidbit are advertisements reprinted from Chicago's black press, dating from the 1920s to the late 1970s, for gay clubs and drag shows. There are also many newspaper clippings on gay subjects dating back to the 1910s.

Unfortunately the laissez-faire attitude toward gays, lesbians and transgenders in the black community would end. Attitudes began changing during the 1950s as the Civil Rights Movement approached. Church and community leaders began promoting bourgeois, "middle-class values [and] led many gays and lesbians to be careful about acting on their sexuality, or to limit their sexual relationships to other cities. For example, Reverend Cobb started giving homophobic sermons in the mid-forties but was known to have gay sexual partners in many other cities."

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Queer Bronzeville [OutHistory]

Will An Anti-Gay Minister Be Appointed as a Chicago Alderman?

(UPDATE: The new alderman has not been chosen.)

Ald. Billy Ocasio, who resigned his seat to become a top adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn, asked Mayor Daley to appoint Rev. Wilfredo De Jesus, senior pastor of New Life Covenant Ministries, to replace him in the 26th Ward that includes Humboldt Park and Logan Square. Many LGBT activists voice concerns over De Jesus, Laura Washington at the Sun-Times writes:

"De Jesus, an influential evangelical minister with 4,000 church members, has taken stands and uttered words that infuriate many in the city's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. His megachurch belongs to the Assemblies of God sect, which believes that 'homosexual behavior is a sin because it is contrary to God's created order for the family and human relationships.' De Jesus opposed the proposed Pride Campus, a high school that would cater to GLBT students, telling the Booster newspaper, 'What about that girl who is a virgin, who is being harassed by lesbians and guys to have sex, and yet you're going to build a gay school?' he said. 'It's not fair.' "

Ocasio's chief of staff, Hector Villagrana, will manage the ward office until a replacement is appointed, Chicagoland Public Radio Reports.

Thanks HECTOR for correction!