advertising 773.975.0264 3024 N. Ashland #577063 Chicago, IL 60657 773.975.0264
Editorial: boieditorial@aol.com Advertising: boiads@aol.com
EDITORIAL Publisher: BOI Magazine, Inc. Editor: Nate Daniels Feature Editor: John Stephens Media: Sylvia Shields Graphic Design: Titanium Graphics Layout Specialist: Jerry Ellison
boiMAG.com
boiAds@aol.com National Media Rep: Rivendell Media
DISTRIBUTION Chicago & Suburbs: DSE (Delivery Service Enterprises) World Wide Distribution: AnyFlip Media Network
COVER Joey Amato in front of Stonewall Inn
VIEW boiMAGazine ONLINE at: www.boiMAG.com BOI Magazine, Inc. © 2000−2019. All rights reserved
pride goes virtual
Celebrate Pride Without Leaving Home The lack of in-person events shouldn’t stop you from celebrating Pride. Organizations throughout the U.S. and in other countries are presenting virtual pride offerings. Most will present events and highlight members of the LGTBQ+ community. In no specific order, check out these virtual Pride Month events that are taking place throughout the month of June.
on a virtual community celebration with several events. Including, Trans Pride (June 26), Pride Fest (June 27) and Seattle Pride (June 28)
San Francisco Pride
Pride Live and Warner Media are hosting Stonewall Day online. This event features numerous speakers, including a focus on black and brown voices, and focuses on fundraising for the queer community.
SF Pride is holding an Online Celebration and Rally on June 27 and 28. Get more details at www.sfpride.org/celebration/.
NYC Pride
The first Pride parade marched through the streets of New York, and NYC Pride is the result. This group will put on several events including the Pride 2020 Dragfest (June 19-21) and The Virtual Rally (Friday, June 26).
Check out the Together for Pride web page at www.togetherforpride.org for details and schedules.
Stonewall Day
For more info. check out the Pride Live’s twitter page at twitter.com/REALPRIDELIVE.
View the NYC Pride site at www.nycpride.org for details.
San Diego Pride
There are several online events sponsored by San Diego Pride, including a couple of virtual 5Ks and virtual bingo that are planned during the month of June. San Diego Pride is also hosting virtual youth workshops all summer long. Check out the San Diego Pride page at https://sdpride.org/events/ for more details.
Global Pride 2020
The organizers of EuroPride and hundreds of other Pride events around the world have put together a 24-hour global extravaganza of exciting performances, spoken word, and other events that will include some of the biggest names in show biz and world leaders including heads of states and royalty. The festivities take place starting June 27. Go to www.globalpride2020.org for details.
Together for Pride
The Seattle Pride community, along with Gender Justice League and Pridefest, is putting
Dublin Digital Pride Festival & Parade
Ireland’s holding Pride events online all throughout the month of June. There’s way too many too list, so check out the full schedule at www.togetherforpride.org.
Toronto Pride
Joining several other events in Canada, Toronto Pride’s going virtual all month long. It’ll feature artists, bingo, drag shows, and even a tea party. Check out their web page at www.pridetoronto.com/ virtualpride/ for more information.
Virtual Pride
The folks at Gay Travel are hosting a “Virtual Pride” celebration on Twitter in association with several Pride organizations. The festivities kick off on June 28, more information go to www.virtualpride.com.
