How Jesse Jackson’s HIV and LGBTQ+ legacy reshaped coalition politics
Rae Lewis-Thornton kept her HIV diagnosis secret for years, even as she worked closely alongside Rev. Jesse Jackson through the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and his presidential campaigns. When she finally told him, she braced for the uncertainty that defined the early years of the AIDS…
Keep readingRecent News
Poetry Brothel Chicago’s DEVOTION bends poetry, burlesque and intimate readings on Valentine’s Day
On Feb. 14, a sold-out crowd packed Aloft Circus Arts in Logan Square, 3324 W. Wrightwood Ave., to experience DEVOTION, The Poetry Brothel Chicago’s immersive Valentine’s Day spectacle. The two-hour vaudeville show featured stage poetry, aerials by Teatro Zinzanni Chicago circus artist Lindsay Culbert-Olds, burlesque performances by Blazing Belladonna and Vera Sporadica, with Missy St.…
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First look: Backbeat hotel planned for Northalsted
The owners of an independent boutique hotel coming to Northalsted have unveiled the business’s name and updated design. Backbeat, set to open in 2028 at 3255 N. Halsted St., will be the first hotel to open on the Northalsted strip. Its name is a nod to Chicago’s status as the birthplace of house music. The…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Anti-queer incidents, Don Lemon, prisoners in Cameroon, mayor indicted, queer Grammy party
NATIONAL There were more than 1,000 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents across 47 states and D.C. last year, according to the ALERT Desk, GLAAD’s Anti-LGBTQ Extremism Reporting Tracker, Out noted. This marked a 5% increase from the 984 incidents in 2024. These included 128 acts of vandalism, 76 assaults, 22 threats of mass violence and 15 arson attempts.…
Theater / Dance
THEATER Final ‘Holiday’: Richard Greenberg’s posthumous adaptation of Philip Barry’s 1928 romantic comedy sparkles at the Goodman
It’s bittersweet that Richard Greenberg isn’t around to see the world premiere of his adaptation of Holiday at the Goodman Theatre. The late gay playwright, famed for such Broadway hits like Take Me Out and Three Days of Rain, died of cancer last year long before his commissioned updating of the original 1928 play by Philip Barry (The Philadelphia Story) could…
Music
“God created gay people and there is beauty in that”: David Archuleta dedicates ‘Devout’ to his faithful following
“Singer David Archuleta was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until 2022, when he came out as queer. He openly dictates about his personal struggles in the book Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself, released on Feb. 17 and he will sign copies of the memoir in Chicago on Feb.19.…
Film / TV / Gossip
Deconstructing Harrys: ‘Pillion’ star and director open up about their new motorcycle dom-com
Pillion is a Scottish Gaelic word for a seat behind a motorcyclist. It is also the title of a powerful new queer film. Actor Harry Melling plays Colin, the pillion rider sitting behind Alexander Skarsgård’s Ray in a story adapted from the book Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones. In the film, Colin and Ray explore what it means…
Books / Art
Trans
HRC Foundation takes next step in class action litigation against Trump administration, files complaint with EEOC over prohibition on gender-affirming healthcare coverage for federal employees
WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF) took the next step in the litigation process against the Trump administration on behalf of federal employees and their families, filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over the Administration’s prohibition on health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care under the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and…
Lesbian
IN BRIEF Medical group’s update, HRC dinner, ‘Rafiki,’ Algerian boxer, queer gymnast, Super Bowl
NATIONAL The American Medical Association (AMA) has updated its recommendations for gender-affirming care, endorsing certain limitations on surgery for minors, LGBTQ Nation noted. The AMA is now the second major medical organization (following the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, or ASPS) to walk back its total support for whatever gender-affirming treatments a doctor and a…