1981

In the bars and clubs this week Bob Farthing is at the piano on Fridays and Saturdays at Dandy's, 2632 N. Halsted; Studio, 3474 N. Clark St., is a new bar for women with "Baby Butch" Bobby at the helm; Big Red's Pie Toss takes place at 642 W. Diversey, to benefit the Frank M. Rodde III Building Fund; Beth Kaplan performs at His ‘n' Hers, 944 W. Addison; Michel Lescher appears at Dancers, 5244 N. Sheridan; BLTD presents a midnight show "Les Femmes Fatales," starring LeNore Allen and featuring three delightful divas, Jaime Rae Margo, ChooChoo La Fainne and special guest Celeste Marie Dressler, costumes by Pearl Harbor. Takes place at Broadway Limited, 3132 N. Broadway.

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(Image:Over 21 Store – Gay Chicago October 4, 1979)

A classified ad in Gay Chicago this week reads:

Good Times
Gay white male, late 20s, Greek/passive and French/active/passive seeks gay, bi, married males, 30-48 who are Greek/active for good times. Please respond with letter and photo to: Occupant, 3710 N. Pine Grove, Box #304, Chicago, IL, 60613.

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In Ron "Polish Princess" Helizon's Ron's Town in Gay Life, he writes: "They'll be singing ‘Happy birthday' butch-style, as one of Chicago's landmarks celebrates its 21st anniversary Sept. 25-27. The Gold Coast is the leather bar. Stop by and wish the staff a happy one. Tasteful champagne will be served at midnight Friday and Saturday.

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"Spin Cycle: A Musical in Two Loads," by Rick Karlin and Frank DePaul, is presented by Slightly Off Broadway Productions in association with the Performance Community at the Theater Building, 1225 W. Belmont.

1987

The Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) holds it's monthly meeting at the Wellington Avenue Church.

(Image: Entertainer Pudgy – Outlines December 3, 1987)

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Governor Thompson signs AIDS bills allowing the Illinois Department of Public Health to require reporting of persons with AIDS and tracing their sex partners, that require persons applying for a marriage license to take an AIDS test, to allow AIDS education in schools as part of general sex education, and requiring the tagging of the bodies of persons who die of AIDS to properly identify them for the protection of embalmers.

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The Chicago Lesbian and Gay Film Festival open a ten-day run with a champagne reception and the screening of two shorts, "Outsiders" and "The Berlin Affair."

(Image: La Cage Aux Folles – Outlines December 3, 1987)

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The Chicago March on Washington Committee kicks off a night of benefit parties with a concert featuring gay duo Romanovsky and Philips with Paula Walowitz as the opening act. Takes place at the Wellington Avenue Church, 615 W. Wellington.

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A variety production, "A Show of Concern," at the Chicago Theater nets over $1 million for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the American Foundation for AIDS Research. The show, sponsored by Marshall Field's, includes performances by Angela Lansbury, Leslie Uggams, and Oprah Winfrey. The Artemis Singers, the
Chicago Gay and Lesbian Chorus, The Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, and the Windy City Gay Chorus also appeared. Also attending were Mayor Harold Washington and Sen. Paul Simon.

1998

In this week's Outlines Lawrence Ferber interviews filmmaker John Waters and Lorraine J. Affourtit talks to author Sarah Schulman.

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Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, 224 panels, is on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.

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Organized by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Veterans of America, openly gay Washington state Congressional candidate, Col. Magarethe Cammermeyer, speaks at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted.

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Imani Umoja, a discussion group for gay/bi brothers of color, meets at Sinai Family Health Centers, Grand Blvd. Plaza, 5401 S. Wentworth.

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LifeSing presents the "2nd Annual In Harmony," an evening of Broadway and Opera, to benefit Howard Brown Health Center in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Performing are Kathy Taylor, Tracy Welborn, David Girolmo, and the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus.

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(Image: Nightspots Cover September 3, 2003, March 5, 1976)

The Windy City Gay Naturist Group celebrate the autumnal Equinox at Camp Ronora in southwest Michigan.

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John Waters' new movie "Pecker" is showing at various theaters around Chicago.

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Michael Feinstein sings George Gershwin at the Chicago Theatre backed by a 28-piece orchestra.

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The Village People and KC & the Sunshine Band are at the Rosemont.

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:

What happened to Pudgy?

Does the Windy City Gay Naturist Group still exist?

Who remembers Dandy's?