Yes, Queen! Jonathan Van Ness brings big laughs and bigger energy to Hard Rock Live Rockford

Rockford, IL – Emmy-winning television personality, podcast host, and stand-up comedian Jonathan Van Ness will bring their bold humor, infectious positivity, and one-of-a-kind stage presence to Hard Rock Live Rockford on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m.Hard Rock Casino Rockford is located immediately off the I-90 State Street exit at 7801 E. State St. Tickets can be purchased at casino.hardrock.com/rockford/entertainment/hard-rock-live…

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Ariana Grande to spotlight local queer Latino organization at Chicago shows

ALMA Chicago will get the spotlight at Ariana Grande's Chicago stop on her Eternal Sunshine Tour, with a portion of ticket sales from the pop star's three nights at the United Center benefiting the LGBTQ+ Latino organization. Before Grande takes the stage at the United Center on Aug. 3, 5 and 6, ALMA Chicago’s logo will be displayed on screens throughout the arena, introducing the nonprofit to thousands of concertgoers.

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Street performer details ongoing battle against Wrigley Building, local officers

Andrew David (not to be confused with the writer of this article) enjoys many aspects of being a street performer, including entertaining the masses. David has always been involved in entertaining, even traveling from the suburbs when he was younger to perform in public, including at karaoke bars. He was also a vocal-performance major for the two years he was at Columbia College Chicago.

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IN BRIEF Military items; HOPWA setback; BEAR’s return; global Pride festivals; Spanish pilgrimage; Brittney Griner; queer Netflix films

Warning: This column mentions violent attacks. NATIONAL Queer Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, was among four U.S. soldiers killed during an Iranian missile attack on a base in Jordan, CBS News noted. Donovan Richards—the president of Queens, the borough where Rampersad lived—stated, "To Angel's wife, her parents, sister and loved ones, we thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice because it is a sacrifice." Rampersad is survived by her parents, older sister and her wife, whom she met in the military.

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SAVOR Chicago Gourmet details, a FRESH start and National Oyster Day

—If you have any tips, news, etc., email me at syntax3733@gmail.com. ALSO, remember that there's much more news (for this week and others) at SAVOR with Andrew. —Brighter Days: Northalsted Market Days—an annual half-mile street festival celebrating the spirit of community in Chicago’s Northalsted/Lakeview neighborhood—will take place Aug. 7-9. There will be all-day line-ups of live music on four stages, 250+ vendors, food and drink, dance exhibitions, drag performance and more.

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THEATER Wrenching but urgent political drama follows two women with HIV along ‘Continuum’

People working in the public- and private- health spaces have longed used the term “continuum of care.” Simply put, when a patient receives a diagnosis for a chronic condition, they need to go on a figurative “continuum” ensuring that the condition is both treated and managed so the patient leads a healthy life.    So In the Continuum, the 2005 monologue play now being presented by Evanston’s Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, seems somewhat ironically titled.

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Queer comedian John Hill reflects on false derrières, representation and his show ‘Silk and Loose’

When it comes to entertainment, John Hill has just about done it all.  He is an actor, writer, singer and host who has co-hosted the daily live morning radio show Andy Cohen Live on SiriusXM for more than a decade, and he hosts The John Hill Show every Tuesday on SiriusXM channel 102. He has appeared in the original Broadway casts of 

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BUSINESS A Chicago couple’s recording studio showcases underrepresented musicians

Queer couple and Friends of Friends Recording (FOF) Co-Founders DeAnna Doersch and Brok Mende met each other in Chicago when they were both youth group leaders for an Evangelical Christian organization.  Each of them now agree that that meeting felt like a lifetime ago. Doersch and Mende were in college at the time and discovered a shared love of music which has been the through-line of their entire relationship.

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Queer happening rocks Chicago Riverfront

As hordes descended on Grant Park for day one of Lollapalooza 2026, a much smaller, quieter, more colorful throng gathered in the elegant Ping Tom Memorial Park just west of Chinatown. The Sixth Annual Queer Radical Fair bloomed on July 30th by celebrating queer/trans/non-binary youth and their creativity, and came packed with music, DIY fashion, queer spirit, dance, joy and the allure of literature.

