CITY LIFE The To-Do

from Chicago Reader print issue of July 27, 2023 (Vol. 52, No. 21)

CLASSIFIEDS

Upcoming events and ongoing activities you should know about

By MICCO CAPORALE

You can’t beat Chicago’s heat right now, but here’s some more hot stu for you to enjoy!

Comfort Station (2579 N. Milwaukee) has two free events coming up that you’ll definitely want on your calendar. The ﬁrst, on Sunday, July 30, is the Guild Complex’s Exhibit B: Social Justice Festival. Along with free food, good conversation, and a book drive, the festival promises a slate of literary-minded performers, including Reader feature writer Katie Prout. Sharing the bill are Atena O. Danner, Caroline M. Watson, Flor Flores, Rabha Ashry, Matt Harper, Mondeaux, Nick Rossi, Noa Micaela Fields, Tarnynon Onumonu, Tommy Carroll, and Chandler Browne. The Social Justice Festival runs from 11 AM-3 PM, and since it takes place on a weekend in the heart of Logan Square, you can all but guarantee stumbling into a fun neighboring pop-up activity afterward.

On Tuesday, August 1, Comfort Station also hosts a reading group that will discuss We Both Laughed in Pleasure: The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan, 1961-1991. Sullivan was a trans activist who lived as an openly gay man during the 70s and 80s. He worked hard advocating for trans rights, documenting trans experiences, and providing resources for trans men and mascs, including founding the organization FTM International in 1986. Sullivan’s diaries provide both a rich theoretical and historic framework for parsing the relationship between gender and sexuality, and also a hell of a read. Don’t worry if you’re new to the text, though. While there’s a link to a free PDF available on Comfort Station’s Instagram, this event is less about comparing notes and more about building community through celebrating Sullivan’s legacy. The discussion kicks o at 7 PM. Emrys Brandt is the facilitator, and he welcomes questions about it (including accessibility!) at 8houseviz@gmail.com. comfortstationlogansquare.org

Gerber/Hart (6500 N. Clark, second ﬂoor) has Barbie fever. On August 5, the queer archive is hosting an opening for their Bar- bie-inspired exhibit “A Dreamhouse of Our Own: An Examination of Dolls, Play, and Queer Identity.” The event kicks o at 5:30 PM with a cocktail mixer starting at 6 PM. (Non-alcoholic options will also be available!) At 6:30 PM, curator Olivia De Keyser and graphic designer Steven Russell will present on the show, and then Chicago’s favorite Barbie-inspired kink designer GNAT Glitter Kink will give an artist talk. Dress to impress because there will be a costume contest! The party continues at the Leather Archives & Museum (6418 N. Greenview) with a screening of Life-Size, the made-for-TV movie where Tyra Banks stars as a doll brought to life by Lindsay Lohan. Note that this event is strictly 18+. Tickets are $10 for the screening, $20 for the reception, or $25 for both. gerberhart.org

Also on Saturday, August 5, in Little Village, a pop-up shop called Chi-Town Dreamers is happening at 2620 S. Central Park. This is a great place to catch emerging talent in streetwear, including Southside Dreams , who’ve only been in the game about a year but make some of the hottest wearable odes to cholo culture and Latine Chicago. In addition to vendors of all varieties, there will also be entertainment such as poetry and hip-hop. It’s gonna be a bumping pop-up. Pull up from 6-11 PM! instagram.com/ southside__dreams

On Wednesday, August 9, Kan-Win will be participating in the 11th annual global day of action to demand justice for “comfort women” survivors. Kan-Win is a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating gender-based violence that centers on Asian Americans. During WWII, the Japanese military forced over 200,000 women and girls into sexual slavery in occupied territories such as Korea and Taiwan, and many feel that the Japanese government has never adequately acknowledged or apologized for this. Survivors and their descendents want justice. Starting at noon outside the Wrigley Building (400 N. Michigan), Kan-Win will have a Sonyeosang or Statue of Peace—a sitting statue of a girl whose details represent di erent facets of comfort women’s struggles—with an empty chair beside it. People are invited to come sit, use the hashtag #comesitwithher, and take photos for social media. This is a symbolic act of witnessing as much as it is an attempt to spread awareness and increase pressure on the Japanese government so this injustice is not forgotten. kanwin.org

Later, at 8 PM on August 9, counselor and musician Jessica Risker will host a live taping of her podcast, Music Therapy, at Cafe Mustache (2313 N. Milwaukee). Risker and co-host

Leslie Tanner will be in conversation with musician Jawson Dell, Ohmme’s Macie Stewart, and Bric-a-Brac owners and Clickbait members Nick Mayor and Jen Lemasters. Stewart and Dell will also perform. To attend, there is a suggested donation of $10-$20. Must be 21 or older. cafemustache.com v

More event listings at chicagoreader.com

@JuggaloReporter