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

1978

There's a Gay and Lesbian Pride benefit at the Cuban Village restaurant, 750 W. Cornelia, where $1 from each meal goes to the Pride Committee.

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On the front page of this week's Gay Life: "Century Crackdown."

"Gay Life has learned that the Chicago Police Department's 19th District has received a number of complaints from store owners and customers at the Century shopping mall concerning homosexual activity in the restrooms there. It is anticipated that the police will crack down on such activity in the near future, perhaps even resorting to entrapment techniques.

"Persons who frequent the Century should be aware of the possible danger and should be reminded that sexual activity in public is illegal."

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Paula Wolowitz entertains at the womyn-only Mountain Moving Coffeehouse, 1655 W. School.

(Image: Lingerie Obsession – Gay Chicago February 6, 1992)

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A community meeting for all lesbians to form a new lesbian center is held at Center Stage, 3730 N. Clark St. It's sponsored by the Ad-hoc Committee for a Lesbian Center.

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Joe Murray, Chair, writes to Gay Life: "The Committee of Gay Rights and the 43rd Ward/13th District Gay Caucus wish to publicly thank the following bars for their financial support of the Decatur, Ill., demonstration against Anita Bryant: Blinker's, the Closet, Bea's Liquors, the Butterfly, the Bushes, Little Jim's, O'Bannions, Marilyn's, Jocks, and Broadway Kunfusion. We ask the community to support these bars because of their community involvement."

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Theatrical HiLites include Lanford Wilson's "Lemon Sky," produced by Judith Rieser and Arthur Johnston (Yes, THAT Art Johnston) at the Leo A. Lerner Theater, 4520 N. Beacon; N. Richard Nash's "The Rainmaker" by Travel Light Theatre at the Theatre Building, 1225 W. Belmont; and Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty" at the St. Nicholas Theatre, 2851 N. Halsted.

1984

In the bars and clubs, come to the Grand Opening celebration of the new Walton St. Water Works cocktail lounge, 933 N. State St.; Mike Macharello is the DJ at the Music Factory, 1655 W. Fullerton; Bus Stop, 520 N. Clark St. celebrates its 2nd anniversary; an Aries birthday party at Opal Station, 6655 N. Clark St.; there's a male dance contest at the Normandy, 3400 N. Clark St., MC'd by Tina Ray; Karen March, song stylist, is at Gentry, 712 N. Rush St, throughout April; there's a free afternoon buffet on Saturdays and Sundays at Inn Exile, 6301 S. Harlem; Volley Ball benefit at Christopher St., 3458 N. Halsted. See videos of the bar's Volleyboys in action; The Trianon, 3150 N. Halsted, presents the Academy Awards Party. "Join us for the live telecast of the Oscars on our Sony wide-screen system"; Bucks, 3439 N. Halsted, celebrates their first anniversary; and for $5 you can be in a bizarre movie being made at Exit Chicago, 1653 N. Wells.

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The gay Lionheart Theater presents "Bones" at the Organic Theater Cabaret, 3319 N. Clark St.

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Top 10 courtesy of Danny Goss of Music Hall/Man's Country: 1) "Just Another Broken Heart" – Dorothy Moore; 2) "Desire" – Paul Parker; 3) "Countdown" – Lofi and the Love Tones; 4) "For All We Know" – Norma Lewis; 5) "Ready For Love" – Vera; 6) "No More Words" – Berlin; 7) "Do You Wanna Dance" – Toni Basil; 8) They Only Come Out At Night" – Peter Brown; 9)"Polaris" – Cyber People; 10) "Tell Me" – Geraldine Gordeau.

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(Image: Dance Lessons – Gay Chicago February 6, 1992)

On the front page of Gay Life this week: "Colt Thomas, International Mr. Leather 1983, invites one and all to enjoy this year's International Mr. Leather contest, set for May 27 at the Park West nightclub in Chicago. Weekend packages ($50) include a reserved seat at the contest and show, bar parties at the Gold Coast and other area leather bars, admission to the annual Black and Blue Ball at Man's Country, discounts at Chicago's leading leather shops, bars, and businesses, and much more."

1995

On the front page of the April issue of Outlines: "Films Opening This Month: ‘Priest' offers a powerful look inside the heart and soul of a gay priest. ‘Bar Girls' takes a light-hearted look at lesbian bar culture."

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(Image: Obsessions – Gay Chicago January 12, 1995)

From Quotelines in Outlines: "You don't realize how powerful secrets can be. I dreaded speaking engagements. I had to always watch what I said. I couldn't tell the whole story. ... When you live with a secret, you worry all the time. You worry that the maid will find your medication or a houseguest will look in the medicine cabinet. You think about a thousand things. It's an awful lot to carry around." – Olympic diver Greg Louganis talking about being HIV-positive.

And:

"Lesbianism has very little to do with sex but a lot to do with hummus. We're in a community that's constantly saying sex isn't what this is about, there's more to it than sex. I think lesbians need to remember that sex is what it's about." – Comic Lea Delaria.

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Major Melissa Wells-Petry of the U.S. Army Legal Corps., speaks at the Moody Business Network luncheon in the Wedgewood Room on the 7th floor of Marshall Fields State Street store. She is a veteran of Desert Storm and author of "Exclusion: Homosexuals and the Right to Serve."

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African-American gay author E. Lynn Harris, signs his books "Invisible Life" and "Just As I Am" at People Like Us Bookstore, 3321 N. Clark St.

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Name these Queers at the Annex III

These guys were in Gay Chicago in 1978.

Spike King photographed these guys and gals back in 1989. But where are they now? Rob Tomlinson, T. Slavik, Rick Schmidt, Mark Groth, Dennis Petkoff, and V. Slavik

The Dyke March 2002. This may have been published in Nightspots.

Homework

Art Johnson at Sidetrack produced a play?

What happened to the Lionheart Theater?

Paula Wolowitz, where are you?

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 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.