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BUSINESS Chicago physician Maya Green reflects on why health care is about more than treating disease 

The COVID-19 pandemic changed Maya Green’s (MD/MPH) perspective as a physician and person, and reminded her how short life is. Green, who identifies as queer, decided to strike out on her own three years ago and create Onyx Medical Wellness so she could provide communities like South Shore, Austin and Roseland with high quality health care without unnecessary barriers. She also serves as Chief Medical and Health Equity Officer for Onyx.

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Chicago icon icon Jim Flint celebrates turning 85 with epic bash

On the evening of July 27—a mere one hour after torrential rains left all of Chicago in a sopping heap—Jim Flint opened the doors to the Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave., to celebrate his 85th birthday and “retirement." After the sale of his world-renowned Baton Show Lounge to HV Entertainment last year, the July 27 event served as a reunion, tribute and acknowledgement to Flint’s accomplishments.

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‘Celebrate what makes you different’: Why Chicagoan Mario Treto Jr. chose a life in public service

Mario Treto Jr., who is Illinois' secretary of the department of financial and professional regulation, said that he’s reassured by the frequent calls he gets for advice from agency heads in other states. “We're doing it right if we're being looked at as a beacon of hope,” said Treto, whose agency oversees licensing for professionals and organizations in the state. …

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OPINION The unapologetic queer history at the new Obama Presidential Center

Walking onto the 19.3-acre campus of the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side was a respite, and a revelation. As a proud Chicagoan and an inductee into the Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame, I didn’t step onto the grounds expecting to experience all of the queer history I saw on full display. Partnering with GLAAD for a special edition of my podcast Queer News, I wanted to share the center through my eyes and celebrate how LGBTQ life was celebrated not only in the museum but across the campus.

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PASSAGES Ron Fritsch

Ron Fritsch. Photo courtesy Inclusive Funeral Care Ron Fritsch, age 87, a Chicago, resident for many years, died on July 22. Ron was born on May 8, 1939, in a farmhouse in Glen Ellyn. He grew up on a rental farm near Big Rock, Illinois. He is a graduate of both University of Illinois, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1961, and Harvard Law School, which he graduated from in 1964.

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Second Annual Dignity Dash cuts through heat to finish first 

On the morning of July 26, Brave Space Alliance (BSA) kicked off its second Annual Dignity Dash under cloudy skies and temperatures climbing toward 90 degrees. The event launched at the AIDS Garden at 3003 N. Lake Shore Drive and trailed along the Chicago lakefront, welcoming over 150 participants who gathered to run, bike or walk the 5K course. The event's goal was to raise money for services at Brave Space Alliance, 1515 E.

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OPINION Berlin will not diminish our Pride

Mark Segal. Photo by Peter Lien July 26 began like almost every other Sunday. I woke up, poured my first cup of coffee, and did what I've done nearly every morning for the past 50 years in the news business—I started reading the news. I move from source to source to see how the world woke up. That morning, I turned on BBC World News.

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Chicagoans launch the first Pride Ball 

On the evening of July 26, Life is Work and Tony Long joined forces to present the first annual Pride Ball at FashionBar in Water Tower Place at 835 N. Michigan Ave. It was clear that Long—a businessman, designer and influencer—and Life is Work were aiming for something more ambitious than a fashion event. The event was billed as a Pride celebration of queer and trans joy, and was dedicated to the founding mothers of Pride, Marsha P.

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IN BRIEF Avoiding Idaho, Baltimore gay bar, partnerships vetoed in Poland, UK prime minister, ‘Barbara Forever,’ Michael Urie

Warning: This column mentions a violent attack.  NATIONAL Trans journalist/activist Erin Reed updated her Anti-Trans National Legal Risk Assessment Map, adding Idaho to the list of “Do Not Travel” states for trans people because of the state’s harsh new restroom law, LGBTQ Nation noted. Idaho now joins Florida, Texas and Kansas on the list; Reed also recategorized South Carolina as a high-risk state because its bathroom ban was expanded to colleges and universities.

