Author: Akari

Program of Study: Master of Laws (LLM), Law School

This image collage captures vibrant scenes from North Halsted, an LGBTQ+ neighborhood in Chicago, showcasing colorful artwork, signage, and street views, as well as a drag queen performing.

Description: Join me as I explore the powerful messages behind a drag performance and the importance of every vote in protecting what we cherish. This episode explores how the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago taught me that the fight for rights is far from over.

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Transcript (provided by author):

Welcome to the ELI’s Finding Chicago Global Perspectives Podcast Series for AEPP 2024. I’m your host, Akari, and I’m currently enrolled in the University of Chicago’s Law School!

How many of you guys go vote when there’s an opportunity? Oop, don’t leave just yet. I know, politics, policies, governors—it all seems so complicated. Trust me, I’ve been there too, staring at the ballot and wondering if it even matters. I mean, I’ve skipped a few votes myself in the past. But something happened recently that made me rethink it all. A few weeks in Chicago turned my perspective around, and let me tell you, it wasn’t just the deep-dish pizza or the windy streets that did it.

It all started with an unexpected invitation. You know how sometimes, life surprises you with something completely out of the ordinary? Well, that’s exactly what happened when I first told my friend of nearly 20 years, who lives in Chicago by the way, that I was moving in. After all the YAYS and WHOOS, she goes “I HAVE TO TAKE YOU TO A DRAG BRUNCH”.

…A drag brunch? I thought. Those two words were not on my radar as there is no such thing in my home country. Following my puzzling inquiries, she responded: “oh, and did you know that one of the oldest recognized LGBTQ neighborhood in the United States is in Chicago?” And that is when I first learned about the LGBTQ community here. But this was just the beginning of an eye-opening journey that would reintroduce me to the real power of community—and the crucial importance of voting.

By the way, I am a BIG theater and show lover. Not going to the brunch wasn’t a choice. If I think about it now, its strange that I’ve never been to a drag show before. I’ve seen many gender specific shows and plays, women playing men, men playing women, its all around the world. Even Ballet and Opera were once gender specific. But never have I seen a drag show.

So off I went! It was a Sunday, right before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. And the weather? Crazy. Clouds, rain, sun, wind, rinse, repeat. Classic Chicago. But as the showtime got closer, the sun started shining, and right on cue, a CTA train with rainbow streaks ran by.  I couldn’t help but think that Chicago was celebrating my first drag experience! Okay, okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic—but hey, who doesn’t love a good romantic comedy moment?

So there I was, stepping into the Lake View neighborhood for the very first time. home to the legendary North Halsted, Chicago’s LGBTQ wonderland.

Have you guys ever been to North Halsted? it’s like stepping into a rainbow explosion. I swear, there are more rainbows there than in a box of Lucky Charms. Even the crosswalks are decked out in rainbow stripes. But it’s not just for show; this place has layers. They’ve got this street called the “Legacy Walk,” which is basically an outdoor museum giving you the full rundown on LGBTQ+ history. You can practically feel the pride radiating off the pavement. They don’t call themselves the proudest neighborhood for nothing. I mean, some questions did come into mind. Why are most of the people walking the neighborhood, white…? Why do I feel like the shops are more towards gay men than the whole LGBTQ+ community?

But I pushed those questions to the sides of my head and entered the drag brunch restaurant. While I waited for the show to start, I looked around the room. There were a diverse range of crowds, different race, different ethnicity, different gender. Some were here for birthday parties, some were here for their bachelorette party and others seemed like people who just wanted to enjoy.

After 10-15 minutes, the show started and WOW… WHAT A SHOW… I want anyone who hasn’t experienced it to experience it themselves, so I won’t go into details but the gorgeous costumes, the interactions with the crowd, the performance, everything was just wonderful… so energetic and filled with positive vibes. I loved every second of it. In fact it was one of the most exciting shows I’ve ever been to. I really felt the pride and spirit of the drag queens, and it was amazing to actively experience the diversity, including everyone who was there.

But as I let the whole experience marinate in my mind, I couldn’t shake the feeling—why did this drag brunch feel so different from all those other gender-specific shows I’ve seen or heard about around the world?

And then it hit me. One of the queens, in all her fabulousness, had dropped a gem at the end of the show: “Go vote. Go vote, or we might not be able to do this anymore.”

Boom. That’s when it all clicked. This wasn’t just another show; it was a statement, a celebration, and a reminder that some rights are still a battle.

And when I realized that, I felt like the former questions I had in my head were also answered. The drag brunch, the crowds there, the neighborhood, the CTA. The dots of experiences throughout my weeks in Chicago seemed to all connect. The LGBTQ+ community in Chicago isn’t just in the North Halsted or the other “LGBTQ+” neighborhoods. The LGBTQ+ community, their spirit, spreads from these neighborhoods. It wasn’t really a matter of who lives there or what color your skin is, or what gender or what not.

But they still have to fight for it. They still need to be categorized as “LGBTQ+”  and express to the world, whether through certain neighborhoods or drag shows or pride parades, that they are there. And I re-realized from this experience that its probably not just the LGBTQ+ community that has to fight for who they are or what they believe in. Probably everyone has at least one or two things that they want to protect, and voting is a way to make this happen.

I’d like to end this podcast with something that I heard Michelle Obama say in her DNC speech while I was eating dinner with my friend. “Regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what’s in your bank account, we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life.”

Its so bothersome to exercise my rights to vote in Japan while living in Chicago, but I guess its time to slap my butt and get myself voting for what I believe in, what I want the world to be like and I hope you guys will too when you have the chance.

Well, thank you for joining me today and please don’t forget to tune into other episodes of ELI’s Finding Chicago Global Perspectives Podcast Series. Bye.