ARTICLES | Grabchicago

Web articles.

You'll find all of our articles in our magazine, but occasionally We'll add a few of our favorites online to view in digital format. We'll also post some online exclusive articles as well.

So keep checking back, you'll never know what you'll find.

Steamy Sauna Queer Love Heats Up in this Foreign Drama

By Shane Gallagher Photo By Christian Geisnaes Sauna, the highly anticipated debut feature from director Mathias Broe, makes history this month as the first Danish film to cast a transgender actor in a leading trans role. Adapted from the acclaimed book by writer and activist Mads Ananda Lodahl, the film offers an intimate reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, exploring themes of love, belonging, and identity within Copenhagen’s queer community. At its heart is the story of Johan,

45 minutes ago4 min read

What’s New in the Desert:Your Palm Springs Getaway Guide and IGLTA Highlights

By Bill Malcolm I was in Palm Springs for the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association Global Convention. More than 750 attendees from 32 countries attended – a new record. And this is despite the drop in large corporate sponsorship support (as has also been seen at Pride events). A highlight was the IGLTA Foundation fundraiser at the Dinah Shore estate (owned by Leonardo Di Caprio). It sleeps 16 and has six bathrooms and can be yours for around $5,000 a night. WHAT TO DO See

1 hour ago4 min read

What matters most: An interview with gay country artist Ty Herndon

By Gregg Shapiro Gay country music legend Ty Herndon, who came out publicly in 2014, has plenty of reasons to celebrate. He’s been happily married to his husband, Alex Schwartz, since 2023. His forthcoming memoir, “What Mattered Most,” is being published by Harper Collins in March 2026. Herndon is also celebrating his 30th year as a country musican artist by releasing “Thirty: Volume 1” (Club 44/The Orchard), an eight song album on which he revisits songs from his career with

1 hour ago8 min read

The treasure at the end of the rainbow: An interview with Randy Rainbow

By Gregg Shapiro Photo By Dirty Sugar Photography Not to brag, but we gays do many things incredibly well, including music and comedy. Few gays do both as fabulously as Randy Rainbow. Since the 2016 presidential campaign, and subsequent years, Rainbow amassed a tremendous following via his YouTube videos, with views in the millions, many of which addressed the political situation in the U.S. Not one to rest on his laurels, Rainbow has continued to create content that provides

2 hours ago5 min read

Q-Music: Looking over the overlooked

By Gregg Shapiro Rachael Yamagata and Keren Ann (Zeidel) have more in common than just being singer/songwriters at the back end of the alphabet. They are both gifted artists who put in time on major labels in the early 2000s and have continued to put out music independently. If you lived in Chicago (and possibly elsewhere) during the late 1990s, you probably came across the psychedelic funk of Bumpus, a band that featured Rachael Yamagata as a member and cosongwriter. Her d

Oct 202 min read

Man in the Mirror Justin Jedlica Stars in Reflections

By Shane Gallagher Photo By Bob of Finland Justin Jedlica, widely recognized as the “Human Ken Doll” for his pioneering work in body modification, is one of the bold personalities featured in Reflections, filmmaker Michael Hyman’s daring new video series that turns the camera—and the mirror—on identity, beauty, and self-worth. Shot on 16mm film and inspired by Andy Warhol’s iconic 1960s Screen Tests, the sixteen shorts challenge participants representing a diverse cross-secti

Oct 203 min read

“Plainclothes” make the men: An interview Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey

By Gregg Shapiro “Plainclothes” (Magnolia), the directorial debut by queer filmmaker and screenwriter Carmen Emmi, is not as simple as the title might suggest. There is also a double-meaning at play as neither of the main characters –Lucas ( Tom Blyth ) and Andrew (out actor Russell Tovey ) – is dressed in their respective “uniforms” when they first meet. Already “certified fresh” on rottentomatoes.com, “Plainclothes” features such stellar performances by Tovey and Blyth, tha

Oct 208 min read

Interview with Circuit Mom aka Matthew Harvat

Photo By Eric Magnussen Is it possible for a building to have a soul? For a theater to be a muse? What if every precious brick, every carved cornice, and every hand painted decoration held the echoes of the craftsmen who lovingly held them? What if the building itself soaked in the laughter and joy of crowds, shouldering the weight of epic talents, spanning a myriad of musical genres, to become a grand golden inspirational spirit of music itself? Of course we’re talking about

Oct 205 min read