boiMAG.com
PRIDE JOURNEY Featuring New York City
By Joey Amato In this article, I’ll talk about all of the incredible sights and attractions available in downtown New York. Well, for the purpose of this story, the area from Times Square and south. This isn’t what New Yorkers typically consider as downtown, but this is the region I’ll be referring to. Within this area is the Greenwich Village, which was pretty much the epicenter of the LGBTQ community in NYC in the 70’s and 80’s, before people started movin’ on up to swanky Chelsea or Hell’s Kitchen, two neighborhoods that weren’t so swanky until the gays took over. I had the pleasure of staying at the Millennium Hilton Downtown. The high-rise structure offers some of the best views of lower Manhattan you will ever see. We all know the saying. Location. Location. Location, and quite frankly, the hotel’s location is absolutely perfect on so many levels. Not only is it directly across the street for the World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the Oculus, but it’s also within a block of numerous subway stations. A journey uptown to Penn Station or Times Square will only take you about 15-20 minutes and the hotel is within walking distance to both the South Street Seaport and Wall Street. As I entered my room, I was greeted by walls of glass and unobstructed views of the World Trade Center campus. I arrived in the evening, so the view was simply breathtaking and made for some wonderful late-night photos. What really struck me
10 boiMAG.com
about this property was the glass-enclosed indoor swimming pool. This is quite a rare treat for a New York City property. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed at a hotel in the city with a pool. Those traveling with children will love this feature of the hotel and I was also happy to see that the pool is also handicapped accessible. Growing up in Queens, New York, my friends and I were always enamored by Greenwich Village, or more specifically, the West Village. What is interesting is that I fell in love with the gayest neighborhood in NYC before I even realized I was gay. I guess it was a sign for what was to come. The most iconic landmark of the West Village is of course The Stonewall Inn. Last year, The Stonewall Inn celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic Stonewall Uprising. Not too far away are a variety of LGBTQ bars including The Duplex Cabaret and Piano Bar, Pieces, The Monster and Julius’, the latter are two of the oldest LGBTQ bars in the Village. Cheyenne Jackson and Adam Lambert have both visited The Monster in recent years, making it one of the hottest spots in town. Also, in the West Village is Henrietta Hudson, a lesbian owned and operate bar and lounge. Opened in 1991, the establishment is known around the globe for being one of the most friendly and welcoming places for the lesbian community to gather, share stories and party. Arts and culture enthusiasts will love the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art located at 26 Wooster Street (Between Grand & Canal Streets). Created to preserve LGBTQ identity and build community, the LeslieLohman Museum of Art acts as a cultural hub for the LGBTQ community. (continued on a following page)
PRIDE JOURNEY
Featuring New York City (Continued) According to the museum’s website, in 1969, Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman held an exhibit of gay artists for the first time in their SoHo loft. Throughout the 1970s, they continued to collect and exhibit gay artists while supporting the SoHo art community. During the AIDS crisis, the collection continued to grow as they rescued the work of dying artists from families who, out of shame or ignorance, wanted to destroy it. This led to the formation of the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation in 1987. In recognition of its importance in the collection and preservation of LGBTQ history, the organization was accredited as a museum in 2016 and currently has a collection of over 30,000 objects. Downtown New York is also home to the city’s LGBTQ community center, simply called The Center. Established in 1983, The Center offers a variety of health services, including support groups for those recovering from drug and alcohol use. In addition, The Center offers an array of other resources ranging from immigration support to career development. After you are done learning about the LGBTQ art, history and culture of NYC, head to the Big Gay Ice Cream shop for a sweet treat. Grab a cone with rainbow sprinkles and take a photo sitting on the rainbow bench outside the store. Life can’t get any gayer than that! Stroll over to the neighboring South Street Seaport, which overlooks the Brooklyn Bridge, quite possibly one of the most beautiful and iconic bridges in the country.
New York City is the city that never sleeps, so if you are in the mood for a few more cocktails, head to The Boiler Room or Club Cumming, a cabaret bar co-owned by actor Alan Cumming. Both of these are located in the East Village, about a 25-minute subway ride from the hotel. Although the NYC subway system runs all night, trains become a lot less frequent after midnight, so please look out for any changes in service. Sometimes the subway line you need will not run due to maintenance. Being a native New Yorker, I do enjoy downtown New York City a bit more than uptown. It’s a bit grittier, the streets aren’t as wide, and you can feel the raw history of the city without being distracted by the shiny storefronts of 5th Avenue. Unfortunately, a lot of the gay community is moving north, even as far as Spanish Harlem, to escape the rising costs of living, but visitors can still appreciate the LGBTQ history in downtown New York. If I were to ever move back to the city, I’d probably opt to settle in this part of town so I can experience the village the way I should have in my younger years. Enjoy the Journey! Rainbow Rating: 5/5
Joey Amato is the publisher of Pride Journeys, a website dedicated to LGBTQ travel. Joey has spent over a decade in LGBTQ media and public relations and currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. He can be reached at joey@pridejourneys.com Copyright © 2019 Pride Journeys, All rights reserved.
boiMAG.com 13
Virtual Chicago Pride Fest 2020 LGBTQ+ Live Streaming Event & Fundraiser
14 boiMAG.com
On June 20-21, the Northalsted Business Alliance & Gilead Sciences bring Boystown to the world with a virtual streaming Chicago Pride Fest® celebrating the love, life and diversity of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community. The virtual edition of Boystown’s annual LGBTQ festival will occur on the same dates planned for the in-person festival before it was postponed in April. Running from 7pm to 9pm both nights, the live streaming Twitch event will feature performances and entertainment from local drag queens, artists, activists and other LGBTQ people. Featured performer lineup includes Leann Rimes, Steve Grand, Catfight, Boy Band Review, The Vixen, Ruff ‘N Stuff, special guests and DJ’s!
