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LGBTQ at the U of C
There are a variety of resources available to LGBTQ women at the University of Chicago and in the Chicago area. You can find most of the resources listed in this guide and at the very helpful http://lgbtq.uchicago.edu. University Resources: Places to Go for SupportLGBTQ Programming Intern In the Office of the Vice President and Dean of Students in the University, Allie Carter serves as our LGBTQ programming intern and coordinates institutional support services. She is primarily responsible for OpenSource as well as organizing many social and educational events for the LGBTQ community on campus. Her office also provides information and support to students and campus groups on a variety of LGBTQ-related issues. For office hours, or to make an appointment, call 834-1005 or email alliecat@uchicago.edu. The LGBTQ Mentoring Program The program pairs undergrads with a queer University faculty or staff mentor. Launched in 2001, the Mentoring Program offers an opportunity to learn from and to get to know a supportive queer adult living in the “real world”. Mentors act as a sounding board as students navigate their way through a largely straight world, and can offer advice on a host of life, work, and relationship issues. Most important, mentors provide students with a sense of community and belonging. Mentor/mentee pairs meet at least once a quarter, usually for coffee or lunch. The program also sponsors quarterly events such as dinner or cultural activities in the city. To learn more about the program or to sign up, contact co-organizers Kathy Forde or John Laseman. OpenSource OpenSource provides a variety of resources and support to LGBTQ students at the University. All students, LGBTQ as well as allies, are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities provided to get questions answered and meet other LGBTQ students in a low-key setting. OpenSource has two components:
Student Counseling & Resource Service (SCRS) SCRS also provides counseling for women who are exploring their sexuality or who need support in the coming-out process. All sessions are completely confidential. Counseling services are offered under the student health service fee, paid quarterly by all University students, and there is no pre-established limit to the number of sessions (see Chapter 2 for more information). SCRS can also provide you with referral information should you choose to be treated somewhere else. Make an appointment by calling 702-9800 or visit their website at http://counseling.uchicago.edu. Student Care Center (SCC) The Student Care Center ( SCC) provides primary and acute care medicine for all students in a welcoming and affirming environment. Good sexual health practices, including information relevant to queer students, and safe-sex supplies such as condoms, dental dams, and female condoms are distributed (free!) both at the SCC and through their health education events around campus. The Womancare practice at SCC offers annual exams including pap smears, information on sexually transmitted infections, lesbian and transgender health issues, and sexuality and relationship counseling. Peer health educators are available to discuss health issues and provide information. SCC also provides free, confidential HIV testing for all students. Check out the HIV/AIDS info page for more information. For appointments, call 773-702-4156. Anonymous testing is available through the Howard Brown Health Center. Academic and Professional ResourcesLesbian and Gay Studies Project & the Center for Gender Studies The University of Chicago has become a major center for research and graduate training in lesbian, gay, and queer studies. The Center for Gender Studies (CGS) and its Lesbian and Gay Studies Project (LGSP) organize weekly lecture and film series, co-sponsor the biweekly Gender and Sexuality Studies Workshop, and offer dissertation fellowships and office space to graduate students. Undergraduate students who concentrate in Gender Studies may focus on queer and sexuality studies, and CGS also offers teaching fellowships to graduate students and a MA level course in Theories of Gender and Sexuality. For more information on this year’s programming, grants, and courses in LGBTQ and Gender Studies, visit the LGSP website, the CGS website, join the Gender Studies list, and ask the LGSP to put you on the citywide Chicago Queer Studies announcements list. Feel free to visit the CGS and LGSP offices at 5733 S. University Ave. (third floor) or call the CGS at 773-702-9936. Library Resources 
The Online Guide to Gay and Lesbian Resources at the University of Chicago Library identifies and classifies over 4500 monographs and serials in the University of Chicago Library and maintains a Gay and Lesbian Studies webpage with additional information about resources in the library and useful web links. Career Planning CAPS (Career Advising and Planning Services) endeavors to support students in exploring a wide variety of career options at any stage of a degree program. CAPS can help LGBTQ students make career decisions based on their needs and interests, as well as help them understand and navigate the job-search process and the workplace. CAPS offers confidential, one-on-one career counseling and a wide variety of programs, services, and a library for student use. Check out the CAPS website at caps.uchicago.edu or come by to learn more. Check out the CAPS website or stop by Ida Noyes Hall on 59th Street for more information. Phone: 773-702-7040. Click here for info about being “Out at Work.” Student OrganizationsQueers and Associates Q&A is probably the largest, most active LGBTQ organization on campus. It consists of both graduate and undergraduate students. It provides information, as well as social and political opportunities to LGBTQ students