ILLINOIS: Porno Pete LaBarbera To Host Fundraiser For Scott Lively (And Himself)

From the event page:

Scott Lively, founder of Defend the Family International, is the most persecuted pro-family leader in the world on the issue of homosexuality. He will give his thoughts on the new reality of post-Obergefell America (the SCOTUS decision declaring "gay marriage" a supposed Constitutional right). Lively, the author of "The Pink Swastika" and several other books on the homosexual agenda, is the target of a leftist lawsuit accusing him of "Crimes Against Humanity" because he took part in a pro-family seminar opposed to the LGBT agenda in Uganda. Lively will discuss this frivolous lawsuit whose real intent is to silence conservative Christians. You will also hear from AFTAH Founder and President Peter LaBarbera and Grace Gospel pastor John Kirkwood. Refreshments and light snacks will be served. Donations to AFTAH and Lively's organization will be accepted at the event.

The hate soiree will be live-streamed.

ILLINOIS: State Senate Passes "Ex-Gay" Torture Ban By 2-1 Margin

The bill now goes to the governor's desk. From the NCLR:

“We couldn’t be prouder to add Illinois to the list of legislatures that have acted to protect LGBT youth, and we applaud the dedication of Equality Illinois and the tireless coalition on the ground. We hope Governor Bruce Rauner will join fellow Republicans like Chris Christie, who signed New Jersey’s conversion therapy ban in 2013. No matter our sexual orientation, gender identity, or political party, we can all agree that children’s lives are worth protecting. We call on Governer Rauner to sign this lifesaving bill and protect LGBT youth and their families from these dangerous and fraudulent practices.”

Porno Pete Flops At IML

It's International Mister Leather weekend in Chicago and yesterday Porno Pete announced a "press conference" to be held today outside the Leather Archives. Pity the press didn't show up. Via DNA Info:

A handful of anti-gay activists and their cameramen held an event Friday morning dubbing the longstanding Leather Archives & Museum a "perversion museum" that promotes incest, pedophilia and sadomasochism to children. But Rogers Park neighbors weren't having it. Naperville-based hate group Americans for Truth About Homosexuality planned the protest at the 16-year-old, adults-only museum at 6418 N. Greenview Ave. in before the International Mr. Leather conference this weekend Downtown. The four protesters who showed up on behalf of the group (not counting two camera men documenting the whole thing) were quickly outnumbered by local detractors telling them to "go home." LaBarbera said the museum promoted incest, pedophilia and sadomasochism in a residential neighborhood near schools. The museum also promotes "consensual sexual violence" and "consensual slavery," he said. But LaBarbera wouldn't say how passing children could get inside the museum, where only adults are admitted and the door is locked around the clock.

Porno Pete was also very upset because the museum's neighbors ripped up the anti-gay flyers he'd placed on car windshields around the neighborhood. Because that's censorship! And closing down a museum isn't! Accompanying Porno Pete was Mike Heath, who years ago was booted out of the very anti-gay Maine Family Policy Council for being too much of a douchebag, even for them. Hit the link for more about today's nonsensery.

(Tipped by JMG reader Rebecca)

Editorial Of The Day

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Being gay is not an illness. It requires no cure. And anybody who practices “conversion therapy,” purporting to be able to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, is a quack, engaged in medical malpractice. Conversion therapy does not work. On this, the scientific and medical consensus is strong. It can only do harm. We urge the Illinois Senate to support a measure, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, and Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, that would bar mental health workers from engaging in treatments designed to change the sexual orientation of minors. The bill passed in the House on Tuesday by a vote of 68 to 43. Biss tells us he is “optimistic” it will pass in the Senate as well, next week, but he’s still rounding up the votes. Conversion therapy is one of those issues on which there are not really two opposing credible views, and to claim otherwise is to create a false equivalency. On the one side are defenders of the practice, their views usually grounded in religious belief, who can cite no credible evidence. On the other side is the full weight of America’s mainstream medical and mental health communities, who come armed with facts. The cure does not work, and nobody needs curing.

The editorial also endorses the federal ban introduced in the US House earlier this week. The federal bill would outlaw all "ex-gay" torture (not just for minors) on the basis of it being a fraudulent practice.

