the inaugural queering the burbs fall guide.
Your passport to queer entertainment and local LGBTQ+ events this scary season.
Queering the Burbs is a regularly-published distillation of pop culture, politics and queerness written by Joe Erbentraut. If you like what you see, please consider subscribing (it’s free!), liking or sharing this piece.
When I was a queer tweenager, I was obsessed with magazines. I subscribed to a bunch of them reflecting my varied interests and devoured them as soon as they arrived in my mailbox: Cat Fancy, every figure skating magazine that existed (all two of them), the short-lived Teen People, and perhaps most importantly, Entertainment Weekly. In this pre-internet world, these magazines were my connection to what was happening outside of my small Wisconsin town and I not so secretly dreamed of having my own magazine one day. I guess I sort of do now.
My favorite issue of EW (which, of course, no longer exists as a print entity) was always the massive fall preview edition, which I would pore over repeatedly and circle which TV shows, movies, and music I was most looking forward to that year. It’s one of those core cozy autumnal memories I hold very dear.
So, because I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately, and I’m also making it a goal to share more regular, shorter updates in this space, I wanted to share some picks for the most exciting queer and queer-adjacent movies, music, and series coming out in the weeks ahead, along with a mini-calendar of queer happenings in the western suburbs. Read on for the official Queering the Burbs fall 2023 preview edition.
MOVIES
Down Low (October 10, VOD): This is the sort of queer movie that queer people actually want to see, Hollywood. This horror comedy film about a queer mid-life crisis with a body count stars Zachary Quinto and Lukas Gage and also features Audra McDonald and Judith Light. What more do you need to know?
Dear David (October 13, In Theaters/VOD): Because queer movies always come in twos for some reason, the second major-ish queer horror film dropping in October stars Augustus Prew in an adaptation of a wildly haunted Twitter thread from gay former BuzzFeed staffer Adam Ellis.
Dicks: The Musical (October 20, In Theaters): The A24 musical-comedy from Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson is aggressively queer and has a fever dream of a stacked cast including Nathan Lane, Megan Thee Stallion, Megan Mullally, and Bowen Yang, just to name a few. It’s already out in limited release but is going wide soon.
The Killer (October 27, Netflix): David Fincher’s new neo-noir action thriller spent a bunch of time filming in St. Charles and stars Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton. To be honest, I don’t know about the premise here but I’ll give anything with Tilda a try.
Quiz Lady (November 3, Hulu): Sandra Oh and Awkwafina share top billing on this Jessica Yu-directed comedy which also features Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, and Tony Hale. Based on the trailer and the fact that this drops on my birthday, it’s highly possible this movie is about to become my whole personality.
Priscilla (November 3, In Theaters): Listen, I’m a sucker for a Sofia Coppola film because some nepo babies are actually pretty good at what they do? And Priscilla Presley is overdue for the Hollywood biopic treatment. Finally, I also have a slight problematic crush on himbo star Jacob Elordi. I’ll be seated, as the kids say.
SERIES
American Horror Story: Delicate (September 20, FX): I’m a longtime AHS devotee, even if the Ryan Murphy series will never come even close to its Asylum or Coven heights. The latest offering borrows considerably from Rosemary’s Baby (I’ll never complain!) and relies heavily on stunt casting (no thank you!), so I have mixed feelings, but I’ll be letting these episodes stack up and binge them at some point pre-Halloween.
Chucky: Season 3 (October 3, SYFY/USA): The television remake of the seemingly unkillable Child’s Play franchise is surprisingly fresh and very, very queer. To be honest, I never finished the second season of this reboot, but I’m firmly on board as long as Jennifer Tilly is involved.
Goosebumps (October 13, Disney+): While this one is not explicitly queer, I feel like the Goosebumps IP can get grandfathered in here. If you’re a millennial of a certain age, I’m guessing you dabbled in some R.L. Stine, and the show’s original format is finally getting refreshed with a cast led by Justin Long.
John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams (October 13, Peacock): Obviously I’m a sucker for all things John Carpenter, and the suburbs can indeed be a pretty terrifying place from time to time. There haven’t been many details released about this six-episode anthology series yet but the premise has me hooked.
