Category Archives: Gay Chicago
Chicago Winter Parties Feb 16-17
SATURDAY, February 16, 2013 10pm-5am
DJ’s Phil DaBeatz and Aron Abikzer
House Of Blues Chicago
SUNDAY, February 17, 2013. 10pm-4am
DJ’s Cindel Coss and Tony Moran
Excalibur Nightclub
Chicago to Host 2nd Annual Santa Speedo Gay Run
The 2nd Annual GAY Santa Speedo Run of Chicago takes place this Saturday, Dec. 1st, 2012.
braved the freezing temperatures and shed their running clothes in favor
of red Speedos to run one mile through Andersonville in the first
annual Santa Speedo GAY Run. The event organized by Karl Sponholtz and his
partner Jeff Colgan was a benefit for Vital Bridges.
This year, the gay run is moving to Boystown.
This year’s sign-ups are already exceeding last year’s numbers, so the duo decided to move the event from Andersonville to Boystown, PLUS, the weather for this weekend could be near 60! As opposed to last years freezing 28 degrees!
There is a $25 fundraising minimum to participate in the event, which
consists of running one mile in the cold, clad in nothing but a santa
hat, running shoes and a speedo, or some other holiday-themed costume. Over 300 people are expected to participate.
There will be a prize for the top fundraiser as well as a Christmas
raffle. DS Tequila has generously offered half-price food for all
participants on the day of the run and a myriad of other local
businesses, like Taverna 750, Burke’s Public House, Windy City Sweets and Sagin, LLC, have donated to the raffle.
Sign-ups start at noon at Sidetrack,
3349 Halsted St., with the run itself scheduled to take place at 2:00
p.m. For more information, or to see pictures from last year’s event,
check out their Facebook page at and RSVP to their Facebook event.
INNdulge Palm Springs
Naked Men in the Desert
GLBT Travel Expo in Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City
GLBT TRAVEL EXPO! 3 Cities in MAY – FREE Admission!
The 2012 Travel Expo Tour is an exciting event where
you can learn about new travel destinations, rediscover old ones, find
glbt friendly travel providers and get information to plan your next
vacation.
Airlines
Hotels
Trains
Cruise lines
Car Rentals
Resorts
Exotic Destinations
Convention & Visitors Bureaus
Travel Magazines
Every one of them reaching out to the glbt consumer.
Attendees will be able to get the latest travel information, get
special travel packages and great deals from the very best travel
providers as well as win great prizes.
Face to face promotions still represent one of the best ways to
promote your services. This afternoon event will draw 500-1,000 elite
consumers from a great demographic group. This is the third year Steven
Levenberg Productions, LLC has been producing these events. Each year
these shows have had an ever expanding exhibitor base and attendance.
THE TOUR
Chicago, Illinois – Tuesday – May 1, 2012 – Center on Halsted.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Thursday – May 3, 2012 – The William Way Center.
New York , New York – Saturday May 5, 2012 – The LGBT Center.
Last year’s tour was a huge success. Each venue received a targeted crowd of between 350 to 650 targeted glbt travelers.
Broughton Hotels in Chicago Boystown Celebrate with Specials All Year Long
EAT, SLEEP, DANCE WITH BROUGHTON HOTELS OF CHICAGO DURING NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS IN BOYSTOWN
Broughton Hotels of Chicago
are celebrating the much-anticipated Restaurant Week in Chicago by offering a hotel package that highlights the best of the Boystown neighborhood.
Guests can experience the North Halsted street, GLBT-friendly district that is known for an eclectic mix of bars, coffeehouses, restaurants and shopping in Chicago – and take advantage of this package during other Boystown events such as the Gay Pride Parade (June 24) and Northalsted Market Days (August 11-12).
Two neighborhood hotspots – Taverna 750 and Scarlet are participating in this special package deal. Taverna 750 is a ZAGAT-rated restaurant that is known for its old school Italian small plates with a contemporary flair.
The “Boystown Special,” package is $40 in addition to regular room rate at any of the three Broughton Hotels of Chicago – The Majestic, The Willows, and City Suites Hotel offers guests:
• $30 gift card to Taverna 750
• 2 complimentary drinks at Scarlet
• Complimentary parking for one night
• A total value of $62
The “Boystown Special” can be used for hotel stays up until December 31, 2012 and is not valid with other promotions or group reservations. Hotels require a two-night minimum stay on Saturday nights – April through October 2012. Blackout dates and availability apply.
