HRC Chicago’s 2025 gala raises $80K and honors LGBTQ+ leaders
“Power Through Unity” was the focus of this year’s sold-out Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Chicago’s annual gala Nov. 15 at Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park. The evening’s awardees were Boots lead actor Miles Heizer (Visibility Award) and Center on Halsted CEO Joli Robinson (Community Impact Award). To kick…
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Candlelight vigil in Northalsted honors lives lost on Trans Day of Remembrance
With battery-powered candles illuminating their faces, more than a dozen LGBTQ+ community members walked through Northalsted to honor the lives of transgender people who have died. The ceremony—led by the Second City Sisters in recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance—began with a blessing at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., before the group made the…
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Chicagoans gather at Rainbow Crosswalk to affirm community visibility
On Nov. 20, Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), Equality Illinois held a press conference at the Rainbow Crosswalk on Farragut Ave. and Clark St. adjacent to Women and Children First bookstore in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. Equality Illinois CEO Channyn Lynne Parker said she wanted to hold a visibility-focused event at the site of one of…
Nation & World
WORLD Arrests in Tunisia, Kazakh anti-queer law, dating apps removed, Italian Assembly
In Tunisia, the LGBTQ+-rights advocacy group Damj (the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality) recently stated that 71 queer citizens, mostly transgender women, have been arrested, per Erasing 76 Crimes. In addition, the organization said that 32 of those individuals have already been sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight months to three years. Same-sex…
Theater / Dance
Lyric Opera of Chicago serves a musically impressive ‘Cav/Pag’ double bill
The one-act operas Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci contain some of the most iconic and enduring moments of the art form. Now being revived by the Lyric Opera of Chicago with top-notch musical and production values all around, this 1890s Italian double bill of adultery and murder (often abbreviated as Cav/Pag) is quintessential viewing for newcomers and longtime opera fans. Both operas have…
Music
MUSIC Chicago Singer Lucy Smith on intersections, identity, artistry—and a personal revelation
‘I can’t remember when I did not love music’: Out Chicago singer Lucy Smith discusses her artistry and passions At the intersection of jazz, blues, gospel, soul and other forms of music, listeners will find local entertainer/producer Lucy Smith. A member of the LGBTQ+ community, Smith is an award-winning singer whose quartet/quintet is a dynamic…
Film / TV / Gossip
FILM CIFF showcases queer filmmakers and comes out of (Criterion’s) Closet
North America’s longest-running international competitive film festival turned 61 in 2025 and screened 114 feature films along with 70 short subject films.Presented by the non-profit organization Cinema/Chicago, the Chicago International Film Festival ran from Oct. 15-26 and was held in multiple venues across the city. Ticket holders attended screenings at multiplexes such as AMC NEWCITY…
Books / Art
Trans
Chicago leaders stand united ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance
Chicago officials and LGBTQ+ community leaders gathered at Center on Cottage Grove, 6323 S. Cottage Grove Ave., to honor Transgender Day of Remembrance and call for continued action to protect the city’s transgender community. The Nov. 17 press conference, held during Transgender Awareness Week, doubled as a moment of mourning for the lives lost to anti-trans violence and a celebration of resilience and leadership of Chicago’s transgender residents. Joli Robinson, CEO of Center on Halsted,…
Lesbian
Inergy Chicago builds LGBTQ+ solidarity and support before opening day
The LGBTQ+ nightspot Inergy Chicago, slated for a spring 2026 opening, has already been making waves in the community, according to owner Chris Araiza. Starting with an idea years ago to bring more queer nightlife to Chicago’s southwest side, Araiza and his team have been in local neighborhoods doing more than just sharing their business’s name…