July 4 - 10, 2013

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

1978

A personal growth group for lesbians begins at Gay Horizons, 920 W. Oakdale.

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Movies showing in the bars and clubs this week include: "The Invisible Man" at Man's Country, 5015 N. Clark St.; Joan Crawford, Jack Benney, John Gilbert, Norma Shearer, and Laurel and Hardy, appear in "Hollywood Revue" at Little Jim's, 3501 N. Halsted; the Glory Hole, 1343 N. Wells, has the wild and wacky "Kentucky Fried Movie"; and "Take the Money and Run," directed by and starring Woody Allen, is at the Gold Coast, 501 N. Clark St.

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In this week's Gay Life, "Norton Knopf, Registered Psychologist" answers a reader's question:

"Dear Gay Say

My lover wants to buy a toupee. I have asked him not to do so because I am turned on by bald-headed men, and Jack's head is nice and shiny. I dig it! Jack thinks that baldness is ugly, and that it makes him look older. He says that he doesn't like the way he looks and wants to improve his appearance. I say he looks just fine, and I wonder who he's trying to attract, anyhow? What do you say? – Jim

"Dear Jim

I say that, assuming he can afford it, Jack should go ahead and try out a toupee. If he doesn't, Jim, he might never feel satisfied that he has done what he could to become more acceptable to himself. He might blame you, for the rest of your relationship–even for the rest of his life. If he doesn't have the chance to try something out which is obviously important to him."

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Lesbian musical storyteller Michelle Brody appears at Mountain Moving Coffeehouse for womyn at 1655 W. School St.

1986

In the bars and clubs this week, there's brunch every Sunday with Stardust at Two Doors North, 3220 N. Clark St.; the Magic Explodes! "There are lots of words that rhyme with Buck's" ...July 4th cookout at Buck's Saloon, 3439 N. Halsted; win a trip to New Orleans, ticket with every drink at LA Connection, 3700 N. Halsted St.; come celebrate July 4, 5 & 6 with a party and dance at Windy City, 3127 N. Clark upstairs; join Sophie for a cookout and male dancers at Inner Circle, 2546 N. Clark St.; special guest at the Showcase One, 959 W. Belmont, is Alana Russell; Dandy's, 2632 N. Halsted, presents a La Cage Aux Folles cast party with food and entertainment; it's Swimsuit Sunday, with the skimpiest swim wear, at the Pelican, 6341 N. Clark St.; guest bartenders at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont, are David Myers from the Manhandler and Vern Merchon from Touche; Fire Island, 1177 N. Elston, proudly presents "Men on Motion" with their special review "Men of the '80s"; and the "Mr. JJ's Contest" is at JJ's, 6406 N. Clark St.

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Top Five Music Playlist courtesy of Caria Ennes at Paris Dance: 1) "I Can't Wait" – Nu Shooz; 2) "I Like You" – Phyllis Nelson; 3) "I Say It, Say It" – E.G. Daley; 4) "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" – Boys Don't Cry; and 5) "I Touch Rose" – Book of Love.

1994

Impersonators of Meryl Streep, Julie Andrews and Bette Midler strut their stuff at Carrs Halsted Street Café, 3320 N. Halsted.

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The Illinois Gay Rodeo Association "2-Steppin' in the Zoo" fundraiser takes place at Café Brauer in Lincoln Park.

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Singer Linda Boyle performs at the Pride Agenda Bookstore, 1109 Westgate in Oak Park.

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From Quotelines in Outlines:

"He was getting thin. He said it was throat cancer. Finally, towards the end, I said 'Peter, we're not talking about throat cancer, are we?' And he said, 'No, love, we're not.' That was the only time we ever talked about it. I think it was ...not wanting anybody to feel sorry for him ...not wanting to be pitied is enormous with this plague." – Liza Minnelli on ex-husband Peter Allen's acknowledgement of his struggle with AIDS, in Out magazine (July).

And:

"I dropped out of high school to join the Lesbian Nation ...I went to San Francisco to find more lesbians. I found punk rock. Quite an education for a young separatist dyke, whose main musical influences were Allan Sherman and Alix Dobkin" – Lesbian folksinger Phranc.

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Playing at the Bijou adult movie house, 1349 N. Wells, this week is "Rigid Video, Volume 1," starring Cougar Cash, Greg Roberts, Ricky Johnson, and several others.

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In this week's Gay Chicago, the Doug Allen column "Culture Shock" begins:

"NEW SPACE–Finally! Just what we've been waiting for ...a new fag bar is opening in Andersonville. After much remodeling, Madrigal's will add an Art Deco touch to the North Side. Congratulations Don and Juan!"

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"Mondo Trasho" and "Multiple Maniacs" by John Waters are showing At Facets Multimedia, 1517 W. Fullerton.

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Windy City Times August 8, 1986

Gay Chicago May 13, 2010 at Velvet Rope

Gay Chicago June 18, 1987. He is so cute and a very young Miss Ketty there ...

The wonderful Dave Ouana photographs in Chicago Free Press July 18, 2007

Homework

Do you remember Madrigals before the dancers?

Whatever happened to Alana Russell?

Whatever happened to Norton Knopf?

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, Malone Sizelove for Babble/Gab, David Costanza and others for Chicago Free Press, Jeff McCourt for Windy City Times, Stacy Bridges and Mark Nagel for GRAB, 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 Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago Before Stonewall published by the University of Wisconsin Press.