Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame announces 2026 inductees
Induction Ceremony Set for Nov. 5, 2026 The Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, the only city-sanctioned LGBT Hall of Fame in the world, has announced its slate of 2026 inductees: 13 LGBT-identified individuals, two LGBT-identified organizations and three friends of the community, or allies. The…
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PASSAGES Scott Bradley
Queer Chicago performance artist, director, producer and playwright Scott Bradley died Sept. 8 surrounded by family in Half Moon Bay, California after a brief battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 60. Bradley was born July 27, 1966, in Des Moines, Iowa and spent his childhood and teen years between there…
POLITICS Christian Mitchell talks about Gov. Pritzker, Ulysses S. Grant and the fight for marriage equality
Christian Mitchell—a former Illinois state representative and deputy governor—is on the statewide election ticket alongside Gov. JB Pritzker in a bid for lieutenant governor, as his running mate seeks a third term. (Outgoing Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is running for the U.S. Senate.) Mitchell graduated from the University of Chicago in 2008, and planned on…
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THEATER Handbag sends Joan Crawford on encore trip to ‘Hell’
In the first chapter of My Way of Life, Joan Crawford’s 1971 tome intended (according to its dust jacket) “for every woman who wants to live beautifully and successfully,” Crawford pontificates on the idea of regret. “People are always asking me if there’s anything I regret, or would change,” she writes. “The answer is no! Not…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Election items, trans people’s medical records, Chilli Pepper, queer Irish exhibit, George Michael, lesbian movies/TV shows, Beyonce’s new/old album
Warning: This column mentions physical violence and sexual assault. NATIONAL In a historic development, Dr. Everett Blair Jr. won the special election to replace the late Rep. David Scott in Georgia’s 13th congressional district following…
Theater / Dance
DANCE Filmmaker and choreographer discuss upcoming Joffrey Ballet documentary
On Friday, Sept. 18, at 8 p.m. CT, PBS will premiere Joffrey Ballet: The Next Movement, a new documentary produced by Kartemquin Films that follows the winners of the 14th annual Joffrey Ballet’s Grainger Academy of Dance’s Winning Works program. (The program showcases emerging minority choreographers and provides them with a platform to showcase their…
Music
MUSIC Melanie C is set to break a ‘Sweat’ in Chicago
Melanie Chisholm became part of a cultural pop phenomenon as Sporty Spice in the Spice Girls before she carved out a career as a solo artist. Nine albums later, she headlines a 25-city North American Tour that bringing her Sweat to the Windy City this September.The record’s title track “Sweat” samples Diana Ross’ “Work That Body” and…
Film / TV / Gossip
Spanish actor Carlos González digs into history and sand at the 44th Reeling Film Festival
The fiercely talented queer performer Carlos González has yet to visit the Windy City in person, but he is set to appear virtually for two Spanish-language projects at the second-longest-running LGBTQ+ film festival in the world. La Bola Negra kicks off opening night of the 44th edition of Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival at…
Books / Art
Trans
IN BRIEF Election items, ‘Witt v. Air Force,’ Mount Sinai’s anti-trans move, Switzerland’s government, Freddie Mercury mural, WNBA, Janet Jackson, ‘Tip Toe’
Warning: This column mentions details of killings. NATIONAL In Indiana, six candidates for Owen County township offices in the November election are coming out to voters, introducing themselves on two billboards, WISH noted. The promotion, paid for by the Stonewall Democrats of South Central Indiana, marks the first time the organization has endorsed any candidates…
Lesbian
Chicagoans reflect on Gloria Steinem’s relationship with LGBTQ+ community
Gloria Steinem is being remembered as a feminist leader and icon. But the Chicagoans who interacted with her said she never made the movement about her—it was about all of us. “She treated everyone like a peer,” said Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who met Steinem several times, starting when Cassidy worked for the National Organization for Women’s (NOW)…