The Advocacy Council for Human Rights

The Central Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is hosting an informational open house at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 6 in room 1407 of the Community Commons Building at Heartland Community College.

The alliance (CISSA) is a local group dedicated to helping junior high and high school youth develop to their fullest potential in safe and nurturing schools that respect and honor differences.  We are growing in big ways, but we need your help! CISSA members are committed to helping lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and their allies. To this end, they offer support to local high school gay-straight alliance groups, and also plan and host a variety of social and educational events throughout the year to foster education, understanding and social opportunities for all youth.

To do the work necessary to achieve these goals, CISSA is looking for more people to get involved in this exciting mission. The open house is for all people interested in learning more about the organization or finding ways in which they can help. We need youth and adults to keep this successful organization active in Bloomington and Normal. This Open House will be interactive and fun! Don’t miss it!

Some exciting upcoming events CISSA members are planning include a social and educational event: “A Gay Affair,” in early June for local high school students, as well as a youth panel discussion and forum this fall. We need help from students and adults alike to organize and host these events.

If you’ve been looking for a way to help support and nurture LGBT youth and their allies, please consider coming to the CISSA Open House on May 6^th to get more information. We look forward to seeing you! Please contact Suzie Hutton (huttons@district87.org) or Alyssa Mandula (amandul@ilstu.edu) for more information.

Many people have legal questions regarding the civil union bill that was signed into law by Governor Quinn on January 31, 2011, and becomes effective June 1.

To help answer those questions, Bloomington Divorce Attorney Jon D. McLaughlin will discuss the new civil unions law and its legal implications at a information forum at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 14^th in the community room at the Bloomington Public Library.

The law requires that civil unions will be dissolved under the provisions of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. The obligations for dissolving a civil union are exactly the same as in dissolving a marriage. You would see a potential for alimony, division of property, everything. However, there are some unique issues that will affect civil union dissolutions in ways that are different than dissolution of marriages.

Additionally, parties to a civil union should properly protect themselves before entering a civil union, through such methods as pre-nuptial agreements. The issue of marital property may be a foreign concept to many who enter civil unions, but it is a concept that parties must be aware of. Jon will stay as long as people are willing to listen and will take questions from the audience.

The Advocacy Council for Human Rights has booked the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus for a concert in Bloomington/Normal on Saturday, June 18.

The chorus will perform at 7 p.m. that day in the auditorium at Normal Community High School in northwest Normal.

The men, directed by Patrick Sinozich, will bring their DIVAS! concert to town. The show is described on the chorus web site as

“The women we love! The icons we adore! Barbra, Aretha, Madonna, Liza. The songs that make us weep, the hits that make us move. I Will Survive, Fever, Lady Marmalade, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. DIVAS! is a fabulous ode to over forty female superstars and the music they made famous, from Edith Piaf to Ethel Merman, Dolly Parton to Donna Summer, Judy, Ella, Tina, Bette and more!”

Watch for more news on the concert in the June newsletter!

Our state capital will hold its first-ever pride festival from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 22 on Capital Avenue between 5^th and 6^th streets in downtown Springfield.

The event, sponsored by the Phoenix Center, is held on the birthday of gay civil rights activist Harvey Milk, who would have been 81 years old this year.

The afternoon will feature vendors, live entertainment, food, beer and beverages, local artists, and information on local organizations.

A pre-festival party will be at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at Scandals, 126 E. Jefferson St. A post-festival party will wrap up the festival at 6 p.m. at the Station House, 306 E. Washington St.

For more information check out the festival web site at www.springfieldpride.org.

 A community information forum on the new civil unions law will be at 7 pm on Tuesday, April 12 at the Unitarian Church of Bloomington, 1613 E. Emerson St.

McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael will explain the procedures for couples who visit her office to apply for a license. Jim Bennett, Midwest regional director of Lambda Legal Defense, and Caroline Staerk, director of field programs for Equality Illinois, will discuss what the bill entails, what happens next and address any specific questions that audience members might have. Read more »

The Advocacy Council for Human Rights has booked the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus for a concert in Bloomington/Normal on Saturday, June 18. Read more »

LGBT and LGBT-supportive families (or anyone who enjoys seeing a good film) is invited to a Family Movie Night beginning at 6 pm on Friday, April 8 in the Fellowship Hall at the First United Methodist Church, 211 N. School St. in Normal. Read more »

The Bistro Spotlight Show will be at 11 pm on Friday, April 8 at the bar, 316 N. Main St. in downtown Bloomington.

Featured performers include Devin Graberass and Phoenix OHara. The show host will be Sharon ShareAlike with DJ Rakestraw manning the booth. Cover charge for this event is $5.

For more information, see the Bistro’s facebook page.

The annual ISU Pride Charity Drag Show will be at 7:30 pm on Saturday, April 9, in the Brown Ballroom at Bone Student Center. Read more »

Heartland Theatre Company’s next production is THE END OF THE TOUR, to be performed APRIL 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 and May 1 at the theatre, located at One Normal Plaza in Normal. Read more »

Unless you are living under a rock you probably know by now that Gov. Quinn has signed the civil unions bill and that come June 1 civil unions licenses will be available to same- and opposite-sex couples in Illinois. Read more »

The Bistro is the place to be for First Fridays on Feb. 4, March 4, April 1, May 6 and June 3!

Each month a local LGBT or LGBT-supportive organization will provide tasty appetizers to go along with the great drink specials offered at the bar. The Feb. 4 event will be catered by the fine folks at the McLean County AIDS Task Force.

For more information on First Fridays contact the Advocacy Council at info@achr-il.com.