Christian Díaz becomes first openly queer person on Metra board, aims to create more equitable transit
From growing up in a transit-rich community to working in Chicago’s transit network itself, Christian Díaz is all about connecting both people and places. Appointed to the Metra board in April 2026, Díaz is its first openly queer member. He comes with a background of…
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Lollapalooza serves up fresh talent and a plethora of pop ‘girlies’ in the park
The annual summer music festival Lollapalooza returned to Grant Park in Chicago for four days in 2026. The gigantic gathering of over 450,000 attendees kicked off on July 30 as the crowd entered the gates. There was a great deal of territory for music lovers to cover with over 170 artists playing on eight different stages. The boundaries of…
THEATER ‘GAY Soul Food’ is a personal love letter to family
Talking with Anthony Green, a Lambda Literary fellow and the writer-director of the play GAY Soul Food, is like chatting with a long-lost family member who immediately welcomes you into the fold. We lost track of time, talked over each other and had to circle back to previous points because we went on several tangents. His…
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Frankie Grande headlines Chicago’s 43rd annual Market Days
Frankie Grande is one of a kind with a big personality and a knack for performing. Born in New York City, Frank James Michael Grande expressed interest in musicals at a young age. This led him to regional shows and eventually Mamma Mia! and Rock of Ages on Broadway. As a Big Brother alumnus, he appeared on multiple reality television programs, including Celebrity…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Military items; HOPWA setback; BEAR’s return; global Pride festivals; Spanish pilgrimage; Brittney Griner; queer Netflix films
Warning: This column mentions violent attacks. NATIONAL Queer Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, was among four U.S. soldiers killed during an Iranian missile attack on a base in Jordan, CBS News noted. Donovan Richards—the president of…
Theater / Dance
THEATER Wrenching but urgent political drama follows two women with HIV along ‘Continuum’
People working in public- and private-health spaces have long used the term “continuum of care.” Simply put, when a patient receives a diagnosis for a chronic condition, they need to go on a figurative “continuum” ensuring that the condition is both treated and managed so the patient leads a healthy life. So In the Continuum, the…
Music
Drag queen and DJ Kevin Aviance looks ahead to Chicago appearance
Kevin Aviance will have an upcoming DJ set as part of the Ladybear party at Smartbar, 3730 N. Clark St., on Aug 8 at 10 p.m. alongside Lucy Stoole, Shaun J Wright, and Rika B. Aviance is a New York City-based drag queen, a part of the iconic House of Aviance, and a DJ and…
Film / TV / Gossip
John Early smells like Maddie’s Secret at the Music Box
Director, writer and actor John Early doesn’t hide who he is as a gay man, but his character struggles with private information in the new Magnolia Pictures movie Maddie’s Secret. On July 2, he brought his latest endeavor to the Music Box Theatre for a sold-out screening accompanied by a post-show question-and-answer portion of the program. Maddie proved so popular…
Books / Art
Trans
Second Annual Dignity Dash cuts through heat to finish first
On the morning of July 26, Brave Space Alliance (BSA) kicked off its second Annual Dignity Dash under cloudy skies and temperatures climbing toward 90 degrees. The event launched at the AIDS Garden at 3003 N. Lake Shore Drive and trailed along the Chicago lakefront, welcoming over 150 participants who gathered to run, bike or walk…
Lesbian
BUSINESS Revolutionary pleasures: Searah Deysach’s on a mission to bring sex positivity to Chicagoans
Twenty-five years ago, Evanston native Searah Deysach was at a crossroads and realized she needed to shake up her professional life. Deysach had done a pastry program and worked in kitchens for a while before she “boomeranged back to working in an office at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).” She had…