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    Mona Noriega, Emmanuel Garcia and Chilli Pepper. Photo by Tracy Baim
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    Milani, Mona and Bianca. Photo by Tracy Baim
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    Sanjay, Chili. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • IMGP1664TonyEmmanuel
    Tony, Emmanuel. Photo by Tracy Baim
  • IMGP1676Reyna
    Reyna. Photo by Tracy Baim
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    Organizers with Mona Noriega. Photo by Tracy Baim
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    Volunteers at Q Hub. Photo by Tracy Baim
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    Joel and Ramon. Photo by Tracy Baim
LGBTQ youth and adults gathered in the Little Village neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side July 2, for an evening of history, poetry, food and voguing.

Special guests were longtime Baton Show Lounge entertainer Chilli Pepper and Mona Noriega, head of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations. Emmanuel Garcia of Project Vida interviewed Pepper and Noriega, asking personal and historical questions.

The event was held at Blanco and Negro Restaurant, 4043 W. 26th Street. Q Hub is an initiative of Project VIDA, and the agency provided HIV testing on site.

LGBTQ youth were the hosts of the event, so they helped create the program. The July hosts were Che-che, Arianna, Nuvia J., Milani, Reyna and Manuel.

There will be two more programs this summer at the same location, on Aug. 6 and Sept. 3, both starting at 6 p.m., with food beverages and entertainment.

Video by Tracy Baim: Mona Noriega interview at Q Hub in Little Village

Video by Tracy Baim: Chilli Pepper interviewed at Q Hub event in Little Village