Having the courage to be out and proud can be a lifeline to others, Eboné Bell shares in her recent commentary. Photo: Tim Samuel/Pexels We all know that representation matters. We’ve seen what happens when there aren’t enough LGBTQ+ individuals in Congress, not enough people of color policing our streets and not enough women making […]
Category: Top Stories
Posted inEntertainment
A guide to summer LGBTQ+ film festivals
When the weather gets hot, there’s nothing like stepping into a frosty movie theater to check out new LGBTQ+ cinematic offerings. The coronavirus pandemic forced LGBTQ+ film festivals to adapt quickly in 2020 and 2021. While some canceled their seasons, other festivals, such as Outfest and Newfest, switched to a virtual format. While still dealing […]
Posted inUncategorized
A lesbian perspective on reproductive freedom
I was once young. And fresh off the turnip truck. So naive I laugh today looking back. I thought every lesbian would be my friend. I worried about the ducks I saw in Rock Creek Park. What would they eat? Who fed them? It was an early girlfriend who moved me off the worry with […]
Posted inNews
GLAAD reports failing grades for major social platforms regarding LGBTQ+ safety
As anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and hate continue to escalate online, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation released its second annual Social Media Safety Index this week. According to GLAAD, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok received failing grades for not providing “LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression,” the report said. In May 2021, GLAAD released its […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s a time for protests, not parades
If there was any doubt that a government-led backlash against the LGBTQ+ community was gaining force, it was made plain when the U.S. Supreme Court reversed itself (Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization) and ruled that Roe v. Wade was unconstitutional after nearly 50 years of being the law of the land. What had been […]
Posted inCommunity
TikTok famous plus size Charlotte store provides a refuge for LGBTQ+ shoppers
When you walk through the doors of Juicy Body Goddess, you know instantly you’ve ended up in an affirming place. “Welcome to Juicy, where you’ve got to be two something to do something,” store owner Summer Lucille and her staff call out as a greeting. The plus size boutique is a hit on TikTok, where […]
Posted inOpinion
Creating a forever family takes looking inside
My heart was racing as we walked to the front door of the foster home. I could hear the roar of children inside. With much anticipation, Tony and I knocked and could feel the rush of excitement in the air. Inside were two children: JJ, 3, and Elijah, 8. JJ rushed toward Tony and jumped […]
Posted inTop Stories
New report shows support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in small business
MetLife and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently teamed up to survey small business owners on their feelings about LGBTQ+ topics and inclusion and the results were encouraging. Business owners were asked a variety of questions from importance of diversity and inclusion to whether they were actively working to recruit LGBTQ+ employees. Seventy-seven percent of […]
Posted inOpinion
Expanding allyship beyond Pride month
Windy City Times usually receives its fair share of emails—hundreds each day. However, starting in late May that number increases exponentially, as June is Pride Month. Believe me, we love the fact that companies and businesses take action to support LGBTQ+ individuals, organizations and events. However, we wonder how much of the support is based […]
Posted inTop Stories
Yes, we still need Black LGBTQ+ Pride events
Most of us know the story of the Stonewall Inn: We’ve heard how Black, Brown, and trans individuals in a small Greenwich Village bar rose up against the police in June 1969. While we often credit that night with sparking the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, the larger queer community ignores the continuation of the story: […]
Posted inMusic and Podcasts
6 ways to experience LGBTQ+ history this Pride month
Pride month is a perfect time to reflect on the people and events that helped us get where we are today. For many LGBTQ+ people, they never got to see their bravery and sacrifice blossom into the joyful celebrations we now have around the world. This June, you can honor their legacies and learn more […]
Posted inOpinion
Can the original Gay Pride be reclaimed?
In the political upheaval that is reshaping our society, including the LGBTQ+ community, there seems to be a national movement to “reclaim” Pride. This movement has taken various forms around the nation: marches being led by queer youth and people of color. Dyke and trans marches. It’s taken different shapes in multiple cities.
Posted inCommunity
8 brands giving back big time for Pride
Whenever June rolls around, your social media feeds begin to fill up with brands and businesses looking to join in on the celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. With so many brands competing for your pink money, how do you know who is actually working with the community to make a difference, or simply participating in […]
Posted inTop Stories
Blue states working to expand abortion access
This article is the final in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBTQ+ community.
Posted inNews
Chicago abortion-rights advocate warns of emboldened right-wing
This article is the fourth in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBTQ+ community. By Matt Simonette, Windy City Times The only aspect of U. S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s leaked draft opinion attacking Roe v. Wade that surprised longtime abortion-rights […]
Posted inCommunity
12 small but mighty Pride celebrations around the US
Much of the Pride coverage we see is of the massive events that happen in big cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. However, LGBTQ+ people live all over the United States. Rural communities and suburbs from Maryland to Arizona have their own smaller, but just as important Pride celebrations that are worth […]
Posted inTop Stories
Op-ed: Purple states like Pennsylvania are at a crossroads
This op-ed is the third part in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBTQ+ com
Posted inPolitics
Texas is at the forefront in the move to ban abortion
This article is the second in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBQT+ community.
Posted inNews
Here’s why abortion is an LGBTQ+ rights issue
This article is the first in a five-part series, by News is Out member publications, looking at Roe v. Wade and its impacts on the LGBTQ+ community.
Posted inTravel
After two years of Covid, LGBTQ+ travel is bouncing back
When the first wave of COVID-19 began, it didn’t take long to see that travel would be one of the industries hardest hit by the pandemic. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s recent report, the travel industry suffered a loss of nearly $5 trillion in 2020 or more than a 50% decline in […]