ABBA and Accessibility: Disco Night with a cause coming to Chicago Athletic Association
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In the true nature of disco, a handful of Chicago organizations are coming together to dance and focus on creating accessibility for all people.
On Saturday, July 8, the local artist collective Hooligan Mag, is hosting an "ABBA Disco For Abortion Care" night at the Chicago Athletic Association.
"Normalizing the alternative" is the mission of Hooligan Mag and what they have been doing for nearly a decade. With over 30 issues, the project has actively highlighted the intersection of art and community care in Chicago. What first started as a webzine by Rivka Yeker and Morgan Martinez, who were teens then, has now flourished into a "URL" and "IRL" space that hosts live events and performances.
The disco night is part of their year-long residency with the Chicago Athletic Association. Hooligan is partnering with artist Liza Anne, who first had the idea for the disco, alongside a couple of other community organizations.
"With Hooligan it's always been about the cause. It's always been about carving space. It's also always been about mutual aid," said Yeker, co-founder and managing editor.
A non-alcoholic pop-up bar will be provided by Solar Intentions, a new sober bar coming to Chicago in 2024. Solar Intentions is the brainchild of Martinez, the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Hooligan Mag. The menu features limited addition alcohol-free cocktails, as well as wine, beers, and seltzers. All of the drinks are donated by companies with "necessary missions for the sober, curious, and serious," said Martinez, and will each be available for a $5 to $7 donation.
The Chicago Athletic Association bar will also be open and sell alcoholic drinks.
In their commitment to prioritizing accessibility, Hooligan is partnering with Clean Air Club, to provide three HEPA air purifiers for the event space. The Chicago Athletic Association is wheelchair accessible, with a front entrance ramp and an elevator in the main lobby. Although masks are not required, Hooligan is providing free KN95 masks at the door.
All donations will go towards "Big Bend Coalition," an advocacy group that provides educational materials and resources on reproductive healthcare to those in need in Texas. Anne travels around the country to raise money for organizations in states with partial or full bans on abortions.
In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision Roe v. Wade, ending the federal right to an abortion. Since then, 24 states either have passed either a partial or full ban on abortions, according to Guttmacher Institute.
In 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law making reproductive healthcare a human right. This year, the governor signed a sweeping reproductive rights protection law that shields out-of-state reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare patients and providers from legal action.
Doors open at 7 p.m. at Stagg Court on the fourth floor of The Chicago Athletic Association. To find more information about the event, head over to the Eventbrite page.