“Right now our focus is all about planning a Pride celebration for the digital ages,” Northalsted President Ramesh Ariyanayakam said in a statement. “We know this virtual festival will bring much needed connection and hope to our community and beyond and are thrilled to produce this event.” The stream also will collect donations for the Center on Halsted, Howard Brown Health and other community programming.
DATE: June 20th - June 21st TIME: 7:00pm - 9:00pm More Info at: northalsted.com/ pridefest/chicago-virtual/ boiMAG.com 15
18 boiMAG.com
boiMAG.com 19
Masks4Chi - Making a Difference Community Distribution Campaign
By: Jose Ochoa
We are proud to announce that as of today, our nonprofit, Masks4Chi (masks4chi.org), has distributed nearly 100,000 reusable, cloth masks to community organizations and small businesses throughout Chicagoland. Masks4Chi was founded in early April as a response to the COVID19 pandemic. Our mission is to raise awareness about wearing non-medical, cloth masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, with a focus on distributing free masks to the communities most significantly impacted by the coronavirus. We launched our first reusable mask distribution campaign on April 30th and in five short weeks partnered with 80+ community organizations and restaurants to ensure our masks reached vulnerable communities in need of masks. As the Executive Director of Masks4Chi, I could not be more proud of the work our team has been able to accomplish to address the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic across Chicago. Our team is also inspired by the many community organizations who partnered with us to reach this week’s milestone. They come from all walks of life and we couldn’t be more heartened by the work they are doing to help the people of Chicago through these difficult times. In particular, we would also like to thank boiMAGazine and Townie Branding for their early support of our mission. They were instrumental in helping us connect with both communities in need of masks and individuals who stepped up to help our mission by donating to our efforts. For a full list of our community and small business partners, go to: www.masks4chi. org/participating-locations/
20 boiMAG.com
Finally, in these turbulent times we encourage you to remain attune to the needs of the communities that make up the social fabric and vibrancy of Chicago. We hope you will open your hearts and put your hands to work on supporting the many communities that are hurting not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also due to the systemic violence and oppression that has been exposed by the recent murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department. We stand with the LGBTQ community and Black Lives Matter in their constant march towards justice. It is our hope that we all work together to remain vigilant about protecting our neighbors and loved ones through not only the rest of the COVID19 pandemic, but for the long-term. The time is now for each of us to do our part to love every member of our communities, regardless of their sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or background. Masks4Chi sends the readers of boiMAGazine our love and support and wish you the best in these difficult times. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our organization if there’s anything we can do for you and your communities. Jose Ochoa and The Masks4Chi Team website: www.masks4chi.org email: info@masks4chi.org
NEW MUSIC "SOLDIER FIELD" By Tom Reynolds
Hello music lovers. We have been deprived of live music the past few months and the cancellation of Lollapalooza 2020 is a sign of the times. Without concerts, we look online for our music fix and often end up in rabbit holes given the plethora of online content, both a blessing and a curse. On one hand you have unlimited access to a multi-generational genres, global grooves, and even extraterrestrial radio bursts, anyone heard of SETI? On the other hand, it is time consuming to navigate the maze of music; easier to rely on the usual radio sources or word of mouth. So allow me to part the sea of sound and take you to the southern hemisphere where Australian psychedelic/folk/country band “Immigrant Union,” just released their 3rd album, “Judas” on June 22nd featuring the melodic single “Soldier Field” available at: https:// cheersquadrecordstapes.bandcamp. com/track/soldier-field-2 Wait…hold up! Is there a Soldier Field in the land down under? Is it home to an Australian rules Football team, Da Koala Bears? Maybe this Aussie-AltUniverse might explain the why Bears legend Walter “Sweetness” Payton blazed Kangaroo shoes all the way to Super Bowl glory. And Lollapalooza in nearby Grant Park kinda sounds like outback bushmen slang. Crikey mate! Put down the digeridoo; No alt-universe. It tuns out the lead singer/songwriter, Brent DeBoer, who is better known in the US as the drummer for his other band, “The Dandy Warhols,” (Lollapalooza Alumni ’05) wrote the song during one of many tours through Chicago during their impressive 26-year existence, playing most recently in May 2019 at The Metro.