Located in the heart of the stylish and exclusive Lakeview section of Chicago, the Broughton Hotels of Chicago are a collection of Chicago boutique hotels that exude the charm of historic buildings circa 1920. 3 unique properties.
Just steps away from Boystown and only 10 minutes north of downtown Chicago’s business, financial and shopping districts, the stylish Broughton Hotels have the quintessential qualities of an upscale, city hotel – tucked into the tree-lined streets of a neighborhood.
About Broughton Hotels
Broughton Hotels was founded in 2001 by Larry Broughton and has been named among the Top 100 hospitality management companies in the United States. From hip to historic, Broughton hotels are loaded with style. Each property is an original, a genuine boutique. And within their walls guests find more than a comfortable spot to rest – they discover a true sense of place. Broughton Hotels currently operates 14 boutique hotel properties throughout the U.S. For additional information, visit www.broughtonhospitality.com.
Gay Chicago Gay Illinois News
The State of Illinois is adding a section for gay travelers to its tourism web site.
Gov. Pat Quinn announced the launch of “Pride Illinois” on Saturday at a Gala for EqIl.
The section will list gay-owned or gay-friendly accommodations, events and travel destinations, among other things.
It’s unclear how concise this page will be – or if only members who pay can promote their business on the page.
The governor signed legislation in January 2011 granting same-sex couples SIMILAR legal rights as married couples. Illinois is the sixth state to allow civil unions.
Last week a bill was introduced for Gay Marriage in Illinois.
So Gay Marriage could be coming to Illinois soon!
BEST GAY CHICAGO.com for more Chicago info!
La Cage Aux Folles National Tour Dates
New Winner of 3 Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL, this hilarious new production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is ON THE MOST ‘TOP 10’ LISTS OF ANY MUSICAL THIS SEASON!
With George Hamilton and Christopher Sieber. George Hamilton is everything Hollywood we know and love—dashing, debonair, and full of tenacity as Georges. The talented Tony Nominated Christopher Sieber played Georges on Broadway, opposite Harvey Fierstein. Now he plays the role of Albin/Zaza.
They are joined on stage by Billy Harringtan
Tighe as Jean-Michel, Bernard Burak Sheredy as M. Renaud/M. Dindon,
Cathy Newman as Mme. Dindon/ Mme. Renaud, Jeigh Madjus as Jacob, Gay
Marshall as Jacqueline, Allison Blair McDowell as Anne, Dale Hensley as
Francis, Ashley Kate Adams as Colette, Danny Vaccaro as Tabarro, Matt
Anctil as Angelique, Mark Roland as Hanna, Donald Shorter, Jr. as
Chantal, Trevor Downey as Phaedra, Logan Keslar as Bitelle, Terry Lavell
as Mercedes, Todd Thurston as Male Ensemble (waiter), SuEllen Estey as
Female Ensemble Adult, Todd Lattimore as Male Swing, Christophe
Caballero as Male Swing and Rylyn Juliano as Female Swing.
LA CAGE tells the story of Georges, the
owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner
Albin, who moonlights as the glamorous chanteuse Zaza. When Georges’ son
brings his fiancée’s conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair,
the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly! LA CAGE
is a tuneful and touching tale of one family’s struggle to stay
together… stay fabulous… and above all else, stay true to
themselves!
With a glorious score of hummable melodies and a
dynamite cast featuring the “notorious and dangerous Cagelles,” LA CAGE
is an indisputable musical comedy classic… and this extraordinary new
version shows you why!
The national tour launched this past October in Des Moines, IA. We saw the show in Chicago , this past week. It runs through Jan. 1st then off to
St Louis Jan 3-15th.
Washington DC Jan 17-Feb 12th
West Palm Beach, FL Feb 14-19th
Tampa, FL Feb 21st-26th
Naples, FL Feb 28th-March 4th
Wilmington, DE March 6th-11th
Pittsburgh, PA March 13th-18th
Memphis, TN March 20th-25th
Dallas, TX April 10th-22nd
Houston, TX April 24th-May 6th
San Antonio, TX May 8th-13th
Tempe, AZ May 15th-20th
Charlotte, NC May 29th-June 3rd
Orlando, FL June 5th-June 10th
Ft. Lauderdale, FL June 12th – June 24th
Los Angeles, CA July 10th-July 22nd
Costa Mesa, CA July 24th-Aug 5th
MORE DATES AND CITIES To Be Announced! GET TICKETS ONLINE NOW!
