Recently in - Gay & Lesbian - Category

If you're thrilled by Alexandra Billings at this year's Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade (she's the Grand Marshal) on Sunday, you can see even more of her on Tuesday. That's when the Center on Halsted hosts a special screening of "Stealth," the short film starring Billings and others.

Tickets for the event cost $20, with a percentage of proceeds going to the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. The fun starts at 8 p.m., and a reception follows in the theater lobby with food and wine provided by Ann Sather.

Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade
noon Sunday at Halsted and Belmont; free
Floats, bands, politicians and hundreds of thousands of people invade Boystown for a summer event unlike any other. Midwestern friendliness – not to mention colorful costumes, dancing and drunkenness – will be on full display at this rowdy event, the highlight of a weekend of Pride parties (including Pride Fest).

1. Its proud motto, “Serving the fetish world.”

2. In the John E. Larsen Gallery, you’ll find the painting “Last Supper in a Leather Bar,” which puts Da Vinci to shame.

3. The must-have gift shop item: a leather paddle with the museum’s boot logo, just $25. Solid construction.

6418 N. Greenview. Hours: from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Admission: $5. (773) 761-9200 or www.leatherarchives.org

HEY YOU GOT THREE BETTER ONES?
Tell us your favorite three things!

Join the Guerilla Gay Bar's South Loop group this Friday at English as they hold their monthly gathering. For those unfamiliar, the GGB is “a group dedicated to bring a fun bar atmosphere to the South Loop area … to meet up at and ‘turn it gay.’” The group usually brings in about 300 people for an event, and has hit up Wabash Tap, Grace O'Malley's, Villains Bar & Grill and Weather Mark Tavern already this year.

We love the idea (look ‘em up on Facebook for more info), but English? On LaSalle? Not so much South Loop, but good times either way.

Pansy Division is Luis Illades (from left), Jon Ginoli, Joel Reader and Chris Freeman. (File)

We loved "Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band," the documentary about America's first openly gay punk band that screened last fall at the 27th annual Reeling Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival. (The film just hit DVD.) "As much as things have changed with human rights, there is still much yet to evolve," singer Jon Ginoli told the Sun-Times in November. "There's still plenty of issues that burn us up and plenty of hypocrisy to keep singing about."

And writing about, apparently — and reading about! Chicagoist reports that Ginoli, a native of Peoria, will be reading from his new memoir, Deflowered: My Life in Pansy Division at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Quimby's Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave.

Chicagoist says: "Deflowered begins with the band's formation and soars to heights of touring with Green Day, and dips to lows of homophobic fans and the challenges of pursuing success and acceptance in the predominantly hetero world of rock. Ginoli's memoir doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to tales of groupies, label battles, and band brawls either, so this reading is sure to be a fun one."

The Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago round-up is in for ’09. Let the arguing and squabbling begin over the lil' rag's choices.

When it comes to music, we can't help but agree with the perspective of Radio Free Chicago:

"Miles Raymer has tapped Stranger Waves as Best Rock or Pop Act for the Reader's Best of Chicago 2009 poll. Really? The best? Or was this an obscure/controversial choice by design to grab The Reader a little attention? Then again, maybe this was a much needed attempt to save the publication a little street cred after the audience poll resulted in a winner of Poi Dog Pondering (ouch!)."

Here's the video they offer as evidence — for or against?

Ever wonder why there are so many butch guys in black leather roaming the Loop each Memorial Day weekend? That would be the International Mr. Leather contest and convention, m'dear, and if you think the recent Miss America pageant was tough (yawn), you should see how these boys, er, whip themselves up for this competition. Our own Mr. Chicago Leather for 2009 will be crowned Saturday night at Touche, 6412 N. Clark, festivities hosted by John Pendal (IML 2003) beginning at 10 p.m.