You probably know more about the academic side of USC for queer theory than I do, but I'm going into queer theory and digital technology this year (at Temple, hopefully) and I'm from the LA area. LA has an incredible queer scene and history, so you may want to consider the kind of community you'll be around and your options for first hand research or experiences. I don't know about UIUC, but I know that LA has so many opportunities in that area. Also, I've heard that UCLA has a pretty good queer theory program so that also might be a point of consideration. If you don't already know this, USC is sort of in a seedy area so you may need to plan to commute or at least go in with the knowledge that you may not be able to live in the best of areas.