BOOKS The man who was LBJ’s right hand—until he was arrested in a tearoom
Walter Jenkins was a married father of six, a convert to Catholicism, and Lyndon B. Johnson’s most trusted aide through LBJ’s time in Congress, his vice presidency, and the early part of his presidency. But Jenkins’s world changed when he was arrested for having sex…
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IN BRIEF Anti-trans measures, historic house, Gaysweek, Caribbean act overturned, Azzi Fudd, ‘Club Kid,’ Joey Nebulous
Warning: This column mentions violent activity. NATIONAL Voters in left-leaning Colorado and Washington state approved measures designed to ban trans athletes from participating in school-sanctioned sports, the AP noted. Colorado’s Proposition 134 will require educational institutions and athletic associations to assign sports as male, female or co-ed; Washington’s measure will prevent students who were assigned…
Legendary goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher announces retirement from professional soccer
CHICAGO (Nov. 13, 2026) — Chicago Stars FC goalkeeper and captain Alyssa Naeher today announced her retirement from professional soccer, closing a career that helped define Chicago Stars FC and the National Women’s Soccer League while delivering some of the most memorable performances in U.S. Women’s National Team history. A cornerstone of the Chicago Stars…
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Milani Varela draws from her own HIV journey to support her community
Milani Varela has taken part in nearly two decades of HIV education and prevention work in Chicago and nationwide. To her, one of her greatest strengths is her lived experience. An Afro-Mexican drag performer and community advocate, Varela is using her personal story with HIV to empower others to be the architects of their own…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Rainbow political winners, TENT situation, trans journalists, North Cyprus milestone, Australia first, George Michael, ‘Chucky’ creator
Warning: This column mentions violent activity. NATIONAL In Texas, court documents identified John Braun and the Republican Women’s Caucus Fund as clients linked to text messages impersonating the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), per…
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
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…
Film / TV / Gossip
Jordan Firstman faces instant fatherhood as Peter in Club Kid
Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid cinematically grows into adulthood while questioning the idea of family in a New York queer nightlife setting.Released by A24 this month, Club Kid is Firstman’s feature film directorial debut. He also wrote the piece and stars as Peter, a club promoter who discovers he has a biological British son named Arlo, played by Reggie Absolom,…
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…