ILLINOIS: State House Approves Ban On "Ex-Gay" Torture Of Minors By 68-43 Vote

Via Equality Illinois:

"Ending conversion therapy is our top priority in the legislature right now. Trying to change the unchangeable, our innate sexual orientation and gender identity, should not be attempted because it risks the health of LGBT youth," said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois. "We thank Rep. Kelly Cassidy, the chief House sponsor of HB217, for protecting the young people of Illinois and advancing this important legislation, and Sen. Daniel Biss, who is now taking up the bill in the Senate," Cherkasov said. The bill passed 68 to 43, with 61 Democrats and seven Republicans voting to protect the LGBT youth of Illinois, including the House Republican leader Rep. Jim Durkin among the "yes" votes. The roll call continues the history in Illinois of all laws that advance LGBT equality succeeding due to votes from both parties.

RELATED: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown yesterday signed her state's ban into law.

ILLINOIS: Nation's First LGBT Veterans Monument To Be Unveiled Near Chicago

On Memorial Day the nation's first-ever federally approved monument to LGBT veterans will be unveiled at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery near Chicago. Via the Windy City Times:

The monument, which was spearheaded by Stanley J. Jenczyk, junior board member of the Chicago chapter of the American Veteran's for Equal Rights ( AVER ), was approved late last year by Robert E. Walters, the Department of Veterans Affairs Acting Undersecretary of Memorial Affairs. The ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. along and within the Memorial Walkway and will feature music by the Windy City Gay Chorus; blessings from Rabbi Cindy Enger, Fr. Chris Myers and Rev. Wayne Bradley; remarks from elected officials including Rep. Robin Kelly ( whose district includes the cemetery ), and a Flag Line led by members of Organized Chaos Chicago ( OCC ), some of whom are active duty or veterans of the military.

Above is a rendering created by artist Tod Tatsui.

Cardinal Francis George Dies At Age 78

Longtime LGBT rights foe Cardinal Francis George has died of cancer at the age of 78. Via USA Today:

In recent years, his reputation was that of a conservative battling to stem the tide of secularism that witnessed millions of Catholics leaving the faith. One obituary even labeled him as "the American Ratzinger," referring to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the reactionary doctrinal watchdog under Pope John Paul II who instituted numerous conservative reforms in his own brief pontificate as Benedict XVI. "Independence from foreign government does not necessarily mean that people will be free under their own government," he wrote last year in an Independence Day column about government pressure being put on religious institutions. "People can freely create a state that destroys a free society." Like many bishops, Cardinal George fought an uphill battle to defend the Catholic Church from legitimate charges that its leaders did not do enough to protect minors from sexual abuse by predatory priests. He used his influence to gain support for a zero-tolerance policy to defrock pedophiles but was dogged by evidence that he didn't move fast enough against criminal clerics in his own diocese.

(Tipped by JMG reader Andrew)

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: In September 2014, Cardinal George declared that Catholics are "no longer welcome" in the pro-gay state religion. In July 2014, Cardinal George declared that America is being destroyed by the "tyranny of gay marriage." In January 2013, Cardinal George demanded that every Catholic in Illinois oppose same-sex marriage. In December 2012, Cardinal George declared that there is no such things as gay marriage because it cannot be consummated. In 2011, Cardinal George compared Chicago's gay pride parade to a parade of the Ku Klux Klan.

ILLINOIS: Donor To Schock Campaign Will Sue To Get His Money Back

Via the Daily Beast:

A former donor to disgraced ex-Rep. Aaron Schock will file a class action lawsuit against him Wednesday morning, in hopes of preventing the Illinois Republican from using campaign funds for his legal defense. Howard Foster, a Chicago lawyer and former donor to the congressman, will be the lead—and so far, only—plaintiff in the case against Schock, two sources familiar with the matter tell The Daily Beast. He has retained Steve Berman, a Seattle lawyer famous for launching high profile class action lawsuits against the likes of Exxon Mobil and Enron, to file the case Wednesday in Chicago Federal Court. Schock resigned last month after it was revealed that he had claimed tens of thousands of dollars in false mileage reimbursements for use of his personal vehicle, among other spending irregularities. “We thought he was honest and had a bright future. We would not have supported him had we known he regularly violated House rules,” Foster wrote in a blog post last month. (Neither Foster nor Berman would speak on the record about the pending case.) Previewing the argument he will likely be making in the legal brief, Foster then wrote, “In light of the situation, he should not convert his campaign funds to any other purpose, such as his legal defense. For that he should have to pay out of his own pocket. Donors should get their money back on some sort of percentage basis, such as in a bankruptcy proceeding.”

