BUSINESS Revolutionary pleasures: Searah Deysach’s on a mission to bring sex positivity to Chicagoans
Twenty-five years ago, Evanston native Searah Deysach was at a crossroads and realized she needed to shake up her professional life. Deysach had done a pastry program and worked in kitchens for a while before she “boomeranged back to working in an office at the…
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HIV advocates dispel myths and discuss ongoing challenges at Chicago summit
Pride Action Tank and AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) hosted a summit on eliminating HIV stigma, Shifting the Narrative: Empowering Voices, Inspiring Hope and Transforming Lives on July 21at Loyola University’s Kasbeer Hall at its Water Tower Campus. An intergenerational panel discussion was moderated by Pride Action Tank Executive Director and AFC Special Projects Innovation Vice President Kim Hunt. “The HIV/AIDS…
Malik Gillani helps Chicagoans find their voices while reclaiming his own
For more than two decades, Malik Gillani has helped people tell stories that might otherwise have gone unheard. As the cofounder of nonprofit Silk Road Rising—now the Silk Road Cultural Center—Gillani helped build one of Chicago’s leading theater companies dedicated to amplifying the voices of Asian, Middle Eastern and Muslim artists. In doing so, he…
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IN BRIEF ‘Gay grifters’ case, queer foster kids, Lyra McKee case, Cape Verde, ‘The Odyssey,’ celebrity break-ups
Warning: This column mentions child sexual abuse. NATIONAL Craig A. McCarthy has been released from a California state prison, bringing renewed attention to the Palm Springs murder case that became widely known as the “gay grifters” case, Instinct noted, citing The Bay Area Reporter. The American Hustlers podcast helped introduce the story (in which McCarthy…
Nation & World
IN BRIEF Trans ban upheld, bathhouse ban repealed, Stonewall re-enactment, conversion therapy, ‘Broadway Bares,’ ‘X-Men ’97’
NATIONAL In a major development, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld state bans on transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s school sports, The Advocate reported. In a six-to-three decision written by Justice Brett…
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
John Early smells like Maddie’s Secret at the Music Box
Director, writer and actor John Early doesn’t hide who he is as a gay man, but his character struggles with private information in the new Magnolia Pictures movie Maddie’s Secret. On July 2, he brought his latest endeavor to the Music Box Theatre for a sold-out screening accompanied by a post-show question-and-answer portion of the program. Maddie proved so popular…
Books / Art
Trans
IN BRIEF Same-sex marriage bill; queer activists pass away; President Biden; Senegal’s amendment; GLAAD study; Beyonce; ‘Hacks’
Warning: This column mentions bullying and killing. NATIONAL Delaware’s General Assembly passed Senate Substitute 2 for Senate Bill 100—which enshrines the right to same-sex and interracial marriage in the Delaware Constitution—on the last day of the legislative session after being rescinded the previous week, The Washington Blade noted. SB100 will not be officially added to…
Lesbian
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.,…