Art by LGBTQ+ migrants in ICE detention to be showcased at Chicago exhibition
Artwork created by LGBTQ+ immigrants in ICE detention will be featured at a Chicago exhibition Saturday, Oct. 24. The free event, “Stories in Action,” is organized by Chicago-based Migrant Support Collective (MSC) and will take place at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. It…
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THEATER ‘A Strange Loop’ wows in About Face Theatre and Raven Theatre’s Chicago premiere
There is a lot going on in the mind of Usher, the simultaneously insecure and ambitious leading man at the center of A Strange Loop. This unabashed and self-described “big, Black and queer ass” Broadway musical is making a fabulous Chicago premiere via a strong co-production by About Face Theatre and Raven Theatre through Nov. 22. A…
Yasemin Smallens is Human Rights Watch’s eyewitness to the harms of anti-trans laws
Yasemin Smallens has been an eyewitness to the ill effects of anti-transgender laws—and wants to raise public awareness about them. Chicago-based Smallens, acting researcher in the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, has traveled to a variety of places, including Texas and Botswana, to observe the harms of these laws. “The impact is far…
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Chicago mayor’s office previews 5-year LGBTQ+ policy plan
The proposal includes strategies addressing LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, gender-affirming healthcare and mental health services, but the city has not yet presented an implementation budget or timeline.
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Kansas challenge, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Elliot Page, queer Taipei bar raided, Pet Shop Boys, ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Robin Roberts
Warning: This column mentions violent activities. NATIONAL While transgender and intersex Kansas residents challenge the state’s driver’s license and restroom restrictions, Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach contended that the plaintiffs have not shown the law…
Theater / Dance
Open Space Arts to present Before We Are History
Three-week theatrical event revisits groundbreaking works from the early AIDS crisis while placing them in conversation with LGBTQ+ life today.CHICAGO — Open Space Arts presents BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY, a three-week theatrical exploration of LGBTQ+ theater created during and in response to the AIDS crisis, running October 23 through November 8, 2026, at Open Space Arts, 1411 W.…
Music
TRAVEL Pride in Dallas was a weekend of unabashed joy for Texas’ queer community
Courtesy of the Los Angeles Blade Pride arrived for a second time this year in Dallas, Texas, with the local community coming together for a few more days to uplift their LGBTQ+ neighbors. It was a weekend of fun inclusivity that this city is no stranger to; Dallas currently boasts the sixth-largest population of LGBTQ+…
Film / TV / Gossip
FILM Queer Fright: Filmmaker Zach Lorkiewicz brings “psychosis incarnate” feature debut to Chicago
After graduating from Northwestern University, gay filmmaker Zach Lorkiewicz headed for Los Angeles. While he has found a successful creative home there, his ties to the Midwest remain strong. “The Night Jane Went Insane,” his colorful seven-minute grand dame freak-out, had its local premiere in 2023. Now his feature film debut, a horror film entitled It…
Books / Art
Trans
IN BRIEF Election items, ‘Witt v. Air Force,’ Mount Sinai’s anti-trans move, Switzerland’s government, Freddie Mercury mural, WNBA, Janet Jackson, ‘Tip Toe’
Warning: This column mentions details of killings. NATIONAL In Indiana, six candidates for Owen County township offices in the November election are coming out to voters, introducing themselves on two billboards, WISH noted. The promotion, paid for by the Stonewall Democrats of South Central Indiana, marks the first time the organization has endorsed any candidates…
Lesbian
Legacy Walk marks Cannon and Pulaski’s contributions to history
On the unseasonably warm and sunny afternoon of Oct. 10, Open Hand/Chicago Co-Founder, LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS ally/activist and Legacy Project Co-Founder Lori F. Cannon and U.S. Revolutionary War Brigadier General, Father of the American Calvary and hero Casimir Pulaski were inducted into the Legacy Walk in Chicago’s Northalsted neighborhood. The 15th annual event included a…