The Center on Halsted’s Anti-Violence Project and the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs recently hosted a roundtable and regional training sessions. These included a public screening of the documentary, Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World, May 22. It was one of three events at the Center that week that examined violence and the LGBTQ community.
Arsham Parsi is the head of the IRQO (Iranian Queer Organization). Parsi was born in 1980. As he tells it, he grew up in Shiraz with no contact with other gay people until he found queer communities on the Internet. Following that, he worked on HIV issues, until rumors of his sexual orientation began to spread and he feared persecution. According to Human Rights Watch, “Iranian law punishes all penetrative sexual acts between adult men with the death penalty.” Reports indicate that women and lesbians also endure lack of access to equal rights and persecution. Parsi fled to Turkey and then to Canada, where he applied for asylum. Today, according to Parsi, IRQO works for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Iran, and to increase awareness about queer issues among Iranians.
Bashar Barazi is the president of 3B Media, Inc., the parent company of MAQAM, a sponsor of the 2006 Gay Games VII in Chicago. MAQAM brought artists to perform at the Opening/Closing Ceremonies and is now producing A Dream of Arabia. Barazi spoke to Windy City Times on the phone about the upcoming show.
Citizens for Giannoulias hosted a fundraiser for Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias at Roscoe’s, 3356 N. Halsted, June 12. The host committee included Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney and Illinois State Representative Greg Harris, who introduced Giannoulias. Tunney spoke about the treasurer’s commitment to the LGBT community, including his support for the Center on Halsted. The alderman went on to stress that “as a community, we are concerned with public policy, fiscal responsibility and social justice,” and that the treasurer had demonstrated his commitment to all three issues.
Soon to enter its 13th year, Dyke March Chicago is, for many lesbians and transgender people, an alternative to Pride Parade. Historically, the March has remained on the city’s North side. This year, it’ll be in Pilsen, home to a predominantly Latina/o community. In the last few weeks, organizers began hearing complaints about the change in venue, and decided to hold a town-hall meeting. According to Nicole Perez, a member of the Dyke March organizing committee, the event was held to dispel misinformation and stereotypes about the logistics of the March and the neighborhood.
The law firm of Hinshaw and Culbertson, 222 N. LaSalle, hosted a presentation by Kyle D. Young, a financial advisor at Wachovia Securities, titled “Financial and Legal Challenges for the GLBT Community.” This was part of the Citywide Pride events, which are designed to promote “advocacy and equality for LGBT employees” in the corporate workplace. The same-sex marriage movement often raises the issue of what happens to the assets of a couple upon the demise of one partner, arguing that estate law and benefit packages favor married, opposite-sex couples; Young discussed financial strategies in this context.
