The Best LGBTQ Nightlife In Chicago
By Lisa White in Best Of on Jun 25, 2015 7:35PM
Chicago's Pride celebration is in full swing across the city, with festivals, parades, themed nights and parties keeping our schedule full and our nights long. And although a big part of this month is about honoring our history and celebrating the strides made toward equality (even if we do have a long road ahead of us), for many Pride is a time to simply see friends, party and have fun. But you don't have to wait until June to celebrate, Chicago is full of awesome LGBTQ-friendly events all year long.
We asked our LGBTQ staffers, friends and a few in-the-know allies where their favorite nightlife is across the city, from gay-friendly sports bars to bearded drag queens and lots of sweaty, fun dance parties. So head out dressed to impress, no matter what time of the year it is, have tons of fun and Happy Pride!
Slo ‘Mo
Founded in 2011 by promoter Kristen Kaza and DJ Tess, Slo 'Mo has taken a number of different forms over the years—with satellite parties in Hyde Park, on a boat on Lake Michigan, in the South Loop and the Near West Side. But it is in its element at its original home, the Whistler. On the third Thursdays of every month the Logan Square bar is packed to the gills with friendly, happy queers bopping along to the sexiest of slow jams, new and old. There's good reason this party is a repeat winner of pretty much every award for queer Chicago parties that exists. — Joe Erbentraut, Burly organizer and resident DJ
Slo 'Mo host events all over the city; check their website for more details.
Chances Dances/Off Chances
If only I were the dancing type, Chances is one of the first queer dance parties I would hit up more often. Founded in 2005, this party now takes place on the third Saturday of the month at Subterranean, while its counterpart Off Chances takes place on the second Tuesday of the month at Danny's. I've never been, but organizers bill Off Chances as the more "cruisy and conversational sister" to Chances, with good people, drinks and music. I especially appreciate the organization's emphasis on consent, wheelchair accessibility, gender-inclusivity, supporting local artists through its Critical Fierceness grant program and creating more queer-friendly spaces outside of Boystown. Chances are good you will like Chances if you like a little more self-awareness with your drinks and dance numbers. In the fall they'll be back at the Hideout. — Rachel Cromidas
Chances Dances host events all over the city; check their website for more details.
The Welcoming Committee
Much has been written about the decline of the stereotypical gay bar and many neighborhoods in Chicago don’t really have one specific “gay bar.” Sadly, that leads to a loss of community among LGBTQ people, but The Welcoming Committee is here to help. Sign up for their mailing list to get the names of bars that are not typically known as gay bars, but will soon be the host to one of their fun and friendly events. — Melissa McEwen
The Welcoming Committee rotates its locations often, so sign up for the mailing list to get the details.
Queen!
Come Sunday if you need to find place of worship, I’d advise heading to the holy house of, well, house music and paying a visit to the DJ booth altar of Derrick Carter at Queen! This Sunday night party at Smart Bar features Carter and Michael Serafini spinning on the regular as well as a rotating cast of guests taking over the booth. Holy Ghost! will be stopping by next month, and last month one of my favorite musician crushes, JD Samson, had the dance floor swooning. Chicago legend JoJo Baby plays host along with Sissy Spastik at this anything goes party. Sure, you’ll witness drag queens and club kids dressed to impress but you’ll fit in just fine dressed down and hanging out near the excellent sound system at Smart Bar. So channel the spirit of Frankie Knuckles (a dance floor favorite, always) and get moving. — Lisa White
Queen! is located at Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark St.
Marty’s Martini Bar
Cozy and chic without being pretentious, Marty’s Martini Bar is an outstanding place to tuck yourself in at the bar—order a mouthwatering martini from one of the largest martini menus in town— and people-watch or prepare for a night out on the town. Boystown stalwarts Replay and Elixir are opening locations smack-dab next to Marty’s this summer, bolstering Andersonville’s gay bar scene. But if you prefer an adult beverage over a video game arcade concept—this is the place for you. — Tony Peregrin
Marty’s Martini Bar is located at 1511 W. Balmoral St.
Fabitat
Fabitat brings a much-needed freaky, queer vibe to the Northwest Side, thanks to its eclectic range of guest artists and DJs who bring live music and performance to the stage, all under the direction of host and organizer Lucy Stoole, Chicago's favorite bearded drag queen. It happens the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. — Joe Erbentraut, Burly organizer and resident DJ
If you're looking for a night out west of Halsted mark your calendar for Fabitat on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month. The LGBTQ extravaganza is free and features drag, live music, social benefits and DJs in Door No. 3's subterranean speakeasy setting. Hosted by Lucy Stoole, Fabitat’s lively performances are making a stiletto-sized imprint on the growing number of West Side LGBTQ events. — Jessica Mlinaric
Fabitat is located at Door No. 3 at 1527 N. Milwaukee Ave.
