Out Chicago (Full Episodes)
WCPT
From Heartland Signal and WCPT AM 820 in Chicago, here are full episodes from "Out Chicago" (Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central). Scott Duff and Ellen Miller invite you to spend Sunday brunch with your gay best friends! Each week on "Out Chicago" they tackle today’s headlines from a queer perspective and focus on the accomplishments of the vibrant LGBTQ community in Chicago and across the globe
Scott Duff is an OUT AND PROUD comic, actor and activist who performs throughout Chicagoland and around the country.
Ellen Miller is an OUT AND PROUD accomplished musician who has had successful careers in the fields of radio advertising, and real estate.
"Out Chicago" is Chicago's only live broadcast for the LGBTQ community!
Location:
United States
Networks:
WCPT
Description:
From Heartland Signal and WCPT AM 820 in Chicago, here are full episodes from "Out Chicago" (Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central). Scott Duff and Ellen Miller invite you to spend Sunday brunch with your gay best friends! Each week on "Out Chicago" they tackle today’s headlines from a queer perspective and focus on the accomplishments of the vibrant LGBTQ community in Chicago and across the globe Scott Duff is an OUT AND PROUD comic, actor and activist who performs throughout Chicagoland and around the country. Ellen Miller is an OUT AND PROUD accomplished musician who has had successful careers in the fields of radio advertising, and real estate. "Out Chicago" is Chicago's only live broadcast for the LGBTQ community!
Language:
English
Episodes
Out Chicago | Feb. 15, 2026
2/16/2026
On this week's show
– Mike Simmons, Illinois state senator (7th District) and candidate for Congress in the 9th District of Illinois
– Alex Lubischer, playwright of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble‘s “Pivot,” playing through March 21
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:34:07
Out Chicago | Feb. 8, 2026
2/9/2026
On this week's show:
– Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, candidate for Congress in the 9th District of Illinois
– Collaboraction Theatre Company Artistic Director Anthony Moseley and Executive Director Darlene Jackson on “Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till,” playing at the Kimball Arts Center through March 1
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:36:40
Out Chicago | January 25th, 2026
1/26/2026
Scott Duff is joined by guest co-host Tania Richard and their guests are
– John Parker and Jim Pounds of KTNF’s “The Gaily Show,” weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Central on WCPT
– Jackson Evans, star of “Little Shop of Horrors,” playing through March 15 at the Marriott Theatre
– August Spree, senior manager of special events at AIDS Foundation Chicago; "World of Chocolate," benefiting AIDS Foundation Chicago, takes place Friday, February 27 at Artifact Events, 4325 N. Ravenswood Avenue in Chicago
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:39:16
Out Chicago January 18th 2025
1/18/2026
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:41:26
Out Chicago, January 4th, 2025
1/5/2026
On this week's show:|
– Marj Halperin, Democratic analyst and political commentator on “The Mincing Rascals” podcast
– Anne Friedman, executive director of Gay For Good, a national organization that mobilizes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and ally volunteers to promote diversity, foster inclusion and strengthen ties to the broader community
– Da-Mekah Victorian of Artemis Singers, Chicago’s Lesbian Feminist Chorus; on January 17 they present “Interwoven: Threads of Earth and Self” at VanderCook College of Music, 3125 S. Federal St. in Chicago
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:36:40
Out Chicago, December 28th, 2025
12/29/2025
On this week's show
– Ken Mejia-Beal of The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and Youth Outlook
– John Parker and Jim Pounds, co-hosts of “The Gaily Show,” which originates from KTNF-Minneapolis and airs weeknights at 10:00 Central on WCPT
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:42:26
Out Chicago, December 21, 2025
12/22/2025
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:00:36:13
Out Chicago, December 14th, 2025
12/15/2025
On this week's show:
– Timothy Jackson, senior director of Policy & Advocacy at AIDS Foundation Chicago
– Jeff Copeland, author of “Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn”
– Carolyn Pinta of Buffalo Grove Pride
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:42:03
Out Chicago, December 7th, 2025
12/8/2025
On this week's show:
– Anthony Rapp, star of “Anthony Rapp: Home for the Holidays,” December 17-20 at The Joan & Paul Theatre in Chicago
– Colin Kelty, co-founder of Stars & Garters retro entertainment venue (3914 N. Clark St. in Chicago)
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:41:23
Out Chicago, Nov. 30, 2025
12/1/2025
On this week's show:
– Singer-songwriter Paul Williams (rebroadcast of a previous “Out Chicago” interview)
– Christopher Pazdernik, Jeff Award-winning director and producer, and managing director of Season of Concern, an organization founded in 1987 to support Chicago theater practitioners afflicted with AIDS and AIDS-related illnesses; today they act as the short-term emergency fund for Chicago’s theater community
