All fun-loving queers have probably heard of Berlin nightclub. You know, that place under the Belmont red line where people go to dance late at night, generally regarded as the after-after-party? Not anymore; since hosts Adam Guerino and The Puterbaugh Sisterz took over every last Friday of the month, it’s now the party-party. Nightcaps is a variety show that showcases stand-up comedy, burlesque, live music and some of Chicago’s finest emerging talent. The price tag for all these queerific times is only $5, making it one of 2010’s more affordable luxuries. Following the show is a dance/costume party sure to keep your fun-buzz.

The event is hosted by Adam Guerino (The Sarcastic Squad, Art Haus), The Puterbaugh Sisterz (Lincoln Lodge, Entertaining Julia), and DJ Greg Haus (Cosmix, Atomic Sketch.)

Nightcaps begins at 11 PM this Friday, February 26, and every last Friday of the month. Admission is $5 and includes Cosmix after-party. Berlin is located at 954 W Belmont and is easily accessible from Red, Brown and Purple line trains as well as Belmont, Clark and Halsted buses.

Though we may think of political leaders as being dry-witted and doggedly serious in their pursuit to effect change, trans activist Riki Wilchins demonstrates how humor can be just as important a tool for disseminating information and channeling energy on issues to other activists. Wilchins is an accomplished author, one of TIME magazine’s 100 civic innovators, and the founder and executive director of Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC), which works toward breaking others of looking at gender as a hard-coded binary structure.

Her One Trans Show, The MANgina Monologues, discusses her personal story of transition along with pop cultural and political swipes relating to the perception of the larger transgender community.

Live dating show Single Mingle gives queer Chicagoans an entertaining Valentine’s weekend

by Kevin Sparrow

Dimmed lighting; dark, oblong ottomans and booth-like sofas; the sounds of Lady Gaga and Beyoncé pounding over subdued conversation: you may think you’ve just walked into a gay man’s basement, and you would be close. Chicago’s weekly live dating show, Single Mingle, held their first Big Gay Valentine’s Day event this past Saturday, February 13 at Spybar. Although the first queer-oriented evening, this is Single Mingle’s third show since opening on January 23, and they have been winning over admirers since. “It’s fun, it’s classy, and I like that there’s good people here… it’s a good idea because sometimes it’s hard to meet people,” says audience member Karen.

The innovative program not only has fans who are voyeurs; the participants feel that the event is helping breathe some new life into the queer community. “I think Chicago could really own itself more in its queerness,” says contestant Jessica. “I used to live in Boystown, but there was something almost desperately adolescent about it… I’m really excited for Chicago to mature in its queer scene.” Not only does Single Mingle allow a reprieve from typical nightspots of the Chicago LGBT community, it also helps those who are entering that community for the first time, as contestant Keith relates with his motivations for signing up. “I just moved to the city. I don’t know anyone up here yet, so it’s a good way to meet people.”

The show is split into two sessions, this night featuring a group of lesbians followed by a group of gay men engaging in a humorous mixture of meet-cute and ribaldry. Single Mingle’s main bachelor or bachelorette learns more about the three people on the other side of an expertly placed screen through a brief Q&A, friend testimonials, and some assistance from audience applause during a blind-folded couple’s dance with each contestant. “I think it’s definitely good to break it up,” says audience member Gwen of the dance portion of the program. “You can’t just ask a lot of questions, people get flustered.” Their tied tongues were loosened by loquacious hosts Tana McFarlane and Mitchel Migliore as well as special guest host JaJa Galliano, who helped by combing the audience for friends of the contestants to provide crucial personal information.

Interspersed with the main show were an interstitial performance of “Plastic Barbie” by JaJa, a raffle for champagne and opportunities for current singles to sign up as future contestants. The final couples were provided a $75 gift certificate to Rosebud Trattoria for a romantic first date, and audience members were supplied free condoms, gift cards to SEE eyewear and a memorable show.

by Kevin Sparrow

The history of military service is pervasive in American society, from the early Revolutionary and Civil Wars that fill our History textbooks to the image of Navy sailor passionately kissing a women on his return to shore to the activism sparked by misguided directives of the Vietnam War. As we approach the seventh anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq this month, a secondary issue that has influenced the military for the past 17 years is being hotly debated: the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. A misconceived corrective to keep LGBT service members from being discharged outright, this policy has recently been a focal point for politicians and the public at large as they muddle through a conflict of which many Americans are still critical.