Living for the Dead (October 18, Hulu): Were you already aware that Kristen Stewart is heading up a queer ghost-hunting show this Halloween season? Well, now you do. In what feels like a spiritual successor to both Kesha’s ghost show and Demi Lovato’s alien show, we’ve got a group of experts here joining Stewart to explore the great beyond—through a gay lens, of course.
American Horror Stories: Season 3 (October 26, Hulu): My many complaints with how Ryan Murphy has treated his main horror series aside, I’ve quite enjoyed his anthology series approach to the macabre in its first two seasons. No casting or other details for this installment have been announced yet, but past casts have brought a great deal of star power to the franchise.
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Season 5 (October 31, Shudder/AMC+): Horror’s answer to RuPaul’s Drag Race (with a heavy dose of Survivor) is back for a new season premiering on Halloween.
Real Housewives of Miami: Season 6 (November 1, Bravo): In my opinion, this is one of the best currently-active Real Housewives franchises and it even boasts the record of featuring the first lesbian couple in Housewives history (Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova) among its cast. This franchise even featured a letter “written” by a cast member’s liver once. It’s iconic, I tell you.
MUSIC
Of course there is a ton of incredible music from queer and ally artists dropping in the coming weeks, so I’ve listed a few recent and upcoming albums here and also put together a mini-Spotify mix highlighting these artists as well.
Of particular note here: the iconic Sufjan Stevens announced last week that he was dedicating his latest album, Javelin, to the memory of his partner Evans Richardson, who passed away in April. It is a devastating, but absolutely gorgeous listen.
Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (September 22)
Hannah Diamond - Perfect Picture (October 6)
Dorian Electra - Fanfare (October 6)
Omar Apollo - Live for Me (October 6)
Sufjan Stevens - Javelin (October 6)
Jamila Woods - The Water Made Us (October 13)
Troye Sivan - Something to Give Each Other (October 13)
COBRAH - Succubus (October 13)
The Drums - Jonny (October 13)
VV Brown - Am I British Yet? (October 27)
Sofia Kourtesis - Madres (October 27)
Dolly Parton - Rockstar (November 17)
EVENTS
There’s a whole bunch of cool queer shit happening in the coming weeks, you just have to know where to look! Even if they’re not listed here, be sure to support your favorite local queer and ally-owned businesses this fall.
I’m also positive I missed something here, so if you have an LGBTQ+ event going on in the western suburbs that I missed and you want to see it here, just give me a shout.
Belong: Fox Valley’s National Coming Out Day all-ages event (October 11 @ Art History Brewing, Geneva): Crafts, food trucks, games, free snacks, an open mic, and (of course) plenty of great beer and friendly queers and allies.
ArtBar Batavia’s Friday the 13th Show (October 13 @ Sidecar Supper Club, Batavia): How fitting that ArtBar’s Halloween edition is landing on the most ominous of dates? This event will feature locally-made art of the spooky variety, plus great food and drinks from Sidecar.
360 Youth Services’ Dinner on the River Gala (October 13 @ Elements at Water Street, Naperville): 360’s gala supports the organization’s mental health and prevention services for youth and families, and it will include silent auctions, entertainment, raffles, and more.
Belong: Fox Valley’s Pride Play Group (October 15 @ Kehoe Park, St. Charles): Families with LGBTQIA+ family members of any age are invited to participate, as are ally families. Halloween costumes are encouraged.
Youth Outlook’s Dare to Dream Celebration Gala (October 21 @ Itasca Country Club, Itasca): This event features dinner, drinks, dancing, and a silent auction and it all supports Youth Outlook’s work in support of LGBTQ+ youth.
Divas of The Hive’s Halloween Drag Brunch (October 22 @ The Hive Tavern & Eatery, St. Charles): Sandy Vicious hosts this 18+ drag brunch which will also feature a costume contest with prizes.
Annie Hex’s Queer Halloween Prom (October 27, Batavia): This event is sold out for this year, but keep an eye out for the next one!
Hoof and Horn’s special events (all fall long, Aurora): Aurora’s very own queer-owned witch shop has a packed itinerary of events for this fall, including a downtown Aurora ghost tour and runes workshops.