Where do queers in Chicago find community? As a visible trans Latin@, queers who are new to Chicago or just coming out, often approach me wanting advice. They are hungry to connect with one another. There's no one answer. It really depends on who you are and what you are looking for.
All queer people will never feel comfortable in a single kind of space. Sure, large institutions with enough money to spend on promo guys or marketing departments offer a focal point for LGBTQ life. However, our city has more to offer than we sometimes recognize.
When we look to one neighborhood that offers a very particular experience of LGBTQness to everyone, and put it on a pedestal, we overlook a broad range of spaces and places where queer people find affirming community. My visibility in the community also means that I'm privy to a constant barrage of complaints about the usual suspects—they are too white, not womyn-friendly; people who are sober don't want their social life to revolve around bars; trans people are disrespected in bathrooms; youth feel unwelcome, and the list goes on. I want to challenge the assumption that Boystown in specific, or bars in general, are the be-all-and-end-all of queer socializing.
Rather than buying into the myth of one "safehaven," let's embrace the incredibly diverse range of spaces and places Chicago offers.
Neat spots in the Near Northwest
Quimby's Bookstore is a must for any queer comic or zine aficionados. Stop by any day to peruse zines from the Trans Oral History archive, and join Ladez Do Comics on the Last Thursday to watch local artists present their work. Free Geek is a welcoming place to nerd out while volunteering and building community. Help teach neighborhood folks how to fix computers, join the Supreme Chicago Coding Crew, or buy refurbished computer for cheap. Although they have no explicitly LGBTQ programing, Free Geek is fairly on top of their trans stuff, and they even have gender-neutral bathrooms. West Town Bikes is a great place to fix up your beater or soup up your single speed. If you like biking but don't love the macho culture that sometimes accompanies it, check out Women and Trans Night hosted every Wednesday from 7-10 p.m. If you're over 30, Queer Social Club at Archie's Tavern may be more your speed. Grab a few drinks in low-key environment on the first Wednesday of every month.
Pleasing places for queers of color
Club Escape and The Jeffrey Pub are the two of the longest-running bars catering to Chicago's Black LGBTQ community. You can find great dancing any night of the week at either, but if you're looking to meet ladies, you'll have the most luck at Club Escape on Thursdays.
Queer people of color (QPOC) spaces are often less formal and institutionalized than their white counterparts, but there are an increasing number of Chicagoans working to build QPOC space. The Black and Brown Punk Show is an annual event that brings together musicians from all over the country on Chicago's South Side. This three-day (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) extravaganza has several QPOC on the organizing team, has included drag-themed shows in the past, and is benefiting The Crib, an LGBTQ homeless youth shelter, this year.
Radio Arte is a welcoming place for young folks to learn audio production skills. Spanish-speakers of all ages can stay updated on news and resources by tuning in to Homofrequencia Mondays at 6 p.m. (90.5 FM or stream it online).
We have different needs, desires, interests and hopes. We come from different cultural backgrounds, value different experiences, and are not all looking to get into the same thing. Luckily, we live in a city that fosters many distinct communities and spaces.
It's taken me years of searching and relationship-building in order to find what I'm looking for, only to find out that I have changed, and I need to start all over again. If I can help a few folks navigate community and find the queers who are out there looking for them, then this is a successful column. Remember two things—only the seekers find, and have a good time!
Andre Perez is the founder of the Trans Oral History Project, co-founder of Project Fierce Chicago, and a working board member of Orgullo en Accion. When André is not rabble-rousing, educating, or building community, you can hire him to photograph events and portraits by contacting him at andrealanperez@gmail.com .