Two days ago a downstate Illinois county sent Schock a $76K bill to cover the cost of the special election to replace him. Schock reportedly has over $3M in leftover campaign funds. (Tipped by JMG reader TJ)

ILLINOIS: Library To Pay Settlement To Kevin DuJan And Creationist Sidekick

Homocon Kevin DuJan and creationist loon Megan Fox have won a $55K settlement from a Chicago-area library over their FOIA complaints that porn was being viewed on its computers. The Chicago Tribune reports:

Orland Park Public Library officials have approved a settlement with two patrons who sued the library over alleged transparency law violations in an ongoing dispute over the library's policy of giving adults unfiltered access to the Internet, including pornography. Last fall, Megan Fox and Kevin DuJan filed two lawsuits against the library, alleging several violations of Illinois' freedom of information law. Orland Park and its police department were also accused in one of the suits of violating the law. The settlement includes a $55,000 payment by the library's insurance company to Fox, DuJan and their attorneys, resolves current complaints over alleged violations of the FOI law and the state's open meetings law and sets up procedures for handling future public records requests from Fox and DuJan, according to a statement from Library Director Mary Weimar. Fox and DuJan have been outspoken critics of the library since October 2013, when they claimed they saw men viewing pornography on library computers, which is permitted under library policies. The pair filed dozens of FOI requests, seeking records on library policies and personnel.

Late last year I reported that the spokeswoman for the library is also suing DuJan and Fox for defamation. That case is apparently still pending. Hit the top link for more on the settlement. (Tipped by JMG reader Larry)

More Questions For Rep. Aaron Schock

Thanks in part to his own Instagram account, Rep. Aaron Schock is facing more questions about his spending on travel and personal expenses. Via the Chicago Tribune:

Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock, a rising Republican star already facing an ethics inquiry, has spent taxpayer and campaign funds on flights aboard private planes owned by some of his key donors, The Associated Press has found. There also have been other expensive travel and entertainment charges, including for a massage company and music concerts. The expenses highlight the relationships that lawmakers sometimes have with donors who fund their political ambitions, an unwelcome message for a congressman billed as a fresh face of the GOP. The AP identified at least one dozen flights worth more than $40,000 on donors' planes since mid-2011. The AP tracked Schock's reliance on the aircraft partly through the congressman's penchant for uploading pictures and videos of himself to his Instagram account. The AP extracted location data associated with each image then correlated it with flight records showing airport stopovers and expenses later billed for air travel against Schock's office and campaign records. Asked for comment, Schock responded in an email on Monday that he travels frequently throughout his Peoria-area district "to stay connected with my constituents" and also travels to raise money for his campaign committee and congressional colleagues.

A DC-based watchdog group has already filed two ethics complaints against Schock.

Nineteen Hospitalized After "Intentional" Gas Leak At Chicago Furry Convention

Via the Chicago Tribune:

Several thousand people were evacuated from a Hyatt hotel in suburban Rosemont when an “intentional” chlorine gas leak at a convention led to 19 people being hospitalized early Sunday morning. The incident happened around 12:40 a.m. at the Hyatt, at 9300 West Bryn Mawr Avenue in Rosemont, according to a statement from the Rosemont Public Safety Department. First responders were called to investigate a noxious odor that was spreading across the ninth floor of the hotel, where a high level of chlorine gas was discovered in the air, the statement said. Nineteen people were transported to nearby hospitals after complaining of nausea, dizziness and other medical problems, according to the statement. All people inside the building were temporarily evacuated and sheltered at nearby facilities, including the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. The annual weekendlong convention, which celebrates art, literature and performance based around anthropomorphic animals, draws thousands of people every year, according to the Midwest FurFest website.

(Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

ILLINOIS: Homocon Kevin DuJan And His Creationist Sidekick Are Being Sued

Demented homocon horcrux Kevin DuJan and creationist loon Megan Fox are being sued for defamation by a Chicago-area library staffer. Via Raw Story:

Fox, a blogger for PJ Media and YouTube commentator, has aggressively campaigned for more than a year to change library policies in Orland Park after she and an associate claimed they saw men viewing porn at the public library. She and Kevin DuJan — who promotes conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama’s birthplace, drug use, and sexual history — have filed hundreds of Freedom of Information Act requests on library policies and employees. They have also filed at least 34 complaints with the Illinois attorney general alleging transparency law violations by library staffers. Fox and DuJan have written numerous blog and social media posts and posted videos of themselves hounding library employees for information. All of this has cost the suburban Chicago library more than $125,000 in legal fees and keeps two library employees busy for about 35 hours a week, according to spokeswoman Bridget Bittman – a primary target for criticism by the conservative pair. Fox apparently found a photo online through a Google image search of Bittman holding a bottle of Champagne, which she posted on her own Facebook page and suggested that she drank alcohol while engaged in work duties at the library. The conservative activist also posted a video in July on her YouTube channel alleging that police had accused Bittman of disorderly conduct and breach of peace, and other claims the library employee described as false. The suit claims DuJan filed a complaint against Bittman related to those charges, but police found no evidence to support his claims.