and their associates. Q&A sponsors at least one dance per quarter, which is usually well attended. But most importantly, Q&A provides a nurturing environment for LGBTQ students. For meeting times and places, contact Q&A at 773-702-9734 or qa@listhost.uchicago.edu. You can visit the Q&A website or visit its office in Reynolds Club 008. Q-Grad Q-Grad is an informal association of queer graduate and professional students spanning all professional schools and divisions at the University of Chicago. Contact qgrad@listhost.uchicago.edu. QueeReligious QueeReligious is an organization dedicated to fostering a safe and healthy dialogue about queer-related issues of faith and religion. Contact cohens@uchicago.edu or visit its website. Coalition for Queer Action A group of representatives from diverse campus organizations working to promote tolerance and eradicate homophobic actions from campus. Visit its website. Gays and Lesbians in Business (GLIB) Gays and Lesbians in Business exists to provide a social and educational network for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, and transgendered members of the GSB. The organization works to provide educational activities for all students to explore the roles and contributions of gays and lesbians in the business community. Contact glib-cochairs@gsbpop.uchicago.edu or visit its website. Outlaw The Law School’s LGBTQ group, Outlaw, hosts a number of events, many of which deal with queer legal concerns. For more information, contact outlawinfo@listhost.uchicago.edu visit their website. Queer People in Medicine (QueerPM) The Queer People in Medicine (Queer PM) student group in the Pritzker school of Medicine aims to create a safe social space for queer members in the Pritzker community by increasing queer visibility and promoting awareness about queer related issues, both health care and social aspects. As such, the group organizes social and educational events and maintains a queer mentoring program within Pritzker. Contact lgbpm@listhost.uchicago.edu. Out in Public (Policy) The LGBTQ Harris School group, Out in Public (Policy), hosts social events for incoming and current Public Policy students and works to raise awareness about policy issues that involve queer individuals through panels and speaker engagements. Contact oipp@listhost.uchicago.edu. Gays, Lesbians, and Associates in Social Services (GLASS) GLASS strives to help contribute to what many have felt is sorely lacking at SSA, both within and without: community. Their events are LGBTQ-oriented, but are not so narrow in their relevance. A number of these, including an “off-the-beaten-path” film series, will encourage involvement from both the University and surrounding communities. Contact ssalgbtq@listhost.uchicago.edu. Resources in the City of ChicagoWhere to Go 
Chicago is home to the largest LGBTQ community in the Midwest. In Chicago you can find a vast array of gay, lesbian and bisexual political, religious, health, professional, athletic, and cultural organizations. It is also home to more than 100 gay and/or lesbian bars, restaurants, and cafes. The largest gay residential neighborhood and commercial district is located in Lakeview, a lakefront neighborhood on the city’s north side (also known as Boystown). Two main thoroughfares dominate the heart of this area?Halsted Street and Broadway. Halsted Street caters to nightlife with more than 30 different gay and lesbian bars, restaurants, and nightclubs; Broadway offers many different types of specialty shops and restaurants, as well as some neighborhood institutions. The neighborhood is easily accessible by public transportation. Buy a transfer on the #6 Jeffrey bus (fare + transfer = $2.00). Get off the Jeffrey at Michigan and Jackson. Walk two blocks to State Street. Then take the Howard El train (Red Line) to Belmont. When you get off at Belmont, walk one block east to Clark. Alternatively, you can take the U of C Express bus (#173) downtown every night of the week. The bus leaves from the Reynolds Club and will drop you at Belmont for $1.75 per direction. Schedules and maps are available at www.transitchicago.com or in the Reynolds Club. Andersonville, a neighborhood in Edgewater, boasts many attractions for LGBTQ people in Chicago. To get to Andersonville, take the #6 downtown (as described above) and then the Red Line north to Berwyn or Argyle and walk west (many destinations are located on Clark Street). Bookstores There are a variety of gay and lesbian bookstores in the Chicago area. Women and Children First Books in Andersonville (5233 N. Clark Street; 773-769-9299) is one of the largest feminist bookstores in the country, stocking more than 30,000 books by and about women, children’s books for all ages, and the best of queer fiction and non-fiction. They also carry music, videos, magazines, and pride products and have frequent author readings. Visit their website at www.womenandchildrenfirst.com for more information. Unabridged Books, Inc. (3151 N. Broadway; 773-883-9119) is located in the heart of Boystown. This neighborhood bookseller has strong sections in gay and lesbian literature, travel, film, and sci-fi. In Hyde Park, both the Seminary Co-Op and 57th Street Bookstores have LGBTQ sections. Theater and Films The Bailiwick Pride Performance Series is a four-month long gay theater festival held every summer at the Theater Building, 1225 W. Belmont (call 883-1090 for information). Gay theater and performance art is presented here throughout the year as well.The Reeling Film Festival, held in Chicago each fall, is the second-oldest lesbian and gay film festival in the world. Reeling will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2006. Most films are screened at four different venues including the Music Box Theatre at 3733 N. Southport, which also frequently shows lesbian and gay films throughout the year. Call 871-6604 to get on the Music Box mailing list. About Face Theatre’s mission is to create and implement innovative performances and performance-based educational programs that examine and participate in the development of gay and lesbian lives, histories, and experiences. They also operate About Face Youth Theatre. Newspapers and Magazines 
