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

1978

A weeklong birthday party to celebrate the first anniversary of disco bar Crystal's Blinkers, 3153 N. Broadway, is a benefit for the Gay & Lesbian Coalition of Metropolitan Chicago.

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At the monthly meeting of Mattachine Midwest in Rm. 236, 100 E. Ohio, David Boyer of the Illinois Gay Rights Task Force speaks on "Local and State Gay Rights Legislation."

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The Rogers Park/Edgewater Gay Alliance holds a rummage sale, plant sale, and book sale, at 6958 N. Glenwood.

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Massachusetts Rep. Elaine Noble, who is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator in that state, is the guest of honor at a fundraising picnic in Chicago. The event, being hosted by Grant Ford, director of Citizens Concerned, takes place 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Catherine Chevalier Woods, Shelter 2 and 3.

(Image: InnExile Chicago – Gay Chicago July 27, 2000)

1981

Rev. Karen Ziegler, a noted lesbian-feminist theologian, preaches at Good Shepherd Parish Metropolitan Community Church. Ziegler, pastor of the Manhattan MCC congregation, is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York, and a contributing editor of the Gay Christian, a quarterly journal edited by the Rev. Jay Deacon Good Shepherd's pastor.

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(Image: Kitty Sheon – Gay Chicago June 14, 1984)

The 8th Annual August White Party, hosted by Chuck Renslow, Dom Orejudos, and the managers and staff of Renslow and Associates Ltd., is held at the Pyramid Sports Club.

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The National Alliance of Black Feminists presents "Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do," featuring Sulanya Conway, Rita Warford, and the Gloria Morgan Band, in a tribute to Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. Takes place at the Jazz Medium, 901 N. Rush St.

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Blues singer Vanessa Davis and her band appear at the gay bar On Broadway, 5246 N. Broadway.

2000

Bev Spangler's "Take All of Us With You" is staged at Strawdog Theatre, 3829 N. Broadway.

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"Aimee and Jaguar," the highly acclaimed film retelling of a true story of lesbian love, is showing at the Music Box, 3733 N. Southport.

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Events in the bars and clubs this week include another hilarious British invasion! "Queer As Folk" original British TV series is showing every Wednesday at Roscoe's, 3356 N. Halsted; the Brown Elephant Resale Shop's third location is now open at 3532 W. Irving Park, one block east of Elston; there's now an ATM inside of North End, 3733 N. Halsted; Valerie James is at Girlbar, 2625 N. Halsted; welcome Windy City Rodeo 2000 and bar crawl, get "Fahootched" at Touche, 6412 N. Clark St.; every Sunday hosted by Indigo Blue is a bevy of talent including Amailia Black, Tajhee Iman, Tiara Russell, performing at East of the Ryan, 914 E. 79th St.; Job Christenson with Gino DeLuca are at Gentry, 440 N. State St.; it's the Mr. Circuit contest at Circuit, 361 N. Halsted St.; and "Solo Feats," an evening of comedy, monologue, and music, featuring Alexandra Billings, Steven Rader, Pamela Fox, Sapnakumar, Roxanne Saylor, David Divita, Amy Sulgham, Jessica Halem, RoiAnn and Philips, is at Star Gaze, 5419 N. Clark St.

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The Windy City Gay Rodeo takes place at Sundown Stables, 22230 S. Cottage Grove in Steger, Ill. Proceeds from the event go to AIDSCare, Children's Place, HIV Coalition and Windy City PAWS. Admission is $15 a day. $25 for the weekend.

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The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network present "Our House: A Very Real Documentary About Kids of Gay and Lesbian Parents" at the Conrad Sulzer Library, 4455 N. Lincoln. Topics discussed will be, "What does it mean to grow up with two mothers or two fathers instead of a mother and a father?" and "What happens when your mother or father leaves a heterosexual marriage for a same-sex union?"

Homework

Did you go to any of Renslow's White Parties?

Is Vanessa Davis still playing?

What is Jessica Halem up to these days?

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.