Top Trending Stories: May 27 - June 2, 2012

There's a buzz on Boystown's North Halsted Street and it's emanating all the way from one of West Hollywood's most iconic gay nightspots.

Woody Woodruff, Mr. Michigan Leather 2012, was named International Mr. Leather at the 34th annual IML Competition Sunday night in Chicago.

Gay Chicago TV (GCTV) Saturday announced the addition of Waymon Hudson as the host of Critical Thinking, a roundtable discussion of contemporary and relevant political and social events featuring guests from varied backgrounds and perspectives.

The irony was not lost on Chicagoan Claudia Mercado. Mercado had just finished the long steps needed to finalize the adoption of her son Indigo, who she was raising with her partner, Anjelica Lopez. The day that the adoption was finalized, Mercado went to pick up a copy of Indigo's revised birth certificate. But she was not allowed to even stand in line for the document since she was not Indigo's birth parent.

Gay students at America's military service academies ending the first year without "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" have described a smooth transition.

Jim Darby, of the Chicago chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights, spoke at a Memorial Day ceremony honoring LGBT veterans at Space Park, 815 W. Roscoe, Monday, May 28.

Blair Mishleau is taking an after-college adventure, but not one of the backpacking-through-Europe variety.

Zach Wahls on Wednesday delivered more than 275,000 signatures to the Boy Scouts of America calling on the group to reinstate Jennifer Tyrrell, the Ohio mom who in April was ousted as den leader of her son's Boy Scout troop because she is a lesbian.

Former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi appeared in court on Wednesday morning to begin his 30 day sentence in the bullying death of his gay roommate, Tyler Clementi.

After ten nights of auditions held at various LGBT bars and clubs across the city, Windy City Gay Idol has narrowed down this year's search for the best amateur LGBT singer in Chicago.