Editing Chicago (section)

===LGBTQ Tips===

Chicago generally is a very safe place for LGBTQ people, having hosted the Gay Games in '06, and a very gay friendly Mayor Richard M. Daley. That being said, the city is made up of people and outside of the gay neighborhoods - even inside the gay neighborhoods - hate crimes have occurred. Like any big city it is friendly, but an ounce of caution is always a good idea.

The neighborhood hangouts for the queers are generally Boystown - guess what, its mostly boys! - (Red Line BELMONT) between Belmont and Addison on Halsted (close to Wrigley Field). It is the neighborhood that hosts Chicago's Gay Pride and also, a smaller happy gay party in August called North Halsted Market Days. Another spot to venture to is Andersonville (aka Girlstown, guess why!), which is at Foster and Clark streets (a little walk west of the BERWYN Red Line stop). 

More off the beaten path though, are some very queer/artsy bars in Wicker Park during the week. For example, Chances Dances [http://www.chancesdances.org] is every third monday of the month at Subterranean (2011 W. North Ave.; Blue Line DAMEN). A beautiful dance party with beautiful happy queer hipsters. Rodan, just down the street at Milwaukee, while not being outright Gay, has a $3 Lychee Royale (think Lychee mimosa) special on Mondays that is pretty darn good and pretty darn gay friendly if you ask me. Also, in Boystown at LBC (Lakeview Broadcasting Company, located at Addison and Halsted) Thursday nights are girls night with fun DJs and very fun girls.

Chicago also hosts, every Memorial Day weekend, the IML meeting (International Mr. Leather). It's international, it's leather, it's something to see.
[[trash:Chicago]]
[[hitch:Chicago]]