Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Pick up Gay Chicago at These Convenient Locations:

(What you do with the copies you pick up is completely up to you...)

• Loyola University “El” Stop
• CTA Red Line @ 1119 W. Bryn Mawr
• Addison & Broadway
• Roscoe & Broadway
• Montrose & Clark, Northwest Corner
• CTA Red Line @ Wilson & Broadway
• Roosevelt & Wabash • Near Starbucks
• 233 E. Wacker
• Cornelia & Halsted
• Aldine & Broadway
• Broadway & Elmdale
• CTA Red Line @ Addison
• Fullerton & Sheffield
• Illinois & St. Clair
• Damen & Leland
• Wilson & Magnolia
• Metra Station @ Dempster (Evanston)
• Treasure Island @ Elm & Clark St.
• 32 E. Wacker

Vicious Slander Against the Heartland Cafe

Chicago's gay community knows of the Heartland Cafe, and its owners, Katy Hogan and Michael James, as staunch supporters of GLBT causes, not only in recent years, but going back decades, when supporting gay rights took far more courage than it does today. However, loyalty to gay rights issues counts for nothing with Craig Gernhardt, publisher of Gay Chicago Magazine. In a recent post, Gernhardt made accusations that the Heartland Cafe is failing to pay the mandatory minimum wage. When questioned about what proof he had of these accusations, Gernhardt admitted that he had none, he was simply smearing their reputations by repeating something he claimed to have heard from an anonymous source.

Violations of minimum wage laws include criminal penalties. Falsely accusing a person of committing a crime is a form of slander. The Heartland Cafe and its owners now have a valid reason to sue Gernhardt for slandering them. Gernhardt uses his blog to proclaim his ownership of Gay Chicago Magazine. Could the Heartland Cafe sue the magazine? If they won a suit against Gernhardt, could they take his stock in the magazine?

We may never know. But if I were someone who owned stock in Gernhardt Publications, or worked at the magazine, I would feel very nervous about the stability of the situation right now. Craig Gernhardt is bizarre and unstable, and anyone near him runs a risk of that instability overflowing into their lives. Word to the wise.

Gay Chicago Magazine and the Morse Hellhole

Gay Chicago Magazine is now published by Craig Gernhardt, the son of founder, Ralph-Paul Gernhardt. Ralph-Paul was a pioneer in promoting gay rights in Chicago, most notably through his magazine, Gay Chicago. Ralph-Paul died in 2006.

Ralph-Paul's publishing business passed to his son, Craig Gernhardt, a heavy-drinking, bizarre, vicious, lonely man who spends most of his time attacking people in his Chicago neighborhood of Rogers Park. Craig particularly likes to attack political allies of the gay community, such as 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore, and the owners of the Heartland Cafe.

Craig's daily spouting of vicious lies can be found on his blog, Morse Hellhole.