FKA
Formerly Known As (FKA) takes place on the second Friday of every month at Big Chicks, located in Uptown. Normally a haven for a diverse range of burly, bearded and fabulous gay men, FKA transforms this north-side staple into a wall-to-wall sweaty mess of dancing queer individuals (mainly female and trans*/genderqueer identified folks with some of the traditional patronage mixed in). FKA creates a uniquely affirmative and accessible environment by offering name tag stickers that include a space for preferred pronouns and a variety of absurdly cheap drinks. — Rena McDaniel, Med, LPC. Director at IntraSpectrum Counseling, a group private practice specializing in the LGBTQ community, and contributor at Quilt Magazine.
FKA is located at Big Chicks at 5024 N. Sheridan Rd.
Burly
Once a month, I head to Burly. The monthly party, held at The Burlington in Logan Square every third Wednesday, is a joyous reprieve from the sights and sounds of Boystown for queer people who want a night of something different. When I walk in, the energy is high and the music (from resident and guest DJs) always gets me bouncing, if not full on throwing down. The crowd of queer, lesbian, gay, straight and everyone in between is always friendly and ready to party. Check out the Facebook page to see the monthly theme ahead of time and have some fun with your outfit (I bought more mesh because of this party, so clearly it’s a win/win.) And don’t let the name dissuade you, all burly to not-so-much-ly people are welcome! — Hadeis Safi, bartender in Boystown/gay boy who loves a good night out
Burly is located at The Burlington at 3425 W. Fullerton Ave.
ÖPT!ONZ
ÖPT!ONZ at Punch House offers a queer-tastic, fruity vibe to accompany your fruity beverages the last Monday of every month. The party's upcoming Pride edition features guest DJ Jeremiah Meece (The-Drum) and resident DJ La Spacer. — Joe Erbentraut, Burly organizer and resident DJ
ÖPT!ONZ is located at Punch House at 1227 W. 18th St.
The Cell Phones perform at the November Glitter Creeps show. photo credit: marisa km
Glitter Creeps
I've been active in the Chicago music scene for about six years now and I also happen to be queer. It's refreshing to have an event that represents two sides of who I am. The scene can sometimes get clouded with the same kind of people and not fully represent what it has underneath. I think Glitter Creeps is an amazing display of the diversity our music community has, as well as the assortment of queers that reside here. I've attended the event a handful of times, and played at it with my band, Swimsuit Addition. Even for a Wednesday night, it is always packed and the line-ups are absolutely amazing. I've been longing for an event like this since I moved here ten years ago and I'm hoping that Glitter Creeps will continue to grow and bring in new, exciting music and people. — Sam Westerling, Swimsuit Addition
Glitter Creeps is everything a night at the Empty Bottle should be: dirty, loud and closed out by dancing. Held at one of the most iconic music bars in Chicago, Glitter Creeps is a monthly showcase of both rising local Chicago punk bands and their touring counterparts straight from the basements of every other American metropolis. What started out as a DJ night for Donnie Moore's eclectic and ever widening circle of fellow Chicago musicians at Archie's, has transformed into a staple of the Chicago scene. Guaranteed to offer patrons interesting and (most often) new music on stage, the night is rounded out with dancing beats provided by Mr. Moore himself. Situated on a Wednesday night, the crowd is made up of bookers and promoters for the underground Chicago house show scene, established Chicago musicians with their most adamant groupies and even some entrepreneurial part-time record label and zine owners. As an added bonus, Moore's sister Madison slings beers down your gullet all night while making even the most uninitiated newbies feel very welcome. This is definitely the cool kids Wednesday night, thank god it only costs $5 to get in. — Nellie Sires
Glitter Creeps is located at the Empty Bottle at 1035 N. Western Ave.
Crew
Crew in Uptown is an LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood bar that's great for regular weekly events and a perfect place to catch the game with friends. They have trivia night with Miss Bobby and karaoke weekly, and they are an official Blackhawks bar, with 24 high-definition televisions to catch the game. Crew also gives back to the community by sponsoring a variety of local sports teams in various leagues. I love their Beer God program—I aim to be a Beer God someday—and their mac ‘n’ cheese bites, fried to perfection and served on top of collard greens and topped with bacon, are a favorite. Much of their menu is also sourced locally. Crew has won numerous awards, including top honors as one of the best gay sports bars in the city and country. — Derrek Hull, Executive Director, The Trotter Project
Crew is located at 4804 N. Broadway St.