For Black queer people, Juneteenth is about identities and intersection
June is already a special time for LGBTQ+ people, but for Black people in the community, the month holds even more significance when Juneteenth (also known as Freedom Day) is celebrated. (Here’s a historical note: Despite President Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1,…
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4th Annual Queer Elder History Panel focuses on queerness over time
The LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project (Dialogue Project), Gerber/Hart Library and Archives (Gerber/Hart) and the queer women’s bar Dorothy Downstairs hosted the 4th Annual Queer History Panel June 11 at Dorothy Downstairs, 2500 W. Chicago Ave., in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. Panelists included Center on Cottage Grove Community Engagement Manager Betty Akins; former Architreasures Executive Director, artist and writer Joyce Fernandes; storyteller and “War…
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OPINION Emperor Caligula goes to Washington
The South Lawn of the White House currently features a huge, brightly-lit metal cage called “the Claw.” It is a stage erected to showcase men beating each other bloody, Caligula-style, to entertain a wannabe Roman Emperor on his 80th birthday. After musical performers refused to sing at the nation’s 250th birthday party, which Trump had made about himself, the UFC cage match has taken top entertainment billing. The Claw complements golden Trump statues, illegally-minted gold coins bearing…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Jason Collins, trans student stabbed, Warsaw’s pro-marriage move, Uganda drops bill, INK, Janet Jackson, Sally Field
NATIONAL Jason Collins—the NBA’s first openly gay player, who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion—died at age 47 after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer, according to media reports.…
Theater / Dance
THEATER Handbag’s Golden Girls return with fun ‘Cheese Pyramid’ scheme
I don’t have the bonafides of a true cheesemonger, but I do fancy myself as sort of a minor cheese expert. I come from a small town in southwest Wisconsin, whose high school sports team was known as the Cheesemakers. I know enough to accurately guess how long a cheddar has been aged for, and…
Music
Lakeside Pride takes the stage at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall
About 85 members of Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band joined members of the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony the evening of June 5 for the Skylines in Sound concert. The performance took place at Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. Orchestra Hall is home to Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by Assistant Artistic Director…
Film / TV / Gossip
FILM The Chicago Critics Film Festival winds up with a Wilde week in the Windy City
The Chicago Critics Film Festival is curated by the Chicago Film Critics Association and is the only United States film festival programmed exclusively by critics. Founded in 1990, the Chicago Film Critics Association supports filmmaking and is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization. For its 13th edition, the CCFF was held from May 1-7 in 2026, at…
Books / Art
Trans
Brave Space Alliance taps Nikki Patin as new CEO
Brave Space Alliance has named Nikki Patin its new CEO after several months serving as the organization’s interim leader. The appointment follows a national search that attracted more than 100 applicants from across the country, according to Brave Space Alliance. The organization’s board unanimously selected Patin, who has served as interim CEO since former leader…
Lesbian
Evette Cardona, Mona Noriega reflect on years of activism ahead of Pride Parade Grand Marshals role
Longtime LGBTQ+ advocates/activists Evette Cardona and Mona Noriega are among this year’s Chicago Pride Parade Community Grand Marshals. Cardona and Noriega were chosen alongside author, Press Forward Chicago Executive Director and Windy City Times Co-Founder/Owner Tracy Baim and the Alliance of Illinois Judges (Illinois’ LGBTQ+ judges’ association). The honorees were chosen through a community nomination process and,…