In February of 2020, Dorothy Downstairs first opened its doors in Chicago. A month later, they were forced to close when the city shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. About 2 years later, they reopened, and they've been a staple of the Chicago queer community ever since! Thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode!This episode features interviews with: Lillian Faderman, Zoe Schor, Whitney LaMora, and Rainn Thomas.Zoe and Whitney are fundraising to open Chicago's only queer-focused wedding & event venue in the space above Dorothy Downstairs! You can support this next endeavor HERE.Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast!-Want to support Cruising and help us keep our content free and accessible? Join our Patreon! -Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review!-For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook-Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover Art is by Finley Martin.-Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Olivia Travel-Discover Olivia at Olivia.com and save $100 on your next trip when you use promo code CRUISINGSupport the show