SCOTUS rules against trans athletes
Keen News Service In a stunning smack down, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled unanimously on June 30 that states may ban transgender females from participating in sports competitions for females at schools which receive federal funding. While there were dissents from the court’s most liberal justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Elena…
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After decades of organizing, Darrell Gordon is still showing up
Over the course of Pride Month, Darrell Gordon was a steady presence at LGBTQ+ events across the city. He kicked off the celebrations at a Pride flag raising in Logan Square, celebrating LGBTQ+ visibility beyond Chicago’s most recognizable queer enclaves on the North Side. Days later, he DJ’d the opening of “Right to Assemble,” an intergenerational…
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Dyke March celebrates community power and resistance
Dyke March, crafted as an act of resistance pushing up against overly corporatized Pride celebrations, returned to Chicago June 27 after an eight-year hiatus. The event, which took place in the Pilsen neighborhood marks its 30th anniversary in 2026. The march started with a rally at Plaza Tenochtitlan before marching east down W. 18th St.,…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Idaho law blocked, Pulse anniversary, Kréyòl Pride, David Hockney dies, Lil Nas X, GALECA nods
Warning: This column mentions suicide and a mass shooting. NATIONAL A federal judge granted a request for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of H.B. 752, a new Idaho law threatening transgender people with up to…
Theater / Dance
Chicagoans gather to learn about Black queer dance, expression
As massive crowds, former presidents and other celebrities mingled in Jackson Park for the opening of the Obama Center on June 18, a much smaller group on the North Side came together with an entirely different kind of gathering for the second edition of Welcome Home: A Celebration of Queer Street Dance. The event, which took…
Music
Chicago Pride Parade reclaims the spirit of protest
The 2026 Chicago Pride Parade on June 28 drove home that it is a protest before a celebration, spotlighting numerous organizations and individuals who each day take on challenges affecting the city’s LGBTQ+ community. The theme, Free to be Proud, was on display as the parade wound its way through Lake View. Cheers filled the…
Film / TV / Gossip
THEATER/FILM Chicago celebrates Pride on stage and screen this month
Whether you are in the mood to laugh or cry, Chicago theaters are offering incredible entertainment options to help us celebrate Pride Month. Read below to discover some of Windy City Times’s favorite theater and film options for the month of June. Theater The complexity involved with being a 20th Century homosexual surely played a…
Books / Art
Trans
ELECTIONS Pritzker reflects on LGBTQ+ rights, gay Republicans and ‘character’ in the age of Trump
Since taking office in 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker has overseen efforts expanding affordable healthcare, increasing investments in underserved communities, and creating (then doubling) a state child tax credit. Pritzker’s administration also advanced several initiatives benefiting the state’s LGBTQ+ community. Among them are the launch of Illinois Pride Connect, which provides free legal advice and advocacy tools; legislation…
Lesbian
SPORTS Monique Carroll on transforming CSU athletics while advancing LGBTQ+ visibility
Dr. Monique Carroll has always marched to the beat of her drum—and that has continued into her current role as athletic director of Chicago State University (CSU). Among other feats, Carroll helped secure CSU’s full membership in the Northeast Conference, launched fundraising efforts to expand Division I athletics, approved a new women’s triathlon program, dramatically…