Thu. April 16, 2015
By Sukie de la Croix
Gay life in Chicago this week, back in ...
1982
The Chicago Gay/Lesbian Community Band, under the direction of Les Stahl, presents "Music From the Heart," its first concert in nearly two years at the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave.
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IMAGE: The Baton Show Lounge – Gay Life December 30, 1977
The Lionheart Gay Theatre Co. hold auditions for three new one-act plays that will have a short run near the end of May as a "kick-off" event and benefit for Gay Pride Week '82 and the Pride Week Planning Committee. The auditions are held at the Organic Theatre, 3319 N. Clark St. The plays are: "The Decline of the West" by Nicholas Patricca; "Unlimited Monologue" by Richard Pollack; and "For Him I Sing" by Lawrence Bommer.
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Article in Gay Chicago reads:
"Ah, spring–when everyone's heart turns to (aaaaaarghhhhhhh!) cleaning etc. But now the Howard Brown Memorial Clinic has come up with something to do with all that clutter and junk you've not only accumulated not only during the past winter but during the past few years. The clinic is about to open a resale shop (location not yet determined but it will be someplace in the New Town area) for all the sellable items you want to get rid of, whether clothing, household items, accessories, furniture, etc. Profits from the resale shop will benefit the Howard Brown clinic and the clinic is looking for donations (they're tax deductible) which can be delivered to the clinic, 2676 N. Halsted from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday."
1990
Poet Allen Ginsberg and composer Philip Glass perform at Centre East, 7701 Lincoln Avenue, Skokie. East artist performs solo for 45 minutes, then join for a collaborative piece called "Wichita Vortex Sutra." The event is to benefit Jewel Heart, a Tibetan Buddhist organization.
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IMAGE: Cover – Hot Wire January 1992
"Raisin' the Roof III: Higher and Higher" is Chicago House's third annual evening of "eclectic entertainment" and takes place on Saturday, April 21, at Carol's Speakeasy, 1355 N. Wells St. Popular funny woman, Lori Noelle is the MC with co-host Rick Karlin. The entertainment includes the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus ensemble, "Encore"; the Windy City Gay Chorus' 'Slickers'; the Tracy Vonder Haar School of Dance and the Performing Arts; the Fabulous Delfuccios; and Gay Chicago magazines Bachelors of the Year. Tickets are $10 for the benefit, plus $5 for the dance battle.
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Article in Windy City Times begins:
"Members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power from all over the United States staged a protest in downtown Chicago on Monday, April 23, chanting and performing civil disobedience activities to protest discrimination by insurance companies, as well as inadequate care for women with AIDS and a lack of AIDS patient beds at Cook County Hospital.
"Nearly 700 ACT UP members and local supporters participated in a weekend of activities including a 24-hour vigil in front of the hospital and a conference on AIDS activism for people of color. One hundred and thirty-four demonstrators were arrested at the march, some so forcefully they had to be hospitalized, ACT UP charged."
1996
In the bars and clubs this week, Khris Francis is back at Gentry, 3320 N. Halsted; Queer Bands, Pansy Division and Boy's Entrance perform at the Lounge Ax, 2438 N. Lincoln; tequila and cigar tasting at Cell Block, 3702 N. Halsted; it's ABBA Night at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted; Chicago House hosts a "Meet Your Mate" Singles Party at Roscoe's, 3356 N. Halsted; Icon, 710 N. Clark St., a dance bar and cafe for women, hosts a "Kickoff Party for ICON Softball Team"; there's a Tupperware cocktail party at North End, 3733 N. Halsted; and Temptations, 10235 W. Grand Ave., Franklin Park, TURNS UP THE HEAT! with a special performance by America's Sweethearts (All Girl Revue).
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IMAGE: The Ramrod of Chicago – Gay Life 1975
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund hold a "Fight for Equal Marriage Rights" meeting for activists interested in joining the Illinois Freedom to Marry Coalition to discuss Illinois' anti-gay marriage bill.
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Gerber/Hart Library's Film Series presents "Queer Noir," a program by film historian Richard Dyer at Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph Street. Dyer talks about gays and lesbians in film noir, using film clips for the '40s and '50s. He is featured in the new film "The Celluloid Closet."
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IMAGE: Marianne Faithful at Park West – Nightlines January 29, 1997
The University of Illinois at Chicago's Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Issues, and Office of GLB Concerns, and the University of Chicago's Lesbigay Social Work proudly present Urvashi Vaid discussing "Beyond Virtual Equality: Strategies for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgendered Movement." Takes place at the U. of Illinois at Chicago Rathskellar (basement) at 700 S, Halsted.
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Theater Q "Breaking the Stereotypes: An Evening of Fully Clothed Gay and Lesbian Theatre at Halsted St. Café, 3641 N. Halsted St.
Homework
Are Theater Q still around?
Is Lounge Ax still open?
Whatever happened to Pansy Division?
Gay Chicago Photo Rewind
Season of Concern's Brian Mark Conniver and Michael Brickman from the AIDS Alternative Health Project in Gay Chicago March 28, 1996.
Mayoral candidate Harold Washington admires a portrait of himself in Nightspots April 10, 2002
The guys and gals at Bucks and Cocktail photographed by Kirk Williamson for Nightspots December 15, 2004
Jason Smith photographs Carol Mosely-Braun in the Pride Parade for Windy City Times July 2, 1998
Thanks go to publishers Michael Bergeron for Chicago Gay Crusader, Ralph and Craig Gernhardt for Gay Chicago, Grant Ford and Chuck Renslow for Gay Life, Malone Sizelove for Babble/Gab, David Costanza and others for Chicago Free Press, Jeff McCourt for Windy City Times, Stacy Bridges and Mark Nagel for GRAB, and Tracy Baim for all the publications at the Windy City Media Group, which aided the above research. St. Sukie de la Croix is an internationally published reporter, playwright, photographer and historian. He is also the author of Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago Before Stonewall published by the University of Wisconsin Press.
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