Best Day Ever with Sidetrack owners Art Johnston and Pepe "Pep" Peña

Zoom in: Illinois and Chicago specifically have been havens for LGBTQ+ people, thanks in part to the work of activists and Sidetrack owners Art Johnston and Pepe "Pep" Peña.

• The two Chicago icons are featured in the new documentary "Art & Pep," currently streaming on Peacock.
• The film follows the longtime couple (40 years together) and charts the history of the Northalsted neighborhood.

What they're saying: "For us, and for our community, looking back can be a mix of joy and pain," Peña told Axios after viewing the documentary. "It's surreal to see our friends so young, but then we realize how many didn't make it" through the AIDS epidemic.

• "We learned some hard lessons back in those days. We had to learn how to fight for ourselves, because no one gave a good goddamn about queer people," Johnston said.

Context: The documentary focuses on the couple's long activism in the community, but also gets very intimate and personal as cameras follow their every move, even watching them brush their teeth in the morning.

• "While I'm a loudmouth in the community and Pep is well-known at the bar, we've kept our personal life private," Johnston said.
• "That was always the one space that was just for us."

Yes, but: Johnston and Peña say the film was worth losing some privacy, just to help inspire the next generation of activists.

• "There's an enormous sense of pride seeing people live openly and watch the movement take on new life under a new generation of leaders," Johnston said. "Watching Black and Trans Lives Matter protests on Halsted Street helps me go to bed at night knowing that our community is in good hands."

Since the pair are used to sharing their lives, we asked them to share their perfect day in Chicago.

🍳 Breakfast: "The best breakfasts in Chicago are Pep's omelets. He first made them for me 50 years ago in my little student apartment in Evanston. Each bite just brings me back to those days." — Art

🏞 Morning activity: "My ideal morning is quiet! Lincoln Park is always a special place. It's where Art and I had our first date more than 50 years ago." — Pep

🍤 Lunch: "Lunch at The Dearborn to meet one of our business partners, cannabis social equity advocate Edie Moore. We're opening a new adult-use marijuana dispensary, Sway, together. I always love hearing about the horse trading going on in Springfield! It's all even better over my go-to order of shrimp and grits." — Art

🎥 Afternoon activity: "My happiest afternoons are in one of my favorite places on earth — the video editing booth at Sidetrack! I love learning what young people are into these days and mixing it up with older clips. I can't tell you the number of times a 20-something didn't know who Judy Garland was! I feel like it's my duty to help make those things relevant to the next generation." — Pep

🍣 Dinner: "We love getting out to Sai Café or on the patio at La Creperie, where we've been dining together since 1973." — Pep

🎤 Evening activity: "An Outspoken event with LGBTQ+ storytellers followed by a big political fundraiser at Sidetrack. For 40+ years, we’ve always found a way to mix a good time with political advocacy. I remember when politicians wouldn't be caught dead in a gay bar. Now we have to schedule them months in advance." — Art

• "I've been playing show tunes since 1983, and it's always my favorite night in the bar. On special occasions, I get to welcome special guests to the mic to lead singalongs — from Bea Arthur in the '90s to a Chicago mayor singing 'Okla-homo!'" — Pep