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

1987

An item in Gay Chicago reads: "‘Rapture.' The prom night dance at the Metropolitan Community Church, recreates the fantasy of a high school prom with one big difference. At this prom, not only is it ok to be openly gay, it is encouraged. So camp it up and have a great time, you may be elected king, or queen, regardless of gender. Dates not necessary, thank God! Arrive around eight and be fashionably late, for the festivities start at 7.23 at 615 W. Wellington. Tickets are $5 a person. I just hope we can recreate the smell of a high school gymnasium."

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(Image: North End – Gay Chicago February 1, 1996)

Party with the men of International Mr. Leather at the Black and Blue Ball at the Riviera Night Club, Broadway and Lawrence.

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The Metropolitan Business Association, an association of gay-owned and operated businesses, holds its annual meeting at Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont.

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Headlines on the cover of this week's Windy City Times reads: "AIDS bills pass in Springfield: Mandatory testing, contact tracing included"; "Peggy Baker chosen as coordinator for COGLI"; and "Memorial Day AIDS Vigil."

1991

"Querencia," which mean "a most loved place where one returns to heal the spirit," is the title of a spirituality workshop for lesbians and gay men at Howard Brown Memorial Clinic, 945 W. George.

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Author Dennis Cooper signs copies of his latest novel "Frisk" at People Like Us Books, 3321 N. Clark St.

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Windy City Times reports: "The Illinois legislature last week shot down gay rights bills by decisive margins, but proponents already have begun to mount a massive grass-roots effort to pass the bills next year.

"Although the defeat was by large margins–the House vote on May 23 was 67-40 and the Senate vote on May 24 was 32-21–activists noted the big improvement over 1989's 77-26 House defeat. This was the first time a lesbian and gay bill had reached the Senate floor."

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The second phase of Bailiwick Repertory's 1991 Pride Performance swings into gear with Beth Tanner's "The Adored and the Adorned," and Jera's "If You See Yourself, Say Amen," joining the schedule.

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Article in this week's Gay Chicago begins: "The 1990 National Event, ‘Common Treads,' held over the Columbus Day weekend, was a resounding success. The five cities hosting the event: Atlanta, Houston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Chicago, all reported large numbers of visitors. Vital funds were also raised for the NAMES Project Foundation and for local AIDS service providers. 35,992 visitors saw the quilt and more than $40,000 (on quilt donations) was raised by the 1990 national event."

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(Image: Pride Month at Hunters – Gay Chicago June 15, 2000)

Joe D. Russell reviews "Dear Holmey," a play by Karen Cole and Clark Webber, in Gay Chicago: "WARNING! WARNING!! ATTENTION!!! WARNING!!! If you have a chance to miss this one ... I recommend you make every effort to do just that. I don't know who could have talked the Theatre Building management into playing host to a piece of ka-ka-moo-hey like this, but they must have been slick. If this thing is any indication of what's on the horizon, up and coming, and/or ‘hot' on the theatre-go-round circuit these days, we are in for a catastrophic entertainment drought of all time. Not pretty. Sad."

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Nationwide Video Inc. presents Mike Timber, 1991 Colt Cover Man and star of "Buckshot Minute Man," signs posters, videos, colt calendars at the store, 843 W. Belmont.

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This year's International Mr. Leather Black and Blue Ball takes place at Bistro Too, 5015 N. Clark St. with special guest Paul Parker.

2000

In the clubs and bars this week, "Girlbar Unplugged" featuring Kerry Grant, "a powerhouse show with a Joplin edge" is at Girlbar, 2625 N. Halsted: Buddies, 3301 N. Clark St., hosts a Diana Ross and the Supremes "Love Wheel" contest. Contestants spin a wheel and try to win tickets to the Supremes concert at Allstate Arena; it's PornoPoLooza II "Thunderpuss 2000" with DJ Hugo and host Chi Chi LaRue at Circuit, 3641 N. Halsted: and JumpStart Productions presents "Rituals: Leather Rites Continues" with DJ Ralphi Rosario at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.

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(Image: Girl Party – Girl Party – Gay Chicago March 10, 1994)

Horizons Community Services and Amnesty International host an evening with Salvadoran gay activist William Hernandez on Wednesday May 24. Hernandez was recently honored with a Felipa de Souza Award by the International Gay and Lesbian Rights Commission. He speaks on his life and struggle as a gay activist in El Salvador, where he was subjected to relentless death threats because of his gay activism. The event takes place at 961 W. Montana. The event is co-hosted by ALMA, Ambiente Paliante, Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force and others.

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The Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association summer bowling Mixed Handicap League registration is at Marigold, 826 W. Grace.

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Chris Bohjalian signs copies of his latest novel "Trans-Sister Radio," at Borders, Clark and Diversey. The book is about a woman who falls for a male instructor, who reveals he is deciding to come to terms with being a woman trapped in a man's body.

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Gay Chicago March 10, 1994. Photo by Terry Gaskins. Whatever happened to David "Widow" Butler?

Great picture of Tommy Ross by Israel Wright in Nightlines September 15, 1992

Tracy Baim took this picture of women at the Mountain Moving Coffee House for Nightlines February 16, 1994

Jane Lowers photograph of ACT UP in action for Outlines January 1994

Homework

Mike Timber, 1991 Colt Cover Man and star of "Buckshot Minute Man." Where are you now?

Who misses Girlbar?

"Querencia," means "a most loved place where one returns to heal the spirit," but what language is that?

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.