Older LGBTQ+ folks welcome at Wednesday gathering
EAST DUNDEE — LGBTQ+ people age 50 and over can network and find community at the Prime Network Happy Hour Wednesday,hosted by the nonprofit Elgin Pride. Happening from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Eastside Cafe in East Dundee, this gathering is hosted by Elgin Pride every third Wednesday. Older LGBTQ+ people are more likely to report social isolation and movement-limiting disabiliities than non-LGBTQ+ people, and less likely than non-LGBTQ+ people to believe they’ll find support as they age, reports the University of Michigan in a recent study. You can seek more information about the gathering and Elgin Pride at hello@elginpride.org. Eastside Cafe is at 315 Barrington Ave.Â
NAACP hosts all-star 'We The People' convention
CHICAGO — With gerrymandering, anti-DEI efforts, and voter suppression looming nationwide, the country’s first-ever civil rights group holds its annual convention this weekend and next week with a focus on constitutional rights. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) gathers Saturday through Wednesday for “We The People,” its 117th annual convention, featuring national names, speakers, networking, education sessions and more. Among the speakers to be featured: actors Morris Chestnut and Mario Van Peebles, sports journalist Jemele Hill, television personality Nina Parker, NASA scientist Kiarre Dumes, former “Queer Eye” star Karamo Brown, rapper Da Brat, and actor Billy Porter. A film shorts competition will also take place during the convention. Daily admission to the event is $100; register here. The convention takes place at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Challenge your perceptions at 'Theater of the Mind'
CHICAGO — A groundbreaking sensory experience co-created by musician David Byrne of “Talking Heads” fame will continue through September in Chicago, with showings resuming Wednesday.  Theater of the Mind walks audiences of no more than 16 through a 75-minute immersive experience of rooms and technological experiments designed to challenge our understanding of perception. The production is based on brain research and co-created by philanthropist Mala Goankar. Theater of the Mind’s run has already been extended twice and continues through Sept. 13. Tickets are $49.50 to $80 and can be found here. See the performances at the Reid Murdoch Building, 333 N. LaSalle St.Â
