LGBTQ+ candidates win Illinois House, Cook County Board seats in midterm elections
Queer representation in the Illinois General Assembly expanded Tuesday as two openly LGBTQ+ candidates won seats in the state House, joining returning lawmakers as other candidates competed in races across Illinois. Democrats Demi Palecek and Cleopatra Cowley will join the state House, while openly pansexual…
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COMEDY Nick Smith talks dating, queer comics and eating (a little) better
Hear Me Out with Nick Smith is a stand-up comedy show where Nick Smith brings his unique perspective to the stage alongside a few guest comics. The show mixes stand-up with crowd-work, as Nick asks comics and audience members to share their “Hear Me Out” takes, goals, dreams and fears. Although Smith is a comedian and…
Pritzker, Stratton and Mitchell visit Northalsted ahead of Election Day
On Nov. 1, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and lieutenant governor candidate Christian Mitchell met a packed room of rowdy supporters at Sidetrack as part of a push to get out the vote on Nov. 3. The wildly enthusiastic audience interjected colorful comments during the appearance, galvanizing the speakers even more. Activist and Sidetrack…
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SAVOR James Beard auction, restaurant surcharges, Seville’s brunch and Q Force
Rock the vote: The LGBTQA+ voter-mobilization organization Q Force will be in Saugatuck, Michigan on Nov. 1-3, for its final GOTV (Get Out the Vote) push, per its newsletter. Canvassing will be the main focus, with other slated activities including drag bingo and Martini Monday. There will be $50 gas cards provided as well as…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Kansas challenge, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Elliot Page, queer Taipei bar raided, Pet Shop Boys, ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Robin Roberts
Warning: This column mentions violent activities. NATIONAL While transgender and intersex Kansas residents challenge the state’s driver’s license and restroom restrictions, Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach contended that the plaintiffs have not shown the law…
Theater / Dance
THEATER ‘A Strange Loop’ wows in About Face Theatre and Raven Theatre’s Chicago premiere
There is a lot going on in the mind of Usher, the simultaneously insecure and ambitious leading man at the center of A Strange Loop. This unabashed and self-described “big, Black and queer ass” Broadway musical is making a fabulous Chicago premiere via a strong co-production by About Face Theatre and Raven Theatre through Nov. 22. A…
Music
TRAVEL Pride in Dallas was a weekend of unabashed joy for Texas’ queer community
Courtesy of the Los Angeles Blade Pride arrived for a second time this year in Dallas, Texas, with the local community coming together for a few more days to uplift their LGBTQ+ neighbors. It was a weekend of fun inclusivity that this city is no stranger to; Dallas currently boasts the sixth-largest population of LGBTQ+…
Film / TV / Gossip
FILM Queer Fright: Filmmaker Zach Lorkiewicz brings “psychosis incarnate” feature debut to Chicago
After graduating from Northwestern University, gay filmmaker Zach Lorkiewicz headed for Los Angeles. While he has found a successful creative home there, his ties to the Midwest remain strong. “The Night Jane Went Insane,” his colorful seven-minute grand dame freak-out, had its local premiere in 2023. Now his feature film debut, a horror film entitled It…
Books / Art
Trans
Yasemin Smallens is Human Rights Watch’s eyewitness to the harms of anti-trans laws
Yasemin Smallens has been an eyewitness to the ill effects of anti-transgender laws—and wants to raise public awareness about them. Chicago-based Smallens, acting researcher in the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, has traveled to a variety of places, including Texas and Botswana, to observe the harms of these laws. “The impact is far…
Lesbian
Legacy Walk marks Cannon and Pulaski’s contributions to history
On the unseasonably warm and sunny afternoon of Oct. 10, Open Hand/Chicago Co-Founder, LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS ally/activist and Legacy Project Co-Founder Lori F. Cannon and U.S. Revolutionary War Brigadier General, Father of the American Calvary and hero Casimir Pulaski were inducted into the Legacy Walk in Chicago’s Northalsted neighborhood. The 15th annual event included a…