Art by LGBTQ+ migrants in ICE detention to be showcased at Chicago exhibition
Artwork created by LGBTQ+ immigrants in ICE detention will be featured at a Chicago exhibition Saturday, Oct. 24. The free event, “Stories in Action,” is organized by Chicago-based Migrant Support Collective (MSC) and will take place at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. It…
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ART Pilsen photographer and 3Arts Award winner Diana Solis puts queer, Latinx identities in focus
If a person could embody Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, queer photographer Diana Solis (she/they) just might be that individual. In fact, their Instagram handle is @pilsenita. However, Solis’ life spans two countries. Solis is a photographer, multidisciplinary artist and educator who is rooted in Mexican and Chicano culture. As a documentary photographer, Solís has an archive…
Chicago mayor’s office previews 5-year LGBTQ+ policy plan
The proposal includes strategies addressing LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, gender-affirming healthcare and mental health services, but the city has not yet presented an implementation budget or timeline.
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Murray Hill reflects on ‘Showbiz’ memoir ahead of Chicago appearance
For three decades, Murray Hill has captivated audiences around the world as a successful entertainer and actor. Sometimes referred to as “Mr. Showbiz,” this award-winning trans comedian—and now author— blends camp with a cabaret-style live act that fans can see in person at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., on Sunday, Nov. 1. The Chicago appearance…
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 Lookingglass Theatre tells a tall tale of Tennessee in ‘Kowalski’
“I don’t want realism. I want magic!” Blanche DuBois says in the 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire. A new Lookingglass Theatre Company production, titled after that play’s main character, Stanley Kowalski, is a magical fantasy Blanche would surely appreciate. Kowalski is a fictional story where Marlon Brando visits Tennessee Williams in his Provincetown, Massachusetts, beach house…
Music
MUSIC Riot Fest went boldly where no punk celebration had gone before
The legendary three-day punk rock music gathering known as Riot Fest returned to Chicago’s historic Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr., where it has been held annually since 2015. From Sept. 18-20, the anti-establishment event embraced raw energy on five stages, each beginning with the letter R: Riot, Roots, Rebel, Rise and Radical. Historically, punk…
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
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
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…