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| | State's Medicaid Program to Cover Gender-Affirming Surgery
Today, the Pritzker administration announced that the state's Medicaid program will begin covering gender affirming surgeries for members under new policies being established. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family ... | |
| | Chicago to sue Smollett for $130K
The City of Chicago is planning on suing actor Jussie Smollett after he allegedly concocted an attack against himself. Outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city is suing Smollett to repay the Windy City $130,106 for ... | |
| | Mormons change policies to benefit LGBTs
Ahead of a churchwide weekend conference, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons), on April 4, announced changes to two policies affecting LGBTQ church members and their families, The Idaho Statesman ... |
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| | Political experts weigh in on Lori Lightfoot's road ahead
As Chicago moves ahead after a tumultuous municipal election season, it now falls on Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot to prepare for an administration that is responsive to the needs of all the city's residents before she is ... | | 
| | LGBTs discuss Lightfoot victory, future
Lori Lightfoot scored a significant mayoral victory in Chicago on April 2—becoming the first African-American woman and first openly LGBT individual to be elected to the post. Windy City Times asked various people about this achievement, ... | |
| | ELECTIONS 2019 LGBT aldermanic races mostly tight
The LGBT members of the Chicago City Council who were in the April 2 runoffs were involved in some very tight races, as opposed to Lori Lightfoot's historic win. (Lightfoot actually carried every ward in the ... | | 
| | New alderperson Maria Hadden weds
Newly elected Chicago Ald. Maria Hadden wed partner Natalia Vera on March 18. Hadden told Windy City Times that the ceremony took place "on our eighth anniversary in a private ceremony. We are so excited to ... | |
| | Catholic bishops stopped my surgery because I'm transgender
After years of working to affirm my identity in a world where transgender people are questioned constantly about their decisions, I felt hopeful as I arrived for the surgery I had waited so long for. I ... | |
| | LETTER Remembering Roe
To the editor: This marks the 48th year of Choices and the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Interestingly enough, these snniversaries have become even more important to me than close birthdays. I remember one January ... | | 
| | NATIONAL Teen PrEP bill, conversion therapy, Laverne Cox, murder-suicide
Maryland lawmakers have approved a bill allowing minors to receive pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, without obtaining parental consent as a way to prevent the spread of HIV among youth, Metro Weekly reported. The House of Delegates ... | | 
| | WORLD Vatican meeting, anti-gay countries, trans attack, Brunei items
A group of international lawyers researching the criminalization of homosexuality has met with the Vatican secretary of state and urged the Holy See to publicly oppose such laws and conversion therapies for gays, The San Francisco ... | | 
| | Nonprofit appoints first Black gay CEO in its long history
Chicago-based nonprofit One Hope United appointed a new president/CEO in January—and it marked the first time in the child and family services organization's 124-year history that an openly gay Black man has led the organization. Charles ... | | 
| | Out at CHM forum focuses on reclaiming history
Chicago History Museum (CHM) launched its 2019 Out at CHM series March 27 with a forum entitled "How It's Written." Writer/historian Owen Keehnen moderated the discussion, which focused on the process of compiling LGBT histories. Keehnen ... | |
| | APA Concerned About Transgender Military Ban
Washington, D.C., April 9, 2019 — The American Psychiatric Association (APA), the national medical association representing more than 38,500 psychiatric physicians, is concerned about the Department of Defense's (DoD) decision ... | |
| | Federal Judge Allows Palatine Transgender Bathroom Lawsuit to Proceed
(April 9, 2019 — Chicago) A federal district court judge is allowing a parent-student privacy lawsuit to move forward against Palatine School District 211. The Thomas More Society, along with the Alliance Defending Freedom, is representing ... | | 
| | PASSAGES Ragnar 'Ray' Hammerberg
Windy City Times recently was notified that Ragnar "Rag" Hammerberg, a onetime Chicago resident, was killed last October in Key West, Florida, when his bike collided with a truck, as noted in The Miami Herald. He ... | | 
| | Artists take to the stage for Trans Day of Visibility event
Trans artists, allies and activists celebrated Trans Day of Visibility March 31 with an art event at Andersonville's Chicago Magic Lounge. The art event, organized by the Chicago Therapy Collective (CTC), brought ... | | 
| | TPAN launches Paws N' Effect program for HIV+ clients
TPAN, Lurie Children's Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Division Head and TPAN Board of Directors member Dr. Rob Garofalo and Felines & Canines adoption center held a kick-off event for a new program, Paws N' Effect ... | |
| | NYC Pride announces World Pride opening ceremony June 26, Whoopi Goldberg to host
