En La Vida, the voice of Chicago’s Latine LGBTQ+ community from 1996-2004, makes a comeback as a free monthly newsletter. Sign up here.
Puerto Rican Cultural Center named Chicago Pride Parade’s 2026 ‘Out Front’ honoree
The Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) will lead the 55th annual Chicago Pride Parade as this year’s “Out Front” community group, marking a moment of heightened visibility for Latino LGBTQ+ communities amid political adversity. The PRCC will head the June 28 procession as it travels through Lakeview. PRIDEChicago, the nonprofit that organizes the annual parade,…
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,…
Chicago advocate Norma Seledon mentors a new generation
Norma Seledon’s mother was a teacher who often provided additional lessons to her six children after school. Seledon herself didn’t take a traditional path to teaching like her mother’s, but she still felt that call to help and mentor others. Now 63 with decades of service to the Latino and LGBTQ+ communities behind her, seledon…
Out the Archives: Exploring queer identity in Chicago’s ‘90s hip hop scene
Out the Archives is a recurring feature diving into the Windy City Times collection, offering a look back at the rich history of LGBTQ+ Chicago. In this edition, we look back at the June 1997 issue of En La Vida. Nowadays, there’s lots of talk about how LGBTQ+ people belong in all types of communities.…
El Bar hopes to give Latino culture a permanent home in Northalsted
Miguel Becerril didn’t initially intend to be in hospitality; he originally started his career in fashion design. But through an opportunity to purchase his uncle’s restaurant, he became entrenched in Chicago’s food and beverage scene—leading to the opening of El Bar, 3209 N. Halsted St., Northalsted’s newest Latino bar. El Bar, which opened on St.…
ALMA’s executive director on the organization’s moment of crisis and its future
When the Chicago organization ALMA formed in 1989 amidst the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it was known as the Association for Latin Men for Action. The meaning of the acronym changed in subsequent years—with ALMA now standing for Association of Latinos/as/xs Motivating Action—and its mission has expanded, as it now advocates for the fair treatment and equality…
Illinois organizers help lead National Trans Visibility March in Puerto Rico, with Chicago set to host in 2027
A national gathering of transgender advocates is heading to Puerto Rico this fall amid escalating attacks on trans rights—with several Illinois organizers helping lead the effort before it comes to Chicago in 2027. The National Trans Visibility March (NTVM) takes place Oct. 14-17 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and features a summit, awards ceremony and rally culminating…
Author returns to Chicago with conversion therapy memoir as bans face new legal challenges
A gay Christian who spent years in conversion therapy shares his story in a new memoir that pulls back the curtain on megachurch culture—arriving as a recent Supreme Court ruling threatens bans on the practice across the U.S. Conversion Therapy Dropout by Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez releases May 5 and offers a look at the author’s eight years of…
Mimi Gonzalez reflects on Go Girl! Saugatuck, stand-up career
Go Girl! Saugatuck celebrates its ninth and final year at The Dunes Resort in Saugatuck, Michigan from May 29-31. The rebranded, inclusive-of-all women’s weekend event is produced by self-described lesbian-identified, bisexual, woman of color, Cuban-Italian American, radical inclusionist, activated activist, poet and stand-up comedian-turned-producer Mimi Gonzalez. The genesis of Go Girl! Saugatuck began on a November 2015 trip Gonzalez…
Out the Archives: Pride celebrations across Latin America in 2000
Out the Archives is a recurring feature diving into the Windy City Times collection, offering a look back at the rich history of LGBTQ+ Chicago. In this edition, we look back at the July 2000 issue of En La Vida. In most issues of En La Vida, ‘Tierras Distantes’ chronicled the happenings in LGBTQ+ news…
Meet the En La Vida newsletter writer
Lu Calzada
Pronouns: They/Them
“Lu loves to cook new recipes, read manga and explore the city with their beloved roommates. You’ll hear from Lu every second Wednesday of the month in our En La Vida newsletter.”
Follow Lu Calzada
BlueSky
Get the latest En La Vida Newsletter PDF