I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Brent at Thalia Hall in 2015 and was recently able to speak with him over a phone call about the new release and the inspiration behind the song. During a recent tour through the Windy City, he was on a cab ride to a restaurant when he saw the iconic Soldier Field and became reminiscent about his past and present, which I found fascinating since the stadium’s architecture is a mash-up of neoclassical and modern. Brent was drawn to the name in particular with the opening line, “And now I stand at Soldier Field.” The lyrics quickly began to flow, taking form of a conversation with his wife in Australia and how odd is was to be on the opposite side of the world in Chicago. While touring, Brent and bandmates enjoy sampling local cuisines, sightseeing, and mingling with fans after shows. What stands out to him about Chicago are the steak houses, Chicago-style Hot Dogs, the skyline, and extreme weather. A few of his favorite memories were catching a few innings are Wrigley Field, meeting a security staff member at The Metro with a proper Chicago accent and mustache straight out of the infamous SNL skits, and some Lolla moments, including one where Anton Newcome of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, gave an impromptu architectural critique of a building in the skyline, simultaneously turning +30,000 heads away from the stage. Around that time, The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre were the subjects of a 2004 Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary called Dig! There’s your next rabbit hole folks. Brent went on to describe touring as “an amazing opportunity to see the world.” And with the distinction of being a member of two bands on two continents, much of the world has had the opportunity to see him, having toured with notable names like David Bowie, Noel Gallagher, and Courtney Barnett, who was a member of Immigrant Union before going solo. Considering the geography Brent has covered, it’s remarkable that a fixture of our city was the inspiration to this song released half way around the world. boiMAG.com 23
Looking after your mental health Now and into the Future
by Dr. Shakir With the abrupt and sudden reality of working from home, online schooling, possible loss of employment, and lack of social interaction with friends and co-workers has taken time to get used to. Feeling increased stress, anxiety, and worry over adapting to these lifestyle changes, in addition to managing the fear of contracting a virus, are natural reactions. When these feelings become overwhelming or prevent a person from completing their day-to-day responsibilities, it may be time to seek help from a licensed professional. This is especially true for people with existing mental health conditions. Fortunately, there are tools and resources available that we can use to care for our own mental health and help those around us: Stay informed. Follow guidelines from local and national health officials such as The World Health Organization or The Centers for Disease Control. Follow trusted news sources such as local TV and newspapers. If watching the news or reading about the pandemic on social media makes you feel anxious or distressed, limit the amount of time you spend online.
Alcohol and drug use. Avoid using alcohol and drugs as a way to cope with social isolation, fear, or anxiety. Help others. Serving other people can be very rewarding. If you are able, offer support to people in your community who may need it. Ask for help. There are resources provided to the community for those who are having difficulty adjusting and coping with this new normal. Remember, feelings of stress and anxiety are natural. When they being to interfere with your daily tasks, it’s okay to ask for help. Here are some signs to look for in yourself or others indicating it may be time to reach out: Abrupt changes in mood or behavior. Increased agitation and irritability towards family, friends, or co-workers. Outbursts of anger or sadness. Changes in sleep patterns. Inability to fall and stay asleep, frequently waking up during the night, or excessive sleeping. Changes in eating habits. Eating more than usual, increase in junk food consumption, or loss of appetite all together. Loss of interest. Losing interest in things that brought you joy or fulfillment. Procrastinating or not completing work assignments or losing focus.
Maintain your routine. Sticking to a similar routine you had prior to the pandemic will help you adjust and feel normal. Adopt a new routine One of the best places to help deal with these if you didn’t have one. issues is the Chicago Behavioral Hospital, they provide mental health and addiction treatment Get up and go to bed at the same time every day. services. Assessments are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week free of charge. A licensed Eat healthy and avoid over indulging in junk food. mental health professional will work with you to find a solution. Chicago Behavioral offers Maintain your personal appearance and hygiene. treatment for adolescents, adults, and senior adults on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. Exercise regularly following social distancing guidelines. Assessments and outpatient programming Spend time on your hobbies and set aside time for are also available via tele-health as well, so no the things you enjoy. matter where you are, they are available to assist you. Be social. If you are isolating alone or with a small group of people, reach out to your friends Call today at 847-756-8600 or visit them online and family with phone calls or video chats. at www.chicagobehavioralhospital.com.
26 boiMAG.com
why?
There Must be a Reason There are certain questions that burn in the back of your mind throughout your life. You might wonder why something is the way it is. Yet you’ve never been able to come up with a logical answer to these common questions despite knowing that there must be one.
Why Does Orange Juice Taste Horrible After Brushing Your Teeth?
Below are few questions that have baffled people every day, along with the simple answers that finally provide closure.
It turns out that the foaming agent used in most toothpaste is to blame for the unappealing taste. The agent, sodium lauryl sulfate, dampens the sweet receptors in your mouth. This means orange juice and anything else you might eat or drink will not taste as sweet straight after brushing. So the toothpaste not only works to make the orange juice less sweet, it also amplifies its bitterness. These two effects combine to create the horrible taste.
