Kelly Soprych, 44, likes riding her hog ... the Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe kind, that is. For her, it's all about the freedom of the open road, the wind in her hair and the calmness that settles in when she's riding a motorcycle far away from the urban thrall.

Great swag to grab from Oak Park shops before you head downtown to the Pride Parade.

Chicago Pride Weekend consists of a two-day festival and our world-famous parade. The two-day festival takes place along Chicago's famed Halsted strip on Saturday, June 22, 2013 and Sunday, June 23, 2013.

Oak Park's Ranger Scouts may not have the same legacy as the Boy Scouts of America, but a handful of parents believe an alternative is better until the 100-year-old group changes its course on discriminating against gay scouts and leaders.

They were the first generation out of the closet, recognizing their sexual orientation when homosexuality was still illegal in many states, when it was still classified as a mental illness by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II).

Posha Carter remembers some of the family stories shared with him by gay teens from Oak Park and surrounding suburbs when he was youth leader with OPALGA, the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association.

The stories of two Oak Park same-sex couples illustrate how far society in general has changed in the last 30 years. When Leah Fowler was a teenager in the early 1990s, she would, from time to time, have crushes on girls she knew, but she resisted the possibility that she might be gay.

Go behind-the-scenes in the basement of Pilgrim Congregational Church to watch how those delicious Oak Park Farmers Market donuts are made each Saturday morning.

Plans for the downtown Oak Park parcel commonly known as the Colt site (the Colt building formerly occupied that site) will move ahead as recommended in April, potentially bringing a mix of retail, luxury apartments and parking from Lake Street to North Boulevard.

Meatless Mondays won't be the law of the land, but there will be an official proclamation from the village of Oak Park encouraging its residents to be more mindful of their meat-eating practices.