Gaia House hosts community dinner for TDOV in Carbondale
CARBONDALE — Join a potluck dinner and enjoy music by transgender artists at Carbondale’s Transgender Day of Visibility community dinner this evening. Dinner starts at 4:15 p.m. and continues until 7 p.m. at the Gaia House Interfaith Center, 913 S. Illinois Ave. The dinner is organized by the Downstate Illinois Trans Organization (DITO), a mutual aid and social connection network. DITO is also participating in a “Stand Out for Trans Rights” rally Tuesday in Mount Vernon, coordinated by the local Pride group OUT in Mt. Vernon.
ISU Students concerned about lack of alert during off-campus shooting
NORMAL — Illinois State University (ISU) students say they’re concerned university police didn’t send out an alert during the mass shooting off-campus on March 22, reports 25 News and the campus’s newspaper, The Vidette. Students and the Student Government Association raised concerns that they learned of the shootings from relatives’ or friends’ text messages before hearing from the university. ISU Police Chief Aaron Woodruff said overnight police chose not to send the alert as “a snap decision with little information.” He also said Normal police are leading the investigation, not the university police. The shooting left six people, including two ISU students, injured. All six are stable, and one has been released (WGLT). Overall, four of the victims were from Bloomington-Normal, two were from Peoria, and one was from Chicago. No arrests have been made.
Planned Parenthood’s annual community Baby Shower returns
CHICAGO – Black women and their families can receive supplies and resources in mid-April through the third annual Community Baby Shower by Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL). Plus, the community can donate to the effort until April 11, when Black Maternal Health Week kicks off. Also … PPIL offers an Amazon Wish List and a Target Wish List that both consist of Black-owned businesses. Black women overall are three times more likely to die during pregnancy, and more likely to have high blood pressure or heart disease prior to pregnancy, which can create serious pregnancy complications (Scripps Health). Co-sponsoring the baby shower with PPIL is the Chicago Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, a philanthropic group focused on empowering Chicagoland youth. You can also send donations to Planned Parenthood’s Chicago office at 17 N. State St., Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60602.