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SAVOR Coffeehouse in the spotlight, cyclospora update, Lolla specials, foraging tours

—All that jazz: Chicago Line Cruises, in partnership with the Jazz Institute of Chicago, announced their Sunday Jazz Cruise series. Taking place on the last Sundays of July, August and September, the 90-minute evening cruise pairs performances by acclaimed local jazz musicians with scenic views of the Chicago River and downtown skyline. Departing from the Ogden Slip at 5:30 p.m., the cruise offers live jazz while cruising through the heart of Chicago aboard the…

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The Jeff Awards celebrates 58th anniversary with announcement of the Equity Wing Award nominations

Chicago—In celebration of its 58th anniversary awarding recognition for Equity theater, the Joseph Jefferson Awards announced its nominations for the 2025-26 season. This year’s Equity Jeff Awards feature 209 nominees across 37 categories of excellence in theater production among shows from 27 producing entities. During the most recent season, which ran from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, Jeff Awards members attended 85 Equity productions.

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OPINION: A high T, low IQ military is not in our best interest

Sabrina Haake On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee, hats in hand.  The Pentagon is burning through appropriations, with both Navy and Air Force 2026 operations budgets set to run out by the end of July. The war in Iran has depleted key weapons stockpiles, reducing U.S.

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Annual Esteem Awards celebrates queer Chicagoans’ courage and creativity

On the afternoon of July 18, Philip M. Fleming, along with the Epiphany Arts Foundation and Pride Index, presented the 19th Annual Esteem Awards and the Red, Pink, and Purple Polka Dot Poetry Slam in front of a packed room at Sidetrack Video Bar at 3349 N. Halsted St.  The awards recognize individuals in the LGBTQ+ community and their allies who have worked behind and in front of the scenes to uplift BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Chicagoans.

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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, Shifting the Narrative: Empowering Voices, Inspiring Hope and Transforming Lives on July 21at Loyola University’s Kasbeer Hall at its Water Tower Campus. Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago Public Health Practice Program Director Bryan Gooding, Positively Aware: The HIV Treatment Journal of TPAN Editor-in-Chief Rick Guasco and Southside HIV and AIDS Resource Providers Chairperson Jahari “The Hippie” Stamps participated in an Intergeneration Panel Discussion moderated by Pride Action Tank Executive Director and AFC Special Projects Innovation Vice President Kim Hunt.

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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 became an influential figure in both the city's cultural landscape and its LGBTQ+ community.

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Drag queen and DJ Kevin Aviance looks ahead to Chicago appearance

Kevin Aviance will have an upcoming DJ set as part of the Ladybear party at Smartbar, 3730 N. Clark St., on Aug 8 at 10 p.m. alongside Lucy Stoole, Shaun J Wright, and Rika B. Aviance is a New York City-based drag queen, a part of the iconic House of Aviance, and a DJ and ballroom artist. He said the’s always enjoyed Chicago parties, and plans to bring his all to the upcoming performance.: “Chicago always gives you realness when it comes to these parties, and they don't play around with the parties,” Aviance said.

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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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).” She had already gotten her BFA from SAIC and was pursuing a graduate degree in fiber and material studies.

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“Restroom Rally” held to highlight Illinois’ Equitable Restrooms Act 

Pride Action Tank, an AIDS Foundation Chicago(AFC) project and Community Restroom Access Project (CRAP) organizer, and Rainbow Café LGBTQ Center in Carbondale joined forces to hold a Restroom Rally July 18 at both The Hideout in Chicago and Lost Forest Coffeehouse and Pub in Carbondale to raise awareness about Illinois’ Equitable Restrooms Act. The amended act, which was signed into law by Gov.

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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 testified against four other people accused of participating in what prosecutors described as a conspiracy to kill 74-year-old retired art dealer Clifford Lambert) to a new audience, and it’s now moving toward TV; Hulu is developing a drama series based on the podcast and Sherrie Lueder’s book…

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SAVOR Hounds celebration, lieutenant governor candidate’s pick, and Karol G and Billie Eilish/Charli XCX specials

Smith-ical: Out musician Lucy Smith—a Chicago institution of a singer who leads the Lucy Smith Quintet—will present America: Songs and Stories of Protest and Freedom on Saturday, July 25, at Seward Park, 775 W. Elm St., at 6-7:30 p.m. (If the weather is inclement, the event will take place in the fieldhouse.)

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OPINION What the law says on prosecuting ICE agents for murder

Sabrina Haake ICE agents just shot and killed two more innocent people, a man in Texas and another in Maine. Both men were legally authorized to work in the United States; both were shot in the early morning while driving to work. Neithervictim was ICE’s intended target, meaning each man died because federal agents pursued him in error. Anyone who’s ever been chased—even if just in a nightmare— can imagine the terror of being followed by a…

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