PASSAGES Kim Cleveland, behind-the-scenes force in Chicago pageantry, dies at 65
Backstage at the Miss Continental pageant in 1992, Mimi Marks was panicking. All around her, contestants were pinning their hair up for the evening gown competition. But behind her, Kim Cleveland was doing the opposite—setting Marks’ hair in rollers and letting it fall down. There…
Keep readingRecent News
Chicago House names Lindsay Gaskins CEO as Michael Herman retires
Chicago House is undergoing a leadership transition as CEO Michael Herman retires and Board Chair Lindsay Gaskins, a leadership development executive who has served on the organization’s board for several years, steps into the role. The leadership change, announced April 6, is part of a planned succession at one of Chicago’s largest LGBTQ+ housing providers…
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Author returns to Chicago with conversion therapy memoir as bans face new legal challenges
A gay Christian who spent years in conversion therapy shares his story in a new memoir that pulls back the curtain on megachurch culture—arriving as a recent Supreme Court ruling threatens bans on the practice across the U.S. Conversion Therapy Dropout by Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez releases May 5 and offers a look at the author’s eight years of…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Day of Silence, ex-Illinois attorney, Uganda’s Supreme Court, Cyndi Lauper, queer WNBA icons, singer zzzahara
NATIONAL Thousands of students across the United States took part in the 30th annual Day of Silence (a student-led campaign organized by Glisten, formerly GLSEN) on April 10, The Advocate noted. What began in 1996…
Theater / Dance
PrideArts brings a same-sex take to A.R. Gurney’s ‘Love Letters’
One of my favorite memorabilia pieces is a Cosmopolitan from January 1959 signed by Betsy Palmer. Palmer, perhaps best known for playing Mrs. Voorhees in the original Friday the 13th, had graduated from the Goodman School of Drama (now Theatre School at DePaul) and she autographed the magazine while performing in a benefit production of Love Letters in her…
Music
Backstage “Coffee” talk with Canadian singer Jamie Fine
Out and proud singer Jamie Fine has packed up her powerful tunes this April to bring music to the masses. The Canadian native is in the middle of a long journey and is joined by a skilled backing band for her first headline tour in the United States. Fine first came to attention as one…
Film / TV / Gossip
‘Sinners’ dominates 2026 Dorian Film Awards, Rose Byrne and Amy Madigan take acting prizes
Eva Victor’s ‘Sorry, Baby’ Garners Two Wins; Ryan Coogler Earns Three Honors in a Breakout Year for Bold, Community-Driven CinemaSponsored by Tello Films March 3, 2026, Los Angeles – GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, the second largest entertainment journalists organization in the world, today announced the group’s 2026 Dorian Film Awards, with Sinners emerging as the…
Books / Art
Trans
‘Allyship isn’t enough anymore’: Chicago Trans Visibility rally calls for action on trans rights
Several hundred people waving transgender pride flags and signs of support marched through downtown Chicago on April 4, led by chants of “My rights are your rights; trans rights are human rights.” The march followed Trans Up Front Illinois’ Rally for Trans Visibility in Federal Plaza, bringing together activists, politicians, nonprofit leaders and community members…
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…