![]() It's not all about sex, there are circuit parties and bath houses but on the streets you'll see drag performers, booths, food, DJs, and live music, nothing that shocking. We love our straight allies which come out in droves to Pride, but this is more adult and more gay. Market Days also feels more like our own little Pride. They knew I was gay and coming from Market Days but again, zero issues. I felt safe in my city walking amongst a literal herd of drunk, straight, people, even in my short shorts and tank top. We work hard to make it livable/tourist friendly for gays and straights. This is the beauty of Chicago's (north side). The Alderman in the area is also gay and powerful so that helps a lot. Chicago police, for their part, do a good job in Lakeview of keeping everyone safe and things orderly. Most people didn't say shit and it's generally not a problem. So you had a lot of gay men proudly strutting through crowds of suburban baseball fans giving zero shits about their outfits or stares since many left MD to head to their parties as the baseball game was letting out. Boystown is about 2-3 blocks fro Wrigleyville. Funny enough, Cubs had a game against the White Sox on Sunday. Since we actually protected our gayboorhood, we can have these unapologetically gay events in our own space. I love the gay summer season in Chicago which ends with Out at the Park, gay night at Six Flags. Even up and down the street it's a fun time to be in the city. Nevertheless, their urging suspicion actually made me more comfortable about telling them and I came out to them when I was home for Thanksgiving that fall. If I had been out, I would not have taken them there. For the next few months they'd bring it up - "why would you take us there." The question was a little off because being gay was no reason to take them there. I told them I had no idea what it was before taking them there. ![]() Don't know if he was playing a joke or sensed I was gay or what, but we went to Market Days. He told me to take them to this cool street fair and told me the street coordinates. I asked a co-worker what I could do with them beyond the obvious tourist attractions. My parents and sister came from Minnesota to visit me that summer. Market Days played a role in me coming out to my parents.Īfter my freshman year at Northwestern, I stayed in Evanston to work for the summer. Yes, there's a guy in a jock sitting in a lifeguard chair, but it's also community time as well. A lot of the daytime stuff includes babies and strollers, or people walking their doggies. It's definitely NOT as crowded as Chicago Pride, which is way more packed and dense, but it does draw people in over the weekend.īut it isn't like that all day. ![]() I'm sure a lot of shit goes down at night - any weekend is about sex and drugs and on a weekend where people are in from out of town that's more so. They've really ramped up the concerts in the last 10-15 years - much higher level talent then they used to do. I remember Berwyn, a suburb, had a booth there for years to try to encourage young gay couples to move there. Also a mix of non profits, churches, etc. ![]() One year we walked away with bags of paper towels, keychains and Wyler's drink mix (among the freebies being given away). It used to be just a Boystown specific, gay specific version of the neighborhood events that happen in every neighborhood in Chicago.įour blocks along Halsted blocked off with booths - some food and drink, some vendors.
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