Two polls conducted this past week show that the majority of civilians now support allowing gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers to serve openly in the military. An ABC News-Washington Post poll shows that 75 percent of respondents would be in favor of homosexual servicemembers serving openly, with a 64 percent support rate from Republican respondents. A CBS News-New York Times poll released the day before shows seven in ten respondents supporting open service by gay and lesbian people. There is a caveat with this data; both polls used “gay and lesbian” and “homosexual” alternately to describe LGBT servicemembers and found respondents were less willing to support “homosexuals” serving openly than “gay and lesbian” people.

This data reveals a positive shift in the perception of openly gay and lesbian people and their commitment to current American values; however, a repeal could easily lead to an acceptance of some troubling fallout from this policy’s history. RaceWire recently pointed out that black women are disproportionately affected by DADT, contributing to 3.3 percent of all discharges based on this policy, but only making up less than one percent of servicemembers. Many of these discharges may not even be based on actual sexual identity or behavior but on perception or vindictiveness by other servicemembers. A repeal of this policy will not help black women in the military generally if they are running up against sexist and racist authorities, but because there is no policy in place keeping them from serving, these slights will be more easily overlooked with a widespread repeal of DADT. By conceding to one minority group’s needs with a very tangible, another’s plight may be diminished.

By repealing DADT and policies that keep openly gay LGBT from serving, we must not forget that there is more that needs to be done to reform the U.S. military. Beyond removing current obstacles, protections need to be put into place that allow all servicemembers to interact in respectful and egalitarian ways. A third recent poll Military Times conducted exclusively with those serving in all branches of the military found that 51 percent of respondents did not support a repeal of DADT policies, a much higher percentage of opposition than the general public. Ensuring that minority servicemembers are accepted by their units and treated with dignity is an important consideration that should influence any new policies going forward. History repeats itself if its lessons are not realized, but we have the opportunity help promote an honorable military that treats all members equally. Hopefully, this lesson is one that works to influence all American society.

At the annual National Prayer Breakfast on February 4, President Obama condemned Ugandan legislation that would penalize homosexual people for engaging in homosexuality. Speaking before a room filled with sponsors of the breakfast, the Fellowship Foundation–an organization linked to efforts to pass the anti-LGBT bill–Obama called the measures “unconscionable” and “odious.”

60 members of Congress have signed a letter addressed to President Obama urging him to pass the comprehensive immigration-reform Uniting American Families Act with language that allows LGBT U.S. nationals to sponsor their partners
in binational families.

The European Parliament reaffirmed today that securing LGBT rights were an important consideration for candidate countries applying to join the European Union.

A school program for LGBT students recently opened in Los Angeles. A collaboration with Opportunities for Learning, the anti-harassment school would offer around 40 7th through 12th graders an alternative program with an independent study angle. Students meet with an instructor twice a week and spend the other weekdays completing a full day of schoolwork at home.

If you are planning on spending your Valentine’s weekend eating pints of Chubby Hubby and watching Love, Actually fourteen times, fear not! Single Mingle will be hosting their Big Gay Valentine’s Day show at Spybar (646 N. Franklin) on Saturday, February 13. Single Mingle utilizes familiar dating game elements in a live environment that allows the crowd to size each other up and pair off while three predetermined contestants vie for the hand of one lucky lonesome. Doors open at 6 PM followed by two shows separated by an intermission.

If you’re looking for something to do with a special someone this weekend, head to Chicago’s Freedom to Marry Day events, which will include a demonstration by the LGBTQA Liberation Network on Valentine’s Day outside Holy Name Cathedral (735 N. State St.) picketing Cardinal Francis George and his efforts within the Catholic church to staunch equal marriage. Meet up at 10:30 AM, just in time for mass! London will be holding a similar demonstration that day to protest a visit by the Pope, organizing for a secular Europe as well as LGBT and women’s rights.

Female hip hop stars are akin to major metropolitan areas in the central United States: they can be few and far between. In a male-dominated industry that some perceive as generally misogynistic, it takes a strong voice both literally and lyrically to stand apart and prove that hip-hop is more than a boys’ club. Nicki Minaj has proven her skills at the age of 25 by being signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money label and putting out four mixtapes in the last four years that combine samples from other artists with Minaj’s original work.

Although Minaj has had to work through the same issues that have plagued many female emcees, namely sex appeal being valued over substance and public scrutiny of her sexual orientation, her work is picking up thousands of fans and showing the viability of different forms of expression for young females everywhere.