The queer kids are all right: acceptance in Chicago’s DIY scene
Coming off the high of a one-night music festival hosted by my college radio station, I was itching to immerse myself in another city’s DIY scene. I assumed that a…
Resistance Remains in Renaming of Chicago’s ‘Boystown’ Neighborhood to ‘Northalsted’
When Boystown changed its name to Northalsted in 2020, not everyone thought it was the inclusive move it had been billed as.
Can a play bring justice to a gentrifying neighborhood?
Ricardo Gamboa is tired. The playwright and Chicago native, who identifies as nonbinary and uses the gender-neutral pronoun “they,” has been running around in a frenzy lately. Starring and producing…
Finding Safety to Explore Identity Through Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Gaming Community
Exploring who you are and how you want to present yourself to the world is a natural part of growing up. But for some in the LGBTQ+ community, doing so…
‘Existing without question’: The evolution of gender inclusion in Chicago roller derby
When Sara Kaiser, a trans woman, saw her first derby game over a decade ago, she started crying. “I was just bawling because I didn’t have the right parts to…
Finding a Home in the Gutter: Queer People in the Alt Scene
This Ain’t a Scene, it’s a Home The two groups of middle school kids most likely to utter the phrase “it’s not a phase, mom!” are young people in the…
How a trans librarian in Chicago helps caregivers support their LGBTQ+ children
Clear backpacks lean against one another in a fallen domino formation. Inside each of the bags is a collection of curated books. Hallothon Patnott pulls out a large children’s book.…
LGBTQ+ inclusive school caught in political crossfire makes students feel like they belong
Before Evelyn Fasking enrolled at the Magic City Acceptance Academy, their view as they walked from class to class was their shoes. “I wouldn’t look up until I got to…
Literary justice: Chicago-based nonprofit pairs up with local bookstore to bring books to women and trans people in prison
Vicki White remembers a letter she once received from an incarcerated woman asking for help. “She needed glasses, but she had to pay for them herself and couldn’t afford them,”…
Healing in the Heart of Their Kitchen
How do folks who work in food recover from eating disorders? Content warning for eating disorders. Chala June is an associate editor at Bon Appétit. They’ve struggled with binge eating…