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'Chicago Fire' Star's LGBT Pop-Up Party Opens to Public for Valentine's Day

By Alex Nitkin | February 12, 2016 5:40pm | Updated on February 13, 2016 5:52pm
 DJ BK Web performs at a previous Clandestina event (l.); a poster for Sunday's event.
DJ BK Web performs at a previous Clandestina event (l.); a poster for Sunday's event.
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HYDE PARK — Since the first "Clandestina" pop-up party raged last November, guests have needed a personal invitation and a password to get in. But for the first time on Sunday, "Chicago Fire" star Monica Raymund will open her event to the public.

The monthly traveling party has mostly catered to LGBT women, but on Sunday night at 8 p.m., "allies and friends" are also encouraged to buy tickets and enjoy a night of cocktails and dancing at The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave.

Themed "A 90s Love Affair," the Valentine's Day party will feature a steady barrage of golden-age hip-hop and specialty drinks with names like "Push it Penicillin," as well as hors d'oeuvres and finger foods.  

Raymund, who plays paramedic Gabriela Dawson on the hit NBC drama, said she helped launch the monthly traveling party last fall after concluding there's "very little scene here for queer women."

"I just didn't see much of a community for that demographic," said Raymund, who came out as bisexual in 2014. "I started to go out after I moved here, and I just didn't know where to go."

Raymund said her goal was to strike a balance between the exclusivity of a space where LGBT women could feel safe, and the inclusively of an event that didn't make anyone feel left out.

"What separates Clandestina from the more common lesbian going-out is it's a really diverse crowd — it spans the entire age range, from young professionals to mothers and grandmothers," Raymund said. "It's important to have a space where all women can feel safe to express themselves, and that's what we're trying to create."

This month's version of Clandestina — from the Spanish term for "speakeasy" — was opened to the public so it could raise money for a local charity, Raymund said. All proceeds from tickets will be donated to Project Fierce, a Chicago-based group that provides housing and counseling for homeless LGBT youth.

"It's such an incredible cause for me and for all of us, which is why we wanted to bring the party to the South Side, where Project Fierce is based," Raymund said. "People want to help, and we're providing a platform where you can party and be part of progress at the same time."

Tickets cost $20 each and are available for purchase on The Promontory's website.

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