Thanks to all who came and made the party a blast for us too. David and Ken

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I guess I ended up being the only one from this group that went to the event...there was a lot of snow, and I can't blame anyone for staying close to home. She had 74 RSVPs, but the weather brought attendance down to about 40, I'd say 2:1 men. Great pizza, and enjoyed meeting so many new people; there was no one there I'd ever met before. Rick Garcia, the legislative director for Equality Illinois (EQIL) spoke about the civil unions bill before the legislature. They ended up a couple votes short, so it wasn't called to the floor in the session that ended January 13, but it will be reintroduced January 14 for the next session. Unfortunately some of the "yes" votes they were counting on retired or lost their elections, so they will be working from a smaller number and trying to get to 60 votes in the Illinois House. EQIL decided to go after Civil Unions when they realized how long it might take to get Marriage Equality passed, and that many couples would be going without ANY of the protections married people have until that happens. So if Civil Union is an easier concept to sell to the legislature, get that first, win at least some rights for gay families, and then continue on to full marriage equality. Rick urged everyone to contact their state representative to ask them to support Civil Unions for GLBT couples in Illinois. Fran asked everyone to consider joining EQIL, by going to the website, EQIL.org. Memberships start at $35 per year. Also, I picked up some postcards for contacting legislators. There was no mention of another suburban gathering soon, but I bet it happens!

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Here are some of the things we are interested in the next month or so.

9/6/2008 - The Great Urban Race - Bob, most likely has to work. So I wouldn't mind if two or three people wanted to join me. The scavenger begins at noon in Lincoln Park. Only rule is that during the scavenger hunt you must use public transit, no cars, or taxis. If you want to join me on Saturday email me for more details and contact information. Web address: http://www.greaturbanrace.com/

9/20/2008 - American Maker - Make magazine is looking to discover the most innovative makers/inventors whose work has the potential to benefit others. American Maker is a live, day-long program that highlights grassroots innovation in local communities around the country. Web Address: http://www.makezine.com/american/

9/28/2008 - Tour Historic Galena Homes - Bob and I are planning on doing this. We have room for two more people to join us. We plan to make a day out of it and hopefully meet up with Wayne for lunch or dinner.

9/27/2008 - October 12, 2008 - Wired Next Fest - WIRED NextFest is the premier showcase of the global innovations transforming our world. Now in its fifth year, WIRED's gallery of the future includes unique and bold exhibits of sustainable design, next generation healthcare, interactive art and games, humanoid robotics and more. Web address http://www.wirednextfest.com/

10/8/2008 - Brain Bowl - Inspired by high school and college Quiz Bowl competitions, Wired Brain Bowl will pit Wired editors against two teams: one, Quiz Bowl all-stars from Chicago-area universities and two, a team of celebrated Chicagoans.

Also we wouldn't mind having people over for a game/coffee night some time in October. That date however is still to be determined.

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