Gay life in Chicago this week, back in...

1984

Top Fifteen Playlist courtesy of Otis Clay of Cheeks, 2730 N. Clark St.: 1) "Jump" – Pointer Sisters; 2) "Color My Love" – Fun Fun; 3) "They Only Come Out At Night" – Peter Brown; 4) "Give Me Tonight" – Shannon; 5) "I Want It to Be Real" – John Rocco; 6) "All Night Passion" – Alisha; 7) Let's Hear It for the Boy" – Deniece Williams; 8) Do It in a Haunted House" – Yvonne Gage; 9) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper; 10) "Go Go Gorilla" – Gazuzu; 11) "Dancing in the Streets" – Shalamar; 12) "Watch Out" – Doctor's Cat; 13) "Street Dance" –Break Machine; 14) "Black Station/White Station" – M&M; 15) "Funk You Up" ­ Jesse Saunders.

Ad in Gay Chicago reads: "Male Hide Leathers, Inc. Visit us at our new location at 2816 N. Lincoln."

"Rear Entrances," a photo-show by Bill Manley is at Bushes, 3320 N. Halsted.

"They All Came to Paris: Lesbians in Paris 1880-1930," a slide show presented by Marie Kuda is at the Jane Addams Bookstore, 410 S. Michigan Ave., 2nd floor.

"With Harmony/With Pride" is a choral concert by the Artemis Singers performed at 615 W. Wellington.

(Image:Nightlines – May 9, 1990)

Citizens for Committeeman Jerome M. Orbach present A GALA VARIETY SHOWCASE benefit for Alderman Jerome M. Orbach, 46th Ward, at Park West, 322 W. Armitage. Entertainment includes: Solome and Zito, Nan Mason, Laura, Joseph Holmes Dancers, Chili Pepper, Rocky Rockhold, Night Magic, and the Baton Revue.

The Mr. Windy City Contest and Gay Chicago Awards take place at Park West, 322 W. Armitage.

The Chicago Area Republican Gay Organization (CARGO) holds their monthly meeting at 1660 N. LaSalle. On the agenda is a candidate questionnaire, a report on CARGO's meeting with Cook County Republican Chairman Robert Barr, and a report from CARGO's delegates to the Illinois Republican State Convention held in Springfield May 24-26.

Patti LaBelle brings her rocking one-woman show to the Arie Crown Theater in McCormick Place.

1992

The Lesbian Community Cancer Project (LCCP) celebrates Pride Month by offering an ongoing massage clinic at Thousand Waves, 1212 W. Belmont, for women living with breast cancer or lymphedema. In addition to holding these clinics, LCCP joins forces with the Chicago Women's Health Center, 3435 N. Sheffield, to offer a free clinic night for lesbians the third Monday of every month beginning June 15.

(Image: Windy City Gay Chorus – June 8, 1989)

Top Five Mystery novels at People Like Us Bookstore, 3321 N. Clark St.: 1) "The Only Good Priest" – Mark Zubro; 2) "A Body to Dye For" – Grant Michaels; 3) "Howtown" – Michael Nava; 4) "The Boy Who Was Buried This Morning" – Joseph Hansen; 5) "Houston Town" – Deborah Powell.

Author Essex Hemphill reads and discusses his books at the Bop Shop, 1807 W. Division, to benefit Chicago's Black gay and lesbian arts magazine, Thing.

"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," a concert with Chicago Gay Men's Chorus and the Windy City Gay Chorus, takes place at the Medinah Temple, 600 N. Wabash.

Meet Advocate cartoonist Donelan at People Like Us Bookstore, 3321 N. Clark St.

The Indigo Girls, the Atlanta-based musical duo, hit the stage at the Chicago Theatre.

2000

In the bars and clubs, Chicago's Mommie Diva Nan Mason is at Gentry, 440 N. State St.; Robert Whorton entertains the crowd at cabaret bar Davenports, 1383 N. Milwaukee; Buddies at 3301 N. Clark St., goes country music with singer Valerie James; the male dancers of Southern Comfort strip down and dance on the pole at Madrigals, 5316 N. Clark St.; the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce celebrates "It's a Pride Thing IV" at Circuit, 3641 N. Halsted; Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago holds a Proud To Run registration party at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted; there's a CD release party for "Pride Vol. 3" at Hunters, 1932 E. Higgins, Elk Grove Village; and "Absolute Divas … Midnight … in the Garden" is the big show at the Nutbush, 7301 Franklin Ave. Forest Park. Stars include Fuscia LaMae Molgrove, Angelique Munro, Shana Roberts, Sassy Trade, and with a special appearance by Lesbigayradio's Honey West.

This week in the Mature Adults Seminar Series at Horizons Community Services, 961 W. Montana St., is "Lesbians and Gay Men Before Stonewall" presented by Sukie de la Croix.

(Image: The Feast of Fools – Windy City Times May 30, 2001)

The third annual Conference on Health Issues for Youth at Risk is at DePaul University's Egan Urban Center; organized by the Night Ministry, Chicago Health Outreach, Teen Living Program and the Youth Network Council. The keynote speaker is Verna Eggleston, executive director of the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

Thanks go to publishers Michael Bergeron for Chicago Gay Crusader, Ralph Gernhardt for Gay Chicago, Grant Ford and Chuck Renslow for Gay Life 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 the book Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago Before Stonewall published by the University of Wisconsin Press.

Homework

Is photographer Bill Manley still around?

Is Sassy Trade still performing?

Who misses Madrigals? I do.