Thirteen of Chicago’s new queer and/or BIPOC recurring events
Category: Feature
Posted inCity Life
’Well done, Gloria Allen’
Black trans icon Mama Gloria is remembered for living an extraordinary and full life.
Posted inCity Life
‘Existing without question’
“In roller derby they don’t care if you’re gay or trans or whatever—they just accept you.”
Posted inFeature
Strong and steady
Modernity and tradition. Relaxation and tension. Chaos and order. Yin and yang—roughly speaking. These are complementary universal forces that can easily lose balance and therefore create trouble. But not at Hyun’s Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do School, a Bucktown martial arts storefront rooted in the same location for over 50 years; an unexpected harmony permeates […]
Posted inCity Life
Photos: 2022 Chicago Pride Parade
In late June, the Chicago Pride Parade returned to its in-person glory after two years of delay and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of people headed for the north side on Sunday, June 26, to celebrate and honor the LGBTQ+ community. Marchers, drivers, and floats representing a variety of community, civic, and commercial […]
Posted inCity Life
Summer in the city: youth edition
Ah, summer vacation: the time of year when Chicago’s youth are free from the confines of school—but aren’t allowed to be in Millennium Park after six at night on weekends (or anywhere in public after 10 PM) without an adult present. What’s a teen to do during the lazy hazy days of summer? FREE TIME […]
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Where the bars (actually) are
Celebrate how far we’ve come and brace yourself for the work to be done by enjoying libations and liberation at some of these Chicago gems: Berlin 954 W. Belmont berlinchicago.com Welcoming everyone since 1983, Berlin is an inclusive venue for dancing, drinking, and drag. Big Chicks 5024 N. Sheridan bigchicks.com Visit Big Chicks for Sunday […]
Posted inCity Life
Where the bars are
Are rainbow-festooned events full of glitter, sequins, and boas signs of progress? Strides made by LGBTQ+ people are increasingly under fire in the forms of violence, rhetoric, and quasi-legal attacks on the rights of the community. Has the LGBTQ+ community unwittingly played a role in this by seeking assimilation? Some might say that the idea […]
Posted inCity Life
Go-going for it
GoGo for the Gold—think RuPaul’s Drag Race but for go-go boys—features a swoon-inducing roster of fuzzy bears, femme dancers in heels, and trans man Paulo Batista, all competing for a cash prize of $10,000 and the title of “American’s #1 Champion Gogo Superstar Star.” “Not everyone is attracted to six-pack abs and big thighs,” says […]
Posted inCity Life
Comfort in the face of the unknown
The numbers boggle the mind. More deaths than AIDS in 40 years, the most recent epidemic in recent memory. More deaths than the 1918 influenza pandemic, previously the deadliest disease event in American history. More deaths than the U.S. Civil War, the deadliest conflict in our nation’s history. More deaths. More. More. More. The COVID-19 […]
Posted inCity Life
Like Tinder in print
A look back at the love stories that started in the pages of the Reader, no swiping necessary
Posted inCity Life
Where the water flows
About a month ago, I saw a magnet being hurled over the 18th Street Bridge. Initially, I brushed it off and I continued to stroll along the Chicago River bank with my friends. But the sound of the splash carried some weight, like an anchor or rock colliding with the water. I expected the line […]
Posted inCity Life
Sex work from home
Several Chicagoans have made the leap into adult entertainment using websites like OnlyFans.
Posted inCity Life
Chinatown: the next generation
This year’s Summer Fair represents a passing of the torch and merging of communities in the historic neighborhood.