– Christine Brandes, soprano-turned-conductor; she is conducting “Falstaff” at Chicago’s Studebaker Theater, December 3-7
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:42:29
Out Chicago Nov. 23 2025
11/23/2025
On this week's show:
– Sher McMaher, executive director of Trans Up Front IL
– Tara Mallen, artistic director of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, on their 30th anniversary season and December 9 benefit screening of “Ghostlight”
– Paul Oakley Stovall of Writers Theatre, which is performing “As You Like It” through December 14
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:43:45
Out Chicago, Nov. 16, 2025
11/17/2025
On this week's show:
– Karen Reitan, president and CEO of the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago
– Lesley Ann Warren, Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, who is hosting “Clue: The Movie 40th Anniversary Screening,” November 16 at Chicago’s Studebaker Theater
– Russell Thomas of Lyric Opera of Chicago; he is currently appearing in “Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci” through November 23
– Jessica Love, director of Red Theater’s world premiere of “The Pilon,” playing through November 23 at The Edge Off Broadway
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:42:04
Out Chicago, October 26th, 2025
10/27/2025
On this week's show:
– John Waters
– Chase Glenn, new executive director of the GenderCool Project
– Tim Rhoze and Bria Walker-Rhoze of “The Baldwin|Giovanni Experience,” which will have its world premier at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in Evanston, November 1-16
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:39:50
Out Chicago, October 19th, 2025
10/19/2025
On this week's show:
– Jess Wilcox, curator of Wrightwood 659’s “Scott Burton: Shape Shift,” a comprehensive look at artist Scott Burton, who blurred the boundaries between art and design, identity and public space
– Marielle Kraft, indie-pop singer-songwriter who performs at Schubas Tavern in Chicago on October 23; her new, debut album is “The Right People Will Love You”
– Jeff Cass, director of BrightSide Theatre Company‘s production of “The Rocky Horror Show,” opening 10/25
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:39:30
Out Chicago, October 12th, 2025
10/13/2025
On this week's show:
– Kathy Tholin, chair of the Indivisible Chicago Alliance
– Miz Cracker, RuPaul’s Drag Race star, who returns to Chicagoland with an all-new Halloween spectacular, Crack-O-Lantern: Things that Scare Me, 10/25
– Eileen Dixon, director/co-adapter of Redtwist Theatre’s “Chicago: Queerly Adapted From The Play You’ve Never Heard Of That Inspired The Musical You Can’t Get Away From,” opening October 19
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:40:27
Out Chicago, October 5, 2025
10/5/2025
On this week's show:
– Madison Alderperson Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, 2026 candidate for Wisconsin Assembly
– Jessica Esquivel, Ph.D., co-founder of Oyanova Enterprises
– Sasha Velour, gender-fluid drag queen and visual artist
– Alison Gash, professor of political science at the University of Oregon, contributor to The Washington Monthly, and co-founder/president of OurSchool, a nurturing and creative anti-racist space for LGBTQ+ young people
– Michael Herrman, chief executive officer of Chicago House
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:37:07
Out Chicago September 28 2025
9/28/2025
On this week's show:
– John Parker and Jim Pounds, co-hosts of "The Gaily Show" on WCPT 820
– JJ Niemann, star of "Catch Me If You Can," playing at the Marriott Theatre through October 19
– Jen Kober, actor and comedian; she plays Zanies Rosemont October 1
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:41:05
Out Chicago September 14 2025
9/14/2025
On this week's show:
– “Gangsta Baby” playwright and actor Camerson Rasdaal-Monro and director Rikki Beadle-Blair. Open Space Arts is presenting the American premiere of the London hit September 19-October 5.
– Jeffrey McHale, director of “It’s Dorothy,” playing Sunday, September 21, as the Documentary Centerpiece of Reeling 2025: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:40:03
Out Chicago September 07 2025
9/8/2025
Scott Duff is joined by guest co-host Ken Mejia-Beal and their guests are:
– Ceramic artists and community organizers Lesley Bevan and Susan McBride; they talk about Pots to the People: Seconds for the First Amendment, happening Saturday, September 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
– Countess Luann de Lesseps, who brings her show "Marry F Kill" to Chicago's Vic Theatre, Saturday, September 13th at 7:30 p.m.
– (Queer) Sacred Space Salon's curator and creator Rob Lindley, with special guests Anthony Hudson and Claire Kaplan of The Mary and Judas Show
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:39:30
Out Chicago August 31 2025
8/31/2025
On this week's show:
– Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Equality Illinois
– Ellen Krug, Trans Activist, Lawyer, Author of "Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change" and "Being Ellen: A Second Chance at Life"
– Hayley Rice, Artistic Director of Babes with Blades and Fighting Words Festival
Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago).
Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Duration:01:42:52