Check out the Windy City Times, “the voice of Chicago’s gay, lesbian, bi, and trans community since 1986.” It publishes a newspaper,, magazine, and event listings; it also has a radio station. 105.9 FM. You can find it online. Also, Chicago Free Press is a LGBTQ newspaper in Chicago, with news, calendar, classifieds, and FreeStyle (arts, entertainment, and living section). Gay Chicago Magazine also has extensive listings of news, entertainment, events calendar, columns, and classifieds.Dykediva.com has a great events calendar for happenings in Chicago. Lesbian Community Cancer Project (LCCP) The LCCP is a Chicago-based advocate of women’s health issues. They are fighting for responsible health care for lesbians and bisexuals and provide a vast array of supportive and informational services for all women, including seminars, health clinics, massage therapy, and information updates. They publish a quarterly newsletter, CAnswers. The Center on Halsted The Center on Halsted, in addition to its many health and support services sponsors a variety of fun social events for LGBTQ youth (ages 14-24). Check out their calendar at for details. Amigas Latinas Amigas Latinas is a support, education and advocacy organization for lesbian, bisexual and questioning women of Latina heritage that provides a safe environment and offers opportunities to gather, celebrate and explore identities and potential as women who love women. Affinity Affinity is a non profit organization in its tenth year serving Chicago’s black lesbian and bisexual women’s community. For ten years, Affinity has served the black lesbian community through a combination of educational, social and community collaborations. One of the central elements of Affinity’s mission has been the creation of opportunities for visibility, empowerment, and leadership for black lesbians locally, while serving as a national organizing model. Lambda Legal Defense Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. Lambda’s Midwest Regional Office is located in Chicago. Chicago-Area Transgender/Transsexual Resources
A non-profit organization dedicated to achieving equal human and civil rights for gender minorities. They are especially active in advocating for the rights of transgender and gender variant youth, and sponsor programs for youth, including the Trans Youth Resources and Advocacy Youth Drop-In Center for youth aged 14-24 every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Broadway Youth Center 3179 N. Broadway Ave (3rd Floor). A social and educational nonprofit organization for crossdressers, transgenders, transsexuals, bigendered, and their supporters. Its goal is to provide social and educational opportunities, as well as peer support, for its members. It seeks to promote a positive self-image for the entire transgender community in the business community, the media, and the general public. It supports legislation which protects the rights of all minorities. Membership in Chicago Gender Society is open to all transgendered individuals, spouses, significant others, and supportive families who are of legal age, regardless of gender, race, creed, or sexual orientation. Call 708-863-7714 for more information. The Chicago Transguy Alliance An all inclusive group for those people assigned female at birth but who identify on the male side of the spectrum. This includes but is not limited to: FTMs, butches, boydykes, transitioned men, transguys, studs, bois, drag kings, genderqueers, transgender, intersex, transsexuals, androgynes, androdykes, bi/poly/pan/omni gendered, stone butches, two spirit, tomboys, femme tg bois, non-gendered, etc. This group meets twice a month to discuss issues relating to gender identity, relationships, and whatever else. Join here. The Howard Brown Health Center The Center provides comprehensive, confidential mental health and medical services for anyone identifying as LGBTQ. Anonymous HIV testing is also available. Services are provided by experienced staff in a supportive environment and include psychosocial assessments, ongoing therapy, hormonal treatments, and primary care. Please call 773-388-1600 to make an appointment. Health Care
Special Issues If a woman makes an appointment to see a gynecologist about a problem she may be experiencing or for a routine pap smear, she will have to fill out medical history forms. These forms often ask questions like “Are you a virgin?” and “Are you sexually active?” In many cases, a lesbian is almost forced to come out to the health care provider, and explain that she is a lesbian and does not need birth control. This may be an awkward yet difficult process, especially for women who are not ready to be publicly out yet, but it is one that many undergo, sometimes multiple times. It is very important for a lesbian to find a physician who is able to respond to her needs. There are many health-care practitioners who are very sensitive and responsive. Guidelines for Finding LGBTQ Health Care
Complaints/Compliments About Your Health Care Provider Although SCC medical providers and staff are sensitive to religious, cultural, and sexual-orientation needs, if a conflict arises please let an SCC administrator know or send a comment (anonymous or signed) so that the SCC is able to resolve your concern promptly. Resource Contact InformationHere’s a rundown of the resources in this chapter?just names and contact information.
Academic and Professional Resources
Hotlines and Other Resources 
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