Ira Glass, long the heart-throb of geeky NPR fans, has been on a tear lately. Perhaps he's tired of that squeaky clean "This American Life" image and is eager to take it down a couple notches now that he's safely ensconced within the amber of being a bona fide cultural cornerstone. Whatever the reason, we're thoroughly enjoying his recent willingness to play against type with revealing results. more ›

Dan Savage tells Rick Santorum that if he thought he had a "Google problem" now, wait until he offers his definition for "Rick." more ›

Chicago son Dan Savage has a rather successful little career answering people queries about sex and relationships. Perhaps you've heard of him? And if you listen to his weekly podcast, the Savage Lovecast, you've surely heard him. And if you've listened to that podcast you've also surely heard The Popovers, contributors of the program's ultra catchy theme song. more ›

LGBT people nationwide have been rocked this week with the tragic news of at least five recent suicides of male students, all committed as a result of being bullied for their actual or perceived sexual orientation in their middle schools, high schools and universities. Here in Chicago, activists are planning a vigil to honor the victims' lives. more ›

Mother-turned-activist-turned-author Judy Shepard will be in town tomorrow, Thursday, evening as the featured keynote speaker of H.E.A.L. Ourselves: Opening Eyes, Closing Wounds at the Center on Halsted in Lakeview. Shepard, thrust into the national media spotlight after her then-21-year-old son Matthew was brutally murdered because he was gay in 1998, has since become an outspoken advocate of hate crime legislation. more ›

Chicago-born Savage Love columnist and author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller have a message for all the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth out there, via a new YouTube video campaign: Whatever you're experiencing now, be it family rejection, bullying and harassment in schools or even thoughts of suicide, it gets better. more ›

Don’t be fooled by the trademark nasal North Carolina accent—David Sedaris owes a lot to his stint in Chicago. Discovered while reading his diary in a Chicago club by another famous nasal voice—Ira Glass—Sedaris went on to National Public Radio fame, five essay collections, numerous New Yorker essays, and legions of adoring literary groupies. more ›

more ›

Have you been meaning to get one of those pesky AIDS tests but don't want to fork over the $100 or so in lab fees that your doctor charges? more ›

Let's look back at a week in which no site in the -ist network adopted anyone from Africa... -Austinist reveled in the dumb antics of some U.T. law students and posted some great audio from former New Orleans natives who've decided to stay in Austin. But the best news for Austinist? They were voted Best Local Entertainment Web Site by the local Austin alt-weekly. Congrats, Austinist. -DCist gloried in being told their musical tastes made... more ›

Chicagoist is pleased to announce a new feature we're adding called Ask Chicagoist and a new contributor who's going to be answering all of your questions, Sarah Nielson. Sarah is a resident of Hyde Park but previous to living in Chicago she lived in Seattle where she wrote an advice column for the Belltown Messenger. Sarah's goal has always been to fill the advice abyss that falls outside the specialized fields of Dan Savage, Miss... more ›