What Causes Butterflies In Your Stomach? Every single person reading this will have at some point in their lives experienced the sensation known as having “butterflies in your stomach.” The fluttery feeling in the gut can occur for a variety of reasons, from being scared or nervous because of an upcoming event to being excited about going on a first date. Different emotions can cause sensations and physical changes in your stomach thanks to the so-called “braingut axis.” Feelings in the brain, such as fear or excitement, are interpreted as stress and activate the fight-or-flight response. This releases extra adrenaline into the body to help us either combat a threat or get away from it by increasing blood flow to the heart, lungs, and muscles. With only a limited amount of blood in the human body, less of it can flow to other organs, such as the gut, which leads to the familiar feeling of nausea. Why Does Rubbing Alcohol Sting? People have been using rubbing alcohol on cuts and open wounds for a very long time. If you have ever used it, you’ll know that it can sting when applied, often more than the cut itself. This happens not because the alcohol is killing bacteria but due to a reaction it causes in the body. When rubbing alcohol is applied to a cut, it directly affects the VR1 receptors in the skin. These receptors are responsible for sensing heat. While they usually activate at high temperatures, the alcohol lowers their threshold to a point where the body temperature is enough to set them off. The receptors believe the body is being burned and transmit that pain to the brain, even though no damage is actually done to the skin.
Eating or drinking anything right after brushing your teeth is not a pleasant experience. Toothpaste can make anything taste a little off. However, in the case of chugging down orange juice just after brushing, the taste can be one of the most disgusting you will encounter.
Why Is The Sky Blue? Barring cloudy days (along with both sunsets and sunrises), the sky will usually appear to be blue. This happens because of the way certain things can manipulate light. Just as prisms can bend light to create a rainbow and a mirror can reflect light back to where it came from, some objects can scatter light. The white light from the Sun hits oxygen and nitrogen molecules that make up most of the Earth’s atmosphere and is scattered to produce all the colors. However, since the color blue has a shorter wavelength than the rest, it is scattered more. Why Are Dreams So Hard To Remember? Everyone has experienced waking up after an amazing dream and struggling to remember it only moments later. It can be infuriating, and even with self-help techniques, dreams can usually only be fully remembered for a matter of minutes. Scientists have suggested several reasons for why dreams are so hard to recall. The conditions in the brain during REM sleep, where most dreaming takes place, are not suited to putting experiences into long-term memory. Lack of the hormone norepinephrine also plays a part. The hormone plays an important role in memory and is absent during REM sleep. Another factor that contributes to the poor recall of dreams is that during REM sleep, neurons from the hippocampus may not fire as they do at other times. This causes them to misfire with other neurons that help to record memory, which is why the dream quickly fades.
boiMAG.com 29
by John Stephens
There has been a lot of talk about the Internet of Things (IoT) these days. It’s huge impact on almost everything that we do just can’t be ignored. IoT is a system connecting any device to the Internet and to other connected devices. It is a giant network of connected things and people that allows sharing of data within the network. The Internet of Things is transforming the everyday physical objects that will enrich our lives. From refrigerators to parking spaces to houses, the Internet of Things is bringing more things into the digital world every day, which will likely make the Internet of Things a multitrillion dollar industry in the near future. Artificial Intelligence and Big Data will clearly dominate. With the humongous amount of data available today, it is important to analyze it for driving meaningful insights. The idea behind using these technologies is to extract processable information from this data. This helps in better decision-making to make fruitful business moves. Among all the emerging IoT trends, both AI (artificial intelligence) and Big Data clearly are the technologies to look out for. AI and Big Data techniques are needed to access data in real-time. This has helped to improve the efficiency of processes within business thus offering an enhanced decisive power to strategize a plan of action. Blockchain for IoT Security What is Blockchain Technology? Is it the new internet? Blockchain is a
30 boiMAG.com
technology using which an individual or a company can make instant transactions on a network without the need of any middlemen. This is just like how a financial bank works. The transactions made on blockchain are completely secured. The strong computer codes used in Blockchain make sure that no record of the transaction can be altered. Blockchain technology has been used by many financial & governmental institutions, entrepreneurs, consumers, and industrialists. This is one of the most popular IoT trends that will bring great differences in the field of technology and foster its advanced application to build technical devices. Software As-a-Service (SaaS) becomes the Norm If we talk about the IoT app trends, Software As-a-Service (know as SaaS) is now considered to be a hot trend. The service provider hosts the desired application and makes it available to the customers for use over the Internet. This helps organizations in outsourcing IT software applications. IoT trends like these render a marketing platform to companies for promoting their product. With less cost being invested, SaaS has become the preferred choice for the IT gaming sector. The advent of SaaS has made a great contribution to the field of technology. This IoT trend popping up in the market will soon make the lives of the people better than ever before.