“Ganja! Y’all know tea!” GayDo312, it’s Meli, and I am back with another newsletter. I am on a little vacation right now in New York City, and I miss Chicago! Before I headed to O’Hare, I had a lovely weekend celebrating IML at Queen! with my drag family. The leather was on, the gay guys looked great, and the drinks were strong! But we’ve got some things to talk about now! One last weekend of May, and we’ve got Drag Race girls in town, Pride event announcements, and updates on some beloved festivals, so lock in! We’re about to get started.

The Swedish pop sensation, Robyn, is bringing her Sexistential Tour to Chicago on September 12th, and we’re giving you the opportunity to see her. You can win 2 free tickets to her tour, and all you have to do is enter right here!

JUST ANNOUNCED

• Lesbian Social Club is back with a Pride Fest Takeover at D.S. Tequila on June 20th. Join in a fantastic lesbian-led Pride event in the heart of Northalsted. You can click here for tickets!

• The 60th Annual Andersonville Midsommarfest is back again to bring you three nights and two days of one of Chicago’s oldest and most beloved street festivals. Find out more about it now!

• Garden Of’s Dyke Summer: Pride Kick Off is the perfect way to get into the summer and Pride groove here in Chicago. On June 13th join on all the fun with wet t-shirt contests, popsicles, swimsuits and more! Go ahead a snag a ticket right here.

• Coming at you on June 26th, Super Sapphic V is the sapphic event of this year’s Pride season! A full-building Metro and smartbar sapphic event that will be like nothing you have ever experienced before. So, don’t be shy and get your tickets now!

• Voss Events is bringing their RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq the World Tour to the Chicago Theatre in 2027 for their 10-year anniversary! Tickets go on sale tomorrow, but you can use code “DOSTUFF” to access presale early!*

MELI’S MAY PICKS

This month is coming to a close, so feel free to check out the rest of Meli’s May Picks! If you want to know where your Gay Culture Editor is going to be for the remainder of May, keep on reading! My Pride picks will kick off June here in the GayDo312 newsletter, and I am so excited. I hope you all enjoy the rest of May!

• THU 05.28 - THICC THURSDAYS at REPLAY LAKEVIEW (FREE)

• THU 05.28 - CHICAGO DRAG SHOW at FANTASY NIGHTCLUB (FREE)

• SAT 05.30 - SAPPHIC SATURDAY at SIDETRACK (FREE)

• SAT 05.30 - BACKROOM CONFESSIONS: ALL MADONNA DANCE PARTY at CELLBLOCK

• SUN 05.31 - THE REAL DRAG BRUNCH at THE RIVER

THIS WEEKEND

LOCALS ONLY

• “Ganja, y’all know tea!” Laganja Estranja has launched her long-awaited cannabis line with Sway Dispensary on the Northalsted strip! You can find out all you need to here, because “If it’s not green, I’m not interested!”

• The last Queen! of May is this Sunday, May 31st, and Drag Race star, DiDa Ritz, is the special guest host! So, go ahead and buy a ticket! It’s time to “Queen!” out.

• Check out Center on Halsted! Center on Halsted is the Midwest’s largest community center dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community. You’ll find activities like sports, game nights, and support groups. And you can find it all right here!

• Chicago drag queen and musician, Finn, has announced that her first ever album, PARTY GIRL, is coming out June 5th on Spotify and Apple Music! Written and produced by her, she paints a beautiful picture of Chicago’s club scene and community. You can see the track list and more on her IG.

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