‘Health cuts kill’: Chicago coalition joins Seven Days week of action
Labor leaders, HIV advocates and health care workers are sounding the alarm over more than $1 trillion in health funding cuts that they say will devastate local communities and economies across the country. The broad coalition is mobilizing through Seven Days in June: HEALTH IS PRIMARY,…
Keep readingRecent News
IML and IMBB kick off Memorial Day Weekend
The 48th annual International Mr. Leather (IML) & International Mr. Bootblack (IMBB) kicked off at the Congress Plaza Hotel, 520 S. Michigan Ave., on May 21 with opening ceremonies. This year, 68 contestants from around the world are competing for the title of IML 2026, as well as 4 contestants competing for IMBB 2026. All of the…
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The Dunes Resort celebrates 45 years as one of the Midwest’s defining queer getaways
For many LGBTQ+ midwesterners, a first trip to the Dunes Resort in Western Michigan is a rite of passage—an introduction to the kind of freedom, self-expression and togetherness that generations of queer people have found there for decades. “You get out of your car here, and you forget your issues [or] prejudices,” said Mike Jones, co-owner of the Dunes. “You…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Jason Collins, trans student stabbed, Warsaw’s pro-marriage move, Uganda drops bill, INK, Janet Jackson, Sally Field
NATIONAL Jason Collins—the NBA’s first openly gay player, who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion—died at age 47 after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer, according to media reports.…
Theater / Dance
THEATER Playwright McCraney probes the ethics of a ‘Windfall’ at Steppenwolf
Writer Tarell Alvin McCraney’s new drama Windfall, running now at Steppenwolf Theatre through May 31, is billed by its theater company as a story about “the spirit of activism versus money.” The play depicts a Chicago man whose son is killed in a violent police incident. When the father is offered a significant cash settlement, he…
Music
Chicago singers help Belting for Life reach new heights
On May 11, the 11th annual Belting for Life Concert reached a new milestone. The event, a fundraiser for AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) was the most successful Belting for Life event yet, nearly selling out SPACE at 1245 Chicago Ave. in Evanston. Conceived, produced and curated by Christopher Pazdernik—and taking place on his birthday—Belting for…
Film / TV / Gossip
FILM The Chicago Critics Film Festival winds up with a Wilde week in the Windy City
The Chicago Critics Film Festival is curated by the Chicago Film Critics Association and is the only United States film festival programmed exclusively by critics. Founded in 1990, the Chicago Film Critics Association supports filmmaking and is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization. For its 13th edition, the CCFF was held from May 1-7 in 2026, at…
Books / Art
Trans
Transgender Chicagoan turns his gym into a space for fitness and acceptance
As a transgender man, Alex Martinez knows how it feels to be othered—and he knows he’s not alone. That experience has influenced his work as both a fitness trainer and gym owner. “I knew it wasn’t just me and because I’m trans,” said Martinez, owner of the Above the Bar gym, 2000 N. Western Ave., where he…
Lesbian
Owners of beloved lesbian bar ‘Dorothy’ open queer dive bar ‘Fathom’ in Lakeview
The owners of the popular lesbian bar Dorothy opened a new queer bar in Lakeview this week, with a more casual, “classic neighborhood dive bar” feel. Fathom, 1622 W. Belmont Ave., opened April 9 and was quickly at capacity, with a line of people waiting that stretched down the block. The new nautical-themed bar is designed to…