The suit claims "violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the Stored Communications Act" and seeks compensatory and punitive damages from Fox, DuJan, and their fellow nutjobs. (Tipped by JMG reader Homer)

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: DuJan is well-known to JMG readers as the source of Teabagistan's favorite rumor - that President Obama was a regular at Chicago bathhouses before running for the Senate. He has also complained that no one will date him because of his love for Sarah Palin, that gay leftists are trying to poison his cocktails, and that the employees of a popular Chicago gay bar have been ordered to murder him. DuJan gained more national media attention in 2010 when CNN covered his open campaign to rig Dancing With The Stars voting in favor of Bristol Palin. Last year DuJan declared that it was "obvious" that President Obama was high on cocaine on the night of the Benghazi attack.

ILLINOIS: House Democrat Highlights Marriage Equality In First Campaign Ad

Freshman House Rep. Brad Schneider is facing former GOP House Rep. Bob Dold, who had one term in office before losing to Schneider in 2012.

ILLINOIS: Hundreds Attend Meeting About Gay Music Director Fired By Catholic Church For Announcing Engagement

Hundreds of Catholic parishioners yesterday attended an "emotionally charged" meeting about their former music director, who was fired after using social media to announce his engagement to a man.

Many of the roughly 700 people who attended appeared to support Colin Collette, who received a standing ovation when he entered the sanctuary. Members of the media were not allowed to attend, but parishioners described the scene afterward. Collette was terminated from the job he held for 17 years in late July, after being told that his same-sex relationship violates the tenets of the Catholic Church, he said. Collette has said that church leaders knew he was gay long before he posted the announcement of his wedding plans on Facebook. Kevin Keane of Bartlett, one of dozens of people addressing a panel that included representatives of the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, quit his position as cantor in protest of Collette's firing. “He has given his entire life to the church,” Keane said, repeating a portion of his speech. “That leads me to the conclusion if he's not fit to serve, then I am not fit to serve.” Others derided the church and called for change. But some supported the church's decision, such as Frank Girjatowicz of Hoffman Estates. “I am not against homosexuals,” he said. “But their style of life, according to human nature, is not acceptable.”

The church's pastor, Rev. Terry Keenan, released a statement: "Through the use of social media, the Archdiocese of Chicago has become aware that Colin has publicly endorsed a position in conflict with Church teachings. Employees who make such choices cannot remain employed by the Archdiocese." (Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

Headline Of The Day

Details.

ILLINOIS: Hate Group Sues College For Right To Distribute Anti-Gay Flyers

Members of an SPLC-certified hate group have sued a Chicago-area community college, alleging that their First Amendment right to be bigoted douchebags has been violated.

Wayne Lela and John McCartney, members of Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment, allege they were not allowed to pass fliers out to students on one of Waubonsee’s campuses even though they did not violate any college rules. It wasn’t specified which of the four campuses they were denied from. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Wednesday claims Lela contacted school employees in January, asking if H.O.M.E. could pass out fliers titled, “The Uncensored Truth About Homosexuality” and “Gay Activism and Freedom of Speech and Religion.” The college denied the request in a letter and said it “consistently limits campus activities to events that are not disruptive of the college’s educational mission,” the suit said.

The flyers can be viewed here.

Tweet Of The Day - Equality Illinois

Via Huffington Post:

Though Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner is not planning to attend Sunday's massive Gay Pride Parade in Chicago, his presence will still very much be felt -- thanks to a giant banner erected by LGBT advocates. Equality Illinois and a number of associated community members and elected officials on Thursday unveiled a two-story banner featuring a photograph of Rauner along with his statement, made last year at a Tea Party event, that he would have vetoed Illinois' new marriage equality bill had it come to his desk as governor of the state.

ILLINOIS: Lead Plaintiffs In Marriage Suit Marry After 50 Years Together

Illinois Celebrates First Day Of Marriage

"Holding hands beneath thousands of soapy floating bubbles, forty couples locked lips during a group wedding ceremony in Rogers Park to celebrate the first day of marriage equality in Illinois."

ILLINOIS: Marriages Begin Statewide