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| Windy City Times | |
|---|---|
| Name | Windy City Times |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
| Format | Tabloid |
| Foundation | 1985 |
| Founders | Jeff McCourt; Bob Bearden |
| Publisher | Tracy Baim; Terri Klinsky |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
| Language | English |
| Circulation | Local and national LGBT readership |
Windy City Times is a Chicago-based weekly newspaper founded in 1985 that served lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, reporting on politics, culture, health, and arts. The publication became a prominent platform within Chicago's media landscape alongside outlets in New York City and San Francisco, engaging with national organizations, municipal institutions, and civic movements. Over decades it intersected with electoral politics, public health campaigns, cultural festivals, and legal battles that shaped LGBT rights and urban life in the United States.
The paper was established in 1985 by Jeff McCourt and Bob Bearden amid the AIDS crisis and municipal debates involving Mayor Harold Washington, Richard M. Daley, and Chicago aldermen, positioning itself alongside national voices such as The Advocate, Bay Area Reporter, Out Magazine, The New York Times, and Chicago Tribune. Early coverage tracked actions by activists connected to organizations like ACT UP, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Lambda Legal, and legal decisions from courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. Editorially, the paper documented events at venues such as Chicago Pride Parade, Northalsted Market Days, and institutions including Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and DePaul University. Over time leadership shifted as publishers like Tracy Baim and editors allied with entities such as Center on Halsted, Human Rights Campaign, and publications including Chicago Reader reinforced its role in regional media. Coverage expanded to include elections involving figures like Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and municipal policy debates influenced by groups like Cook County Democratic Party and civil rights organizations such as American Civil Liberties Union.
The paper's mission emphasized visibility and advocacy for LGBT people while maintaining journalistic reporting on legal and cultural developments involving entities like Illinois General Assembly, Chicago City Council, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and public health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Editorial focus included lawsuits brought by litigants represented by ACLU of Illinois, employment cases under statutes like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as applied in state courts, and coverage of cultural institutions such as Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Art Institute of Chicago, and media collaborations with outlets like NPR, PBS, and CNN. The paper provided reporting on festivals and awards associated with bodies like Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, Pulitzer Prize, and arts councils including the National Endowment for the Arts.
Content included investigative reporting, arts reviews, opinion columns, listings, and special supplements covering film festivals like Chicago International Film Festival, theater seasons at Goodman Theatre, and gallery exhibitions in neighborhoods such as Andersonville and West Loop. Regular features highlighted profiles of activists and artists connected to movements led by figures like Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, Edie Windsor, and organizations including GLAAD and PFLAG. Health coverage referenced research from institutions like University of Illinois at Chicago, Rush University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, and pharmaceutical developments overseen by the Food and Drug Administration. The publication partnered for events with civic groups such as Chicago Cultural Center, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and media partners including Time Out Chicago and Chicago Sun-Times.
Distributed in print across Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs, the paper reached readers in hubs like Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Boystown, Uptown, and beyond to regional metros including Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit, and St. Louis. Readership included activists, elected officials, health professionals, artists, and students from campuses like Loyola University Chicago and Columbia College Chicago. Circulation intersected with advertising from businesses such as theaters, bars, and nonprofits like Center for Disease Control and Prevention-funded programs, and drew attention from national funders including Ford Foundation and Kellogg Foundation.
The paper chronicled and amplified campaigns on marriage equality pursued by plaintiffs represented by Lambda Legal and litigated through courts up to the Supreme Court of the United States, anti-discrimination ordinances debated at City Council of Chicago meetings, and public health mobilizations during the AIDS crisis involving Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program initiatives. Its coverage supported community organizing around events like Chicago Pride Parade, benefit concerts at venues associated with House of Blues Chicago, and collaborations with advocacy groups including Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Occupy Chicago participants when citywide protests intersected with LGBT issues. Editorial series examined intersections with race and labor movements represented by entities such as Service Employees International Union and civil rights campaigns linked to leaders from NAACP.
The publication and its staff received recognition from journalistic and civic institutions including awards from the Chicago Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, honors at ceremonies hosted by Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, commendations from elected officials such as members of Illinois General Assembly, and citations by nonprofit funders like Open Society Foundations for contributions to reporting on civil liberties and public health. Individual journalists associated with the paper have been acknowledged by bodies such as National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, Pulitzer Prize Board finalists lists, and regional press organizations including Illinois Press Association.
Category:LGBT newspapers in the United States Category:Media in Chicago