NEW YORK, NY, APRIL 05, 2019 — NYC Pride, the host of WorldPride 2019. Stonewall 50,formally unveiled today the location and initial talent line-up of the official Opening Ceremony of WorldPride. The Wednesday, June 26, 2019, ... | |
| | Library foundation president named
The Chicago Public Library Foundation (CPLF) announced that Brenda Langstraat is its new president. Langstraat comes to the Library Foundation after seven years as CEO of Working in the Schools (WITS). WITS is the largest literacy ... | |
| | HRC Calls for Senate To Join House in Reauthorizing Violence Against Women Act
WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to news that the U.S. House passed a ... | | 
| | Evette Cardona honored by arts alliance, National Museum of Mexican Art
Lesbian activist and Polk Bros. Foundation Vice President of Programs Evette Cardona was recently honored by two Latinx arts organizations. She was one of three individuals who received the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance's second Felisa Rincon ... |
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| | DRAG PROFILE Claire Voyant
"Claire Voyant is a reference to a psychic with the ability to see the future. Being born in early November, I am a hardcore Scorpio and one of Scorpio's many characteristics is their psychic potential— and
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| | THEATER REVIEW Afterglow
Playwright: S. Asher Gelman At: Buena Theater, 4147 N. Broadway . Tickets: $25-$40; PrideFilmsandPlays.com, or 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222. Runs through: May 5 Pride Films and Plays is presenting Afterglow, a play about three men exploring their ... | | 
| | SAVOR Barton G. The Restaurant
It's safe to say that there's no spot in Chicago like Barton G. The Restaurant (415 N. Dearborn St.; https://www.bartong.com/restaurants.html). Restaurants here have been everything from elegant to bright to ... | | 
| | Spotlight
We've all said it: "The world would be a better place if there were more people like me!" Oh? Really? How many identical siblings would be enough? Would you clone yourself endlessly if you could? Who ... | |
| | Critics' Picks
Herland, Redtwist Theatre, through April 14—Empowered by Bruce Springsteen anthems, four women of diverse ages, intents and erotic impulses vow to determine their own destinies, whether destiny mandates pantsuits, jacuzzis ... | |
| | Big Freedia to lead April festival
LGBT singer Big Freedia is coming to Chicago to celebrate Do312 & Chicago Cannabis Alliance's street festival—the second annual Waldos Forever Fest, at Argyle and Clark streets—on Saturday, April 20,, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. In addition to ... | | 
| | PHOTOGRAPHY
Iconic photographer honored in 'Laura Aguilar: Show and Tell'
Laura Aguilar—who died at 58 in April 2018—explored multiple aspects of her identity in her photographs. She was queer, Latinx, working-class and what some might deem plus-sized. She also struggled ... | | 
| | BOOK REVIEW Dugan's Bistro and the Legend of the Bearded Lady
By Owen Keehnen $17; Out Tales Publishing; 148 pages Bob Theiss contained multitudes—most under a completely different name. Known as the Bearded Lady (or BL) to gay Chicagoans of the 1970s and early '80s, he was ... | | 
| | 'FACES: Out and Proud' at Center on Halsted
The Center on Halsted is presenting "FACES: Out & Proud," an exhibition of the fine art photographs by Chicagoan Chuck Kramer. The show will run through Wed., April 10, in the third-floor gallery at the Center ... | | 
| | Billy Masters
"Let's see how long I last."—Patti LuPone says of her latest venture—as a member of Twitter. Her first Tweet? "Contain me with only 280 characters? Fuck that." All that with 240 characters to spare. If you're ... | | 
| | SHOWBIZ 'Drag Race,' George Michael, 'The Talk,' Don Lemon
Production company World of Wonder and Voss Events are presenting The Official RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 11 Tour, to kick off a run of shows on Sunday, May 26, in Los Angeles, a press release noted. ... | | 
| | MUSIC Trans singer-educator talks music, teaching, traveling
For singer-educator Tommy Lamont, living an authentic life as a trans woman has been a decades-long journey that culminated in publicly coming out in 2015 to her extended family, friends and work colleagues. Lamont knew she ... | |
| | Chicago Blues Fest to celebrate Chicago's Blues legacy June 7-9
Experience Chicago's rich blues music legacy at the 36th Annual Chicago Blues Festival happening Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9 in Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph St.). The Chicago Blues Festival will celebrate the genre's ... | |
| | 7th Annual Edgewater Arts Festival to Benefit Edgewater Artists in Motion
CHICAGO, IL — Edgewater Arts Festival http://www.edgewaterartists.com/, the premier art-focused, neighborhood festival occurring in the diverse Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, has set a date for the 2019fest. The seventh annual ... | | 
| | Dance for Life, See Chicago Dance changing leadership
Dance for Life Chicago (DFL)—which mobilizes Chicago's dance community by raising funds to support dance professionals facing critical health issues—has announced that Executive Director Phil Reynolds is resigning from his ... | | 
| | THEATER REVIEW Pinocchio
Playwrights: Joseph Steakley and Ben Loppries At: House Theatre of Chicago at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. Tickets: 773-769-3832; TheHouseTheatre.com; $30-$50. Runs through: May 19 This new Pinocchio definitely isn't Walt ... | | 
