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…

Diane Dorice Frale, 82, of Niles, Michigan, formerly of Harbert, Michigan, passed away on Feb. 6. Sommerfeld Chapel, 15 N. Barton St. in New Buffalo, Michigan, has been entrusted with arrangements. Diane Dorice Frale. Photo courtesy Ralph Sommerfeld Diane was born in Chicago on March 15, 1943, and was the only child of Frederick John Frale and Madelene Dorice Bruner.

Mayor Brandon Johnson made a surprise appearance Feb. 10 at the Chicago LGBTQ+ Advisory Council’s quarterly meeting to thank outgoing chair Jin-Soo Huh for years of volunteer leadership. “The fact that you’ve already been applauded—then there’s no need for me to say anything other than your work speaks for itself,” Johnson told Huh. The mayor further praised Huh for leading the council during a time when LGBTQ+ communities face mounting political hostility nationwide.

This editorial originally appeared in News is Out. The Pride flag has been an enduring symbol of the LGBTQ+ community since 1978, when the first design by Gilbert Baker debuted at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Over the decades, the flag’s design has evolved from the original nine colors to six to versions including brown and black stripes to honor the BIPOC community, to the stripes and triangle Progress Flag we see often today.

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 minor’s family determine the minor needs.

From Cathy Renna, Communications Director, National LGBTQ Task Force: "They can take down a flag, but they can’t take down our history. The removal of the rainbow flag from the Stonewall National Monument is another reminder that efforts to chip away at LGBTQ+ visibility are happening in real time. What stands at Stonewall is more than a landmark; it’s sacred ground rooted in resistance, liberation, and the legacy of trans and queer trailblazers who changed the course of history.

Sabrina Haake Despite repeated judicial rulings rejecting Trump’s 2020 election claims, he persists. Proving that his ego burned through his prefrontal cortex and seared his last shard of reasoning capacity, after his attempt to extort Minnesota voter rolls failed, Trump’s FBI raided an election center in Georgia and seized them directly. Both acts were preludes to a dangerous fantasy, one that ends in ‘

Antonio Gutierrez’s undocumented status prevented them from chasing their dream job as an architect—but they didn't let it deter them from making an impact on the city. Gutierrez has spent the last 13 years immersed in Chicago’s activist scene, most notably with Organized Communities Against Deportation. As their strategic coordinator, they connect with ICE rapid response groups, resources for Chicago’s undocumented community and more, all while being open about their undocumented status.

On Feb. 6, Life is Work celebrated a decade of service to the TLGBQ+ community with a reception and awards ceremony for key supporters, partners and advocates. The event, headlined as "A Night of Gratitude, Community, and Impact; Prevention with Intention," was held at the Goose Island Barrel House, 603 N. Sacramento Ave. Guests dined on bacon-wrapped dates, potato and cheese balls, shrimp cocktails and sliders, and were invited to tour the facilities.

—Love is love:   If you’re looking to book a spot for Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day (which is next weekend), look no further than SAVOR with Andrew’s restaurant roundup. —With “Friends” like these: Congrats go to Cindy K. for winning our Friends box set giveaway! Don’t forget that in order to qualify for future prizes, you have to be a paying subscriber…

Brett Klaus. Photo courtesy of Klaus Gay former music teacher and theater director Brett Klaus has filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of Illinois and in the Illinois Circuit Court in Madison County against Marquette Catholic High School (his former employer) in Alton, Illinois. According to the complaint filed Jan. 7, in addition to Klaus’s duties as a teacher, he was also responsible for directing or supporting school productions and events and for one summer, as the volunteer unpaid leader of the musical theater summer camp that the school’s students attended.

Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Equality Illinois, delivered the keynote address at the organization’s annual gala on Jan. 31, framing the evening as “not just a gala—it is a sanctuary” amid escalating political attacks on LGBTQ+ people and civil rights. In a deeply personal speech, Parker warned of coordinated efforts to roll back hard-won protections—from reproductive freedom to marriage equality—while calling on Illinois leaders and residents to actively uphold the state’s role as a refuge.

Chicago-based photographer Kelli Connell makes the last stop on her nationally touring exhibition “Living With Modernism” at the Elmhurst Art Museum, running Jan. 24-April 26. Offering a look at relationships, identity and history through a queer lens, this is the largest exhibit of Connell’s work to date in the Chicago area. Kelli Connell. Photo by Natalie Krick The show brings together two series, “Pictures for Charis” and “Double Life.” Together they look at intimacy, identity and power through a queer feminist lens over time.

Chicago – Celebrating its 52nd anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the Joseph Jefferson Awards announces its nominations for theater excellence among Non-Equity theater during the 2025 season. In keeping with governing Jeff Awards procedures, ballots compiled throughout the entire Non-Equity season are comparatively analyzed to determine the nominees who will be represented in each category. This year’s Non-Equity awards spotlight 147 theater artists across 26 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 26 companies.

Six early-career and journalism-curious storytellers will learn the ins and outs of reporting on underserved communities this spring in Windy City Times and E3 Radio’s second-annual Our Stories, Our P...

Six early-career and journalism-curious storytellers will learn the ins and outs of reporting on underserved communities this spring in Windy City Times and E3 Radio’s second-annual Our Stories, Our Power program. The paid, six-week seminar will equip storytellers with foundational reporting skills and cover every step of the community newswriting process, beginning with pitching story ideas and culminating in a published piece on Windy City Times’ website.

On the heels of the widely popular Canadian streaming service Crave TV produced word-of-mouth hit television show Heated Rivarly’s first season (that was aired in the U.S. on HBO Max), a number of Chicago locales have held and will hold Heated Rivarly themed events for the fans. Sidetrack Heated Rivalry Season Finale Watch Party. Photo courtesy of Sidetrack Sidetrack in the Northalsted neighborhood kicked off these events with a packed house season finale viewing party on Dec.

Glenn David Wheeler, 68, of Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood, passed away in his home Jan. 27 surrounded by faithful friends. Glen Wheeler Born October 31, 1957, in Indianapolis, he always produced an elaborate Halloween theme on his birthdays, which all of his friends enjoyed. Glenn graduated from Lawrence Central High School. From the earliest time he could remember, Glenn had an interest in drawing and painting.

Joey Metler, Winner MCL 2026.JPG The Mr. Chicago Leather contest weekend kicked off at Touche, 6412 N. Clark St., for a meet and greet, on Jan. 30, with Jeff Tucker, International Mr. Leather 1994, as emcee.  J-Hummingbird, Mr. Chicago Leather 2025 Judges this year included J-Hummingbird, Mr. Chicago Leather 2025; Voudou Onyx; Andreas Jungemann, Mr. Berlin 2024; Mademoiselle Ceci; Vivian; and Dr.

CHICAGO—The boards of directors for Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action (PPGR Action), the non-partisan political and advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, proudly announces their final endorsements for the March 17 primary election. Candidates were selected based on their sexual and reproductive health care policies and their commitment to protecting the health and rights of all Illinoisans.

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. More than half (532) of all incidents in 2025 specifically targeted transgender and gender non-conforming people—a 10% increase from the 485 incidents in 2024.

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 Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) plans.

Deliz You can’t throw a pork chop without hitting a steakhouse in Chicago. Most of the newer and future establishments have a global twist (like the forthcoming Susu, which will be a steakhouse through a Middle Eastern lens). However, Dēliz Italian Steakhouse (in Wicker Park) has some old-school style—but it also offers some stunning contemporary takes, resulting in one of the top spots I’ve visited in this relatively new year.