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.
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…
Rosa E. Martínez Colón on founding CALOR, fostering community connections
When a college classmate asked Rosa Martínez Colón to attend a training about women in HIV, she unexpectedly found her path. Now decades into her career, she’s the vice president of Housing Strategy for AIDS Foundation Chicago’s Center for Housing and Health. She began as one of the founders of CALOR—Comprensión y Apoyo a Latinos…
Equality Illinois leader at 2026 gala: Organization “built to face” political challenges
Equality Illinois’s new CEO, Channyn Lynne Parker, gave the keynote at the rights-advocacy’s 2026 annual gala the evening of Jan. 31, where she asserted that the event, which according to estimates hosted about 1,500 attendees, was “not just a gala—it is a sanctuary.” Parker praised both Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, both of whom…
Out the Archives: A 3-part interview with Rick Garcia in 1997
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, August and September issues of En La Vida, which featured a three-part interview with Latino gay activist Rick Garcia, who died…
Alfredo Flores Loera on HIV/AIDS advocacy, supporting Chicago’s queer undocumented community
To Alfredo Flores Loera, CALOR—Comprensión y Apoyo a Latinos en Oposición at Retrovirus—is more than just an organization. It’s a group that changed his life. After being involved with CALOR—a Chicago organization providing holistic healthcare coordination to Latinos at risk of or living with HIV/AIDS and/or other disabilities—for almost ten years, Loera was promoted to…
Inergy Chicago builds LGBTQ+ solidarity and support before opening day
The LGBTQ+ nightspot Inergy Chicago, slated for a spring 2026 opening, has already been making waves in the community, according to owner Chris Araiza. Starting with an idea years ago to bring more queer nightlife to Chicago’s southwest side, Araiza and his team have been in local neighborhoods doing more than just sharing their business’s name…
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.”
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