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 queer candidates secured victories in races across Illinois. Democrats Demi Palecek and Cleopatra Cowley will join the state House, while…
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Iconic lesbian film Hannah Free, starring Sharon Gless, to make streaming debut on OML
Hannah Free, a lesbian-themed film starring Sharon Gless that was shot in Chicago in 2008, will have its streaming debut on the OML network Nov. 12, 2026. The launch will include a special livestream with cast and crew Nov. 18 and an interview between Gless and advocate Janice Langbehn. OML is a popular LBQ+ YouTube…
MUSIC Orville Peck removes the masks on the album ‘Mule’
Queer country-music icon Orville may be known for his masks but he lays his life bare in Mule—a candid, chronological account of his journey through addiction, sobriety and rebuilding. Before continuing his North American Man Turned Mule Tour at Chicago’s Salt Shed on Nov. 7, Peck talked with Windy City Times about the album (which…
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Haunted Halsted celebrates 30 years with parade and festival
On Oct. 31, under a cloudy fall sky, Northalsted celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Haunted Halloween Parade in a unique fashion. Northalsted Business Alliance expanded the annual festivities by adding an hours-long festival that included musical acts, circus-inspired performances, artisans, a kid’s section with three massive bouncy houses, crafts and jugglers. Those clouds suggested rain, but…
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
Chicago trans advocates question justice after acquittal in Dejanay Stanton killing
The acquittal of a man charged in the 2018 killing of Dejanay Stanton has renewed calls for accountability and greater protections for Chicago’s Black transgender community. A Cook County jury on Oct. 23 found Tremon Hill, 25, not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Stanton, a 24-year-old Black transgender woman who was fatally…
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…