Former Chicagoan Marcia Wilkie is among the special performers at the next Milly's Orchid Show, an All-Gal Revue Sat., Sept. 29, Park West, 322 W. Armitage, $25. Tix at Unabridged Books, ( 773 ) 883-9119. Other performers include: Maxinova, Cheryl Trykv, Kelly Kessler and the Wichita Shut-Ins, Paula Killen, Coal Diggers and many more.
Color Triangle Jam II is Sept. 14 at Hot House. This event brings the LGBT community together under a groove with performances, dancing, a resource fair and more. From 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m., 31 E. Balbo, ( 773 ) 472-6469 ext. 406.
Also Sept. 14, Irish singing duo Zrazy performs 7 p.m. at High Risk Gallery, 1115 W. Belmont, $12-$15.
High Risk Gallery presents Fuh-laming!, a night of queer poetry featuring Samaiya Ewing, Kurt Heintz and Robert McDonald and hosted by Thunder Ed. Sat., Sept. 15, 8 p.m., $3.
Lesbian Community Cancer Project's 6th Jazz Brunch Cruise is Sunday, Sept. 16. Brunch buffet, raffles, live auction with terrific items, and entertainment from Penelope Walker and the From the Edge jazz band, featuring Laurie Lee Moses. Tix $90-$125, Odyssey, Navy Pier, ( 773 ) 561-4662, www.lccp.org .
Sara Paretsky gives the premiere reading of her latest V.I. Warshawsky mystery Total Recall for Women & Children First, Wed., Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m., Swedish American Museum Center, 5211 N. Clark, ( 773 ) 769-9299. Women & Children First also hosts a discussion the editors of Women Building Chicago 1790-1990: A Biographical Dictionary, a monumental and comprehensive new reference work on Chicago women's history, Sunday, Sept. 16, 5 p.m. The book includes lesbians such as Pearl Hart.
Author James Earl Hardy reads and signs copies of his new novel The Day Eazy-E Died, about young African-American men dealing with HIV/AIDS, friday, Sept. 21, Afrocentric Bookstore, 333 S. State, ( 312 ) 939-1956
Steamworks hosts September Test Fest: free, anonymous HIV and STD testing through the end of September, ( 773 ) 929-6081.
Gerber/Hart Library hosts two date auctions, one for men and one for women, both to benefit Gerber/Hart. The ladies' event is at Star Gaze, 5419 N. Clark; the gentlemen's event is across the street at Madrigals, 5316 N. Clark. Both at 7 p.m., Sat., Sept. 22, ( 773 ) 381-8030.