Overall, just take care at night – but know the most notably dangerous areas have very few (if any ) touristic attractions, so you are unlikely to end up there – even by mistake. The North Side, with Boystown and other upscale areas, is very safe but be careful of shady areas in the downtown – which empties over pretty fast after the work day is over. Although crime has declined since its peaks in the 70/80’s (linked to Al Capone’s Chicago mafia and rival gangs) mugging late at night is still stubbornly high – as is gun violence in some areas. There are some rough neighborhoods in Chicago best avoided and thieves and pickpockets do operate on the subway, so be careful with your valuables. Obviously being gay does not define which attraction most of us will want to see in each city and most queer tourists will simply want to check out the top things to see in Chicago during the day!
Gay Chicago Guide: The Essential Guide To LGBT Travel In Chicago Illinois.No surprises or awkward conversations necessary! And if you then want their help to find your dream home, you are guaranteed fair, equal, and honest representation. They can happily give you no-obligation advice and all the information you'll ever need to know about your new city. However, if you are lucky enough to be considering a move here, we recommend getting in touch with a local gay realtor. Again, how it has flown up the radar for so long we will never know.Īre you relocating? This guide will help travelers discover the queerer side of the city. Chicago is home to one of the most inclusive LGBT+ populations in the nation so you can freely explore and know no matter who you love, you’ll fit right in.įrom the stratosphere towers of glass that rise from the downtown to capricious public art, relaxing lakefront and cornucopia of world-class dining Chicago is a modern city fuelled by culture and food. We prefer to think of this as yet another reason to drink local spirits.Of course, this is Chicago – and there are many, many more reasons to explore this city further. We'll see if this spreads to other bars, gay and straight, in Chicago. So starting immediately we will not sell Stoli or any other Russian products at Sidetrack. Very soon the Russian government itself, which bans positive portrayals of LGBT people, may be the beneficiary of the goodwill earned by Stoli's distributors and bars over the years.
The Stoli story is complicated by decades of lawsuits whereby the actual Government of Russia has laid claim to the Stolichnaya brand name. Sidetrack cannot support a brand so associated with Russia at a time when Russia is implementing (against strong world criticism) it's anti-gay law that bans gay "propaganda". Tonight you might notice that Sidetrack has removed Stolichnaya Vodka from our shelves. Dan Savage was the first to call for a boycott on Russian vodka, inventing the hashtag #dumpstoli and #dumprussianvodka.Īt least one gay bar, Chicago's own Sidetrack Video Bar, has taken up the call. The first tourists arrested under the law were thrown in jail three days ago.Īs a result, gay groups and activists throughout the United States have been calling for action. A violation of this law, which could include anything from marching in a pride parade to just wearing a gay-themed t-shirt in public, can result in a jail sentence followed by deportation.
The latest law: a ban on "LGBT propaganda" that affects tourists as well as citizens was signed into law on June 30. Logo via Slog.In case you haven't been following international LGBT politics lately, Russia has been getting progressively crazier and crazier in its attempts to repress all attempts at gay activism within its borders.