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

1976

In the bars and clubs this week Pudgy and the Sam Hill Trio perform live every Thursday thru Sunday at the Trip, 27 E. Ohio St.; the Glory Hole, 1343 N. Wells, shows the film "Count Vorga, Vampire"; there's a Zodiac Libra Party at Virgo Out, 2546 N. Clark St.; La Mere Vipere, 2132 N. Halsted, celebrates Noah's Birthday Party with two floors of exotic neon pleasure; the Broadway Limited, 3132 N. Broadway, is bombed; there's a futuristic disco and space odyssey of your own at Saturdays, 661 N. Clark St.; and it's the Grand Opening of Carol in Exile, 3510 N. Broadway.

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Gay Life reports that in the October 7, 1976 issue of Rolling Stone, "rock musician and composer Elton John proclaims that he is bisexual." As he puts it: "There's nothing wrong with going to bed with somebody of your own sex. I think everybody's bisexual to a certain degree. I don't think it's just me. It's not a bad thing to be."

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"Three Dollar Bill," a trilogy of vignettes based on gay experiences, opens at the Puppet Place, 2156 N. Halsted. Proceeds from the opening night performance go to Gay Horizons.

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Gay Bike Ride, a fall foliage tour through Cook County Forest Preserve. Meet with bicycles at Clayton Smith Woods parking lot, Devon and Milwaukee.

1987

Try the gay owned and operated Bazooka Café, 3561 N. Broadway, for Nostalgic Wrigleyville Dining.

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Lava Lava Limbo Productions presents for the benefit of Chicago House "From the Well Known To The Twilight Zone," an evening of diverse entertainment featuring Cheterie Pevo, Ed London, Bridget Murphy and a host of others, at Goodies Mezzanine, 3631 N. Halsted.

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(Image: Coming Out To Your Parents – Outlines August 6, 1987)

The Reflections Theatre stages a special benefit performance of its current production, "Torch Song Trilogy," for Chicago House, an AIDS charity.

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Strike Against AIDS Celebrity Bowl Kick-Off Party for bowlers and their sponsors takes place at Ann Sather restaurant, 929 W. Belmont.

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(Image: Augie's and CK's – Windy City Times June 23, 1988)

The Top Ten Video Playlist according to Chuck Hyde at Sidetrack: 1) "True Faith" – New Order; 2) "It's a Sin" – Pet Shop Boys; 3) "New in the World" – Anita Baker; 4) "Military Drums" – Hubert Kah; 5) "You Got the Look" – Prince; 6) "Heaven is a Place on Earth" – Belinda Carlisle; 7) "Let's Work" – Mick Jagger; 9) "Peace Train" – 10,000 Maniacs; 10) "Silent Mourning" – Noel.

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In Gay Chicago's E.T.C. column compiled by Rick Karlin, it reads: "More than $650 was raised Sunday for Toys For Tots and the Chicago House Christmas Fund at the North End's pot luck dinner. That brings the total so far to $900 ... Dandy's gets quite festive on Friday and Saturday nights when Tony Sime takes to tinkling the ivories while patrons of the bar perform solos and most everybody sings along at some point or other. David Hamilton and Jeff Roberts handle the piano chores on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday."

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Good Shepherd MCC host a workshop by Rev. Sylvia Pennington, who is pastor of the Lambda Christian Fellowship in Hawthorne, Calif. The workshop is based of the fairy story "The Frog Prince." "Frog Kissing Day" is an opportunity for persons who have internalized homophobia to encourage and support one another's gay/lesbian liberation. It takes place at 615 W. Wellington.

1998

The Broadway United Methodist Church reconciling congregation welcomes lesbigaystrans folks and celebrates diversity at 3344 N. Broadway

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(Image: Lesbian and Gay Film Festival – Nightspots October 29, 2003, March 5, 1976)

"It's a She Thang!" with queer comediennes Marga Gomez and Suzanne Westenhoeffer and guest MC Karen Williams, is at the Ivanhoe Theatre, 750 W. Wellington.

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The 1998 Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame Celebrity Auction takes place at Cellblock, 3702 N Halsted.

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The Good Shepherd Metropolitan Community Church Rev. Wayne Bradley leads a "Bible and Homosexuality" seminar at Howard Brown Health Center, 4025 N. Sheridan.

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Homocore hit Hothouse, 31 E. Balbo, presents feminist/queer punk band The Third Sex with Harum Scarum opening.

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6to. El Encuentro: Accion, Orgullo y Poder/ 1998 National Latino/a Lesbian & Gay Organization (LLEGO) Conference takes place at the Ramada Congress Hotel, 520 S. Michigan.

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Advice columnist Dan Savage is at Barbara's Bookstore signing his book "Savage Love."

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Chastity Bono reads from her book "Family Outing" at Women and Children First Bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St.

Homework

What happened to Homocore?

Anybody ever go to La Mere Vipere?

Have you kissed any frogs lately?

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.