Latino queer youth are facing a unique mental health crisis: Chicagoans are fighting to reach them
Something as large-scale and daunting as the modern youth mental health crisis could never be solved overnight. Considering queer Latino youth are part of two communities which are underrepresented, underserved and under attack by the federal government, their challenges are especially unique. In a 2024 report by…
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PASSAGES Bryan Keith McDaniel
Bryan Keith McDaniel, 59, of Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, passed away peacefully on July 13. Born on Dec. 21, 1966, in Pasadena, Texas, Bryan graduated from Deer Park High School and lived in Pasadena, Austin and Beaumont. After graduation, he began a long career in retail sales at Sound Warehouse, Hastings Records, Bath & Body…
Williams Institute: Being more visibly transgender associated with higher rates of physical attack
A new analysis of 2022 U.S. Trans Survey (USTS) data from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that 5.4% of transgender and nonbinary adults reported experiencing one or more physical attacks in the year before the survey, and about half of them were attacked multiple times. By comparison, the National Crime Victimization Survey, administered…
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OPINION World leaders are questioning Trump’s mental health
Trump embarrassed the US again at the July 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The world is watching—our enemies as well as our allies—which means it’s dangerous as well as embarrassing. Here’s how White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the NATO summit: “President Trump delivered a marathon, high-energy performance at the NATO summit, holding four separate press availabilities plus a…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Trans ban upheld, bathhouse ban repealed, Stonewall re-enactment, conversion therapy, ‘Broadway Bares,’ ‘X-Men ’97’
NATIONAL In a major development, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld state bans on transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s school sports, The Advocate reported. In a six-to-three decision written by Justice Brett…
Theater / Dance
Chicagoans gather to learn about Black queer dance, expression
As massive crowds, former presidents and other celebrities mingled in Jackson Park for the opening of the Obama Center on June 18, a much smaller group on the North Side came together with an entirely different kind of gathering for the second edition of Welcome Home: A Celebration of Queer Street Dance. The event, which took…
Music
Chicago Pride Parade reclaims the spirit of protest
The 2026 Chicago Pride Parade on June 28 drove home that it is a protest before a celebration, spotlighting numerous organizations and individuals who each day take on challenges affecting the city’s LGBTQ+ community. The theme, Free to be Proud, was on display as the parade wound its way through Lake View. Cheers filled the…
Film / TV / Gossip
John Early smells like Maddie’s Secret at the Music Box
Director, writer and actor John Early doesn’t hide who he is as a gay man, but his character struggles with private information in the new Magnolia Pictures movie Maddie’s Secret. On July 2, he brought his latest endeavor to the Music Box Theatre for a sold-out screening accompanied by a post-show question-and-answer portion of the program. Maddie proved so popular…
Books / Art
Trans
Attorneys and advocates respond to anti-trans Supreme Court ruling in BPJ and Hecox
From a June 30 press release: WASHINGTON—This morning, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in two cases—West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox—brought to the Supreme Court by states defending categorical bans on transgender women and girls participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams. The Supreme Court upheld Idaho and West Virginia’s…
Lesbian
Dyke March celebrates community power and resistance
Dyke March, crafted as an act of resistance pushing up against overly corporatized Pride celebrations, returned to Chicago June 27 after an eight-year hiatus. The event, which took place in the Pilsen neighborhood marks its 30th anniversary in 2026. The march started with a rally at Plaza Tenochtitlan before marching east down W. 18th St.,…