| | Maggie Lindemann's not just a "Pretty Girl"
Singer Maggie Lindemann was introduced to the world through the app Keek and on Instagram. Shortly after that she came out as bisexual publicly and her song "Pretty Girl" began started creeping up the charts. Other ... | | 
| | DANCE Events will celebrate Joel Hall's 70th birthday
Joel Hall Dancers & Center (JHDC) will hold two free events to honor the 70th birthday of Artistic Director Emeritus Joel Hall. —There will be a master class and legacy event Friday, April 19, 7:30-9 p.m., ... | |
| | The Joffrey Ballet Announces 2018-19 Season
February 12, 2018 (Chicago)— Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, proudly announces an impressive 2018-19 season featuring the world premiere of Yuri Possokhov's historic reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's ... | |
| | Timeline Theatre Company announces 2019-20 Season
Chicago, IL — TimeLine Theatre Company, acclaimed for presenting plays that explore today's social and political issues through the lens of the past, is thrilled to announce its 23rd season. The company's 2019-20 subscription season will ... | | 
| | Greyson Chance plays new music at Lincoln Hall
Singer-songwriter Greyson Chance played a sold-out show at Lincoln Hall on April 5 to support his recently released album, portraits. Chance—who became famous after a video of him covering Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" as a child went ... | | 
| | THEATER REVIEW The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Playwright: James Lecesne At: American Blues Theater at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets: AmericanBluesTheater.com or 773-654-3103; $19-$39. Runs through: April 27 We never meet the title character. That's because Leonard ... | |
| | Navy Pier plans 2019 free summer arts and cultural Events
CHICAGO — As the summer season approaches, Navy Pier is pleased to announce the highlights of its 2019 summer programming schedule, featuring a robust lineup of free events and program series spanning from Memorial Day weekend ... | | 
| | THEATER REVIEW Anastasia
Playwright: Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. At: The James M Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St. Tickets: BroadwayInChicago.com. Runs through: April 7 One of the first things I focused on while watching Anastasia at ... | | 
| | THEATER REVIEW Admissions
Playwright: Joshua Harmon At: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets: TheaterWit.org and 773-975-8150; $25-$42. Runs through: May 12 Historically, the children of rich parents attended college, while those of poor parents were sent to trade ... | | 
| | Ella Jenkins to be honored April 13
The DuSable Museum, in collaboration with Smithsonian Year of Music 2019, will honor Ella Jenkins with family programming on Saturday, April 13, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. Performers at the ... |
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| | BOOKS Queer scholar profiles Chicago house music
When Micah E. Salkind was a teenager in Kansas, he found the music that would change his life. "I went to raves and would hear Chicago house music," said the queer scholar, whose first book Do ... | | 
| | Chicagoan recalls challenges of overcoming HIV stigma
For Chicagoan Terence Steward II, living with HIV "drove" how he lived his life during his twenties. "I was super-private, discreet, by myself, depressed, very 'smoky' and mysterious," Steward recalled. "I kept to myself. I was ... | | 
| | DINING WingFest, Game of Thrones items, Easter items
—The 20th annual Chicago's Best WingFest will take place Saturday, April 13, 12-4 p.m., at the UIC Pavilion, 525 S. Racine Ave. The special Chicago Police Department/Chicago Fire Department wing-eating competition guest host will be Chicago ... | | 
| | Dining for Life; Baconfest; Aberlour
The annual event Dining for Life—which raises vital funds for HIV/AIDS-service organizations—returns to Chicago on Thursday, April 25. There are already more than 40 participating restaurants throughout Chicagoland, including Marchesa ... | | 
| | THE SPORTING LIFE Barrett A. Solorio
Barrett A. Solorio has been playing gay sports for almost five years, first starting in the Stonewall Kickball League, and has since also competed in dodgeball, flag football, soccer, volleyball and bowling. "At first, I was ... | | 
| | BOOK REVIEW She He They Me: For the Sisters, Misters and Binary Resisters
By Robyn Ryle $22.99; Source Books; 400 pages Imagine being a young, queer or curious child with a lot of questions, but not a lot of resources on gender, sexuality, and terminology that come without judgement ... | | 
| | Historic private club reinvents itself to be more inclusive
The Metropolitan Club, in the Willis Tower, provides networking, dining and work spaces as well as hosts private events for Chicago's business professionals. Last year it underwent a massive reinvention aimed at diversifying its membership, aimed ... | | 
| | Men Having Babies conference April 13-14
The nonprofit organization Men Having Babies (MHB) will hold its annual Chicago conference April 13-14 at the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront Hotel, 71 E. Wacker Dr. The event will take place Saturday, April 13, at 8:30 ... |
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