Hollywood to Dollywood with The Lane Twins Cross Country
IT ALL STARTED WITH A DREAM…. Everybody has a dream. Most of us are only willing to go so far to see it materialize and often find ourselves waiting for the right opportunity to come to us. Not so for the Lane twins -they were not content to send their screenplay Full Circle to Dolly Parton’s manager or publicist. No, they were determined to get it into the hands of their idol and on the 25th Anniversary of Dollywood, no less.
AND AN RV NAMED JOLENE.
“WE grew up listening to Dolly’s music and always thought she was an amazing person. So why not write a screenplay about her, and go on a cross country roadtrip to try to put it in her hands! ” say the gay Lane Twins, Gary and Larry.
And that’s just what they did.
And the result is An amazing film and journey about courage and acceptance.
Now in 51 Film Festivals Around the World …They won 6 Awards so far!
The basic synopsis – On the fumes of a dream, twin brothers Gary and Larry Lane have written a script with a
plum roll for one of their idols, Dolly Parton. Having had no luck getting the screenplay
into her hands, they embark on a cross-country journey to personally deliver it to her. They
set off from Dolly’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame heading East for Pigeon Forge,
TN. Driving an RV they (named Jolene) is friend and partner Mike Bowen. All along
Interstate 40 at rest stops, RV parks, bars, and hair salons our intrepid band of travelers
meet everyday Americans, as the encounter everything from Floods in Nashville to an
Oklahoma Tornado.
“Along Interstate 40, and we hit tornadoes, floods, screaming trannies and conservative Christians. It was all a strange trip!” says director John Lavin.
The journey is also one of discovery for the brothers, as well: their
relationship with their parents; their hopes, fears and ambitions; the bigotry they’ve
encountered; as they search for tolerance and acceptance and the joy of realizing their
biggest dream handing their screenplay to Dolly Parton.
“Its hard to open yourself up and put yourself out there, but we would like people to know
we had amazing childhoods, and we love our mom and dad with all of our hearts, this is just
one thing mom cant accept because of her beliefs, but we still love our mom and she is truly
an amazing lady, we talk to her on the phone at least 3 times a day!” the Lane Brothers said.
Dolly has long had legions of gay fans, I think her most public pro-gay remarks were made last year when she appeared on Larry King Live.
“It made us love her all the more and we actually approached CNN and paid for the copyright and we have that footage in the movie. We got the full clearance.
It’s Dolly’s message that she loves her fans and she doesn’t judge anybody. She says only God is supposed to judge you, we’re not supposed to judge each other. A lot of people who have
seen it have said, ‘I never really knew her views but it made me love her even more.’
Dolly Parton herself Is 100% behind Our Movie and Gave us 15 Of Her Songs Free For the Documentary and Her Image for the Movie Poster!”
(FYI – this would normally cost a filmmaker a small fortune!)
DON’T MISS THIS AWESOME FILM –
COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU!
Featuring appearances by Leslie Jordan, Chad Allen, Beth Grant, Dustin Lance Black, Ann
walker, and maybe even Dolly herself!
Hollywood to Dollywood is a documentary of chasing dreams down the road of life.
Hollywood to Dollywood
Hollywood to Dollywood blog
The Lane Twins
Gay Chicago – Shopping, Restaurants, Beaches?
CHICAGO
is world reknowned for its shopping and fantastic resturants. But did you know Chicago is well known for it’s beaches?
You’ll almost mistake Lake Michigan for an ocean with its vast expanse and seemingly endless shore. With beautiful blue water as far as the eye can see, you may think you’ve gone from Chicago to southern California.
24 Miles of lakefront
31 Beaches
15 Beach walks
9 Harbors
Chicago beaches are free to the general public, and officially open for swimming from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day, 9am – 9:30pm.
However, if weather permits, the beaches in Chicago can have sun bathers in early April and as late as October – but there are no lifegaurds on duty.
The gay beach is Hollywood Beach. (AKA Kathy Osterman Beach) The gays and gay friendly people hang out at the southern end of the beach. Weather permitting, the gay boys will be out sunnning themselves late April thru October! But any given Sunday in the summer there are about 200-300 people out here.
Chicago also has the most swimable and most guarded waterfront of any single municipality in the world. While many patrons complain about the cleanliness of the water, Chicago boasts the cleanest urban waterfront in the United States, and second in the world only to Stockholm; water is tested daily by the Chicago Park District for E. coli and other dangers.
