BUSINESS Women & Children First co-owner Lynn Mooney to retire in generational leadership transition
Women & Children First is undergoing a generational leadership change as co-owner Lynn Mooney retires after 12 years running the feminist bookstore and a staffer of several years takes her place. Raven Stubbs, who has worked in various roles at Women & Children First, 5233 N.…
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Gay man fights for survival after Stage IV melanoma cancer diagnosis
Jared Kearney, a gay man who lives in Southern Illinois, was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma cancer Nov. 1, 2025. He was recently taken off all his cancer medications because his body can no longer tolerate them. Kearney’s doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital are looking for new medications for him. Kearney graduated from Marion High…
‘Heated Rivalry,’ final ‘Hacks’ season dominate GALECA’s 18th Dorian TV Awards
Los Angeles—Aug. 15—GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, one of the largest entertainment journalists’ groups in the world, announced the winners of its 18th Dorian TV Awards, again recognizing the best in television and streaming from mainstream to queer-themed programming. GALECA’s members named Heated Rivalry, the steamy hockey romance that became a cultural sensation out of…
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BUSINESS ‘Punk, intense and all-encompassing’: Chicagoan Dawn Heilung brings trans artists into focus
Gender Fucked Productions (Gender Fucked) Founder and former Executive Director and Artistic Director Dawn Heilung uses many labels to describe themselves— queer, bisexual, pansexual, polyamorous, trans, non-binary, transfleminine—because “I don’t think one can fully encompass my experience.” “I started [the trans, enby and queer arts and event production focused nonprofit] Gender Fucked Productions in 2022 because…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Breast cancer risk, Lavender folds, bathhouse measure, Ghana’s anti-queer bill, Alysa Liu, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ken Jennings
Warning: This column mentions suicide, self-harm and child sexual abuse. NATIONAL A new study concluded that transgender individuals undergoing “top surgery” aren’t being provided adequate counseling about their future risk of breast cancer, U.S. News…
Theater / Dance
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…
Music
Chicago’s House scene shaped global culture. But some of its artists face housing instability
For some artists, the community sustaining Chicago’s House culture has also become an informal safety net.
Film / TV / Gossip
FILM ‘Castaway’ seeks to create intergenerational dialogue for Latinx audiences through storytelling
An upcoming short film, “Castaway” by director and writer Nathan Marquez, shines a spotlight on the intersectionality between being queer, growing up Latinx and Catholic and learning to find community. The film is currently in pre-production with Z Marc Productions both producing and supporting funding for the short film by hosting the Queer Creative Lounge…
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
Comedian Jessica Kirson delivers her stand-up act out in the open for Market Days
One out and proud comedian Jessica Kirson, whose act has racked up over a billion views online, is coming to Northalsted Market Days on Aug. 9. Born in New Jersey, Kirson graduated from the University of Maryland and earned a master’s in social work from New York University—she initially wanted to be a therapist like her mother, whose…