September 5-11, 2013

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

1979

The Howard Brown Memorial Clinic is recognized as an official clinic by the City of Chicago's Board of Health.

+++

Michael Triner, the DJ at Sunday's, 430 N. Clark St., gives his Top 10 dance tunes. 1) "The Boss/No One Gets the Prize" – Diana Ross; 2) "Found A Cure" – Ashford & Simpson; 3) "Good Times" – Chic; 4) "Get Up & Boogie" ­– Freddie James; 5) "Born To Be Alive" – Patrick Hernandez; 6) "Pow Wow/ Green Light" – Cory Dade; 7) "I've Got the Next Dance" – Deniece Williams; 8) "Groove Me" – Fern Kirney; 9) "Love is On the Way" – Sweet Inspirations; and 10) "Put Your Body In It" – Stephanie Mills.

Image: The Elephant Man – Gay Chicago July 25, 1980

+++

Article in this week's Gay Life begins:

"Chicago's gay community will soon be able to boast of two new libraries, both of which are being readied for operation. The Gay Academic Union Library is being housed in the Rogers Park/Edgewater Gay Alliance at 5834 N. Ridge, where it will serve as a lending library of books on gay subjects. The focus of the Resource Center and Library, operating out of Horizon's general offices at 3225 N. Sheffield, will initially be more on news clippings of import to the gay community and gay periodicals."

+++

Gay group, One of Chicago, hold their regular meeting at the Wellington Avenue Church, 615 W. Wellington Ave., with a special screening of the segment of the Irv Kupcinet show that features Felicia and her showgirls from the Baton, 436 N. Clark St. Felicia (Jim Flint) attends the meeting to answer questions from the audience.

+++

The Lesbian Community Center, 3435 N. Halsted, host their first annual benefit auction/saleathon. The location of the auction is obtained by calling the center.

1987

Horizons Youth Group is a drop-in center for teens and young adults at the Rodde Center, 3225 N. Sheffield.

+++

The Lesbian Outdoor Group holds a community picnic at Blue Star Woods.

Image: Northalsted Market Days – Gay Chicago July 26, 1990

+++

Berlin, 954 W. Belmont, is closed for construction and expansion, September 9-14, 1987.

+++

In Gay Chicago Obituaries: Christopher R. Urbanik, who said he wanted to become "a psychotherapist or a concert pianist – and be filthy rich," and Eric Mark Pafford, a self-employed stock investor, who was "compassionate, understanding, a loyal friend and son, with a quick wit and a wry sense of humor," both succumb to AIDS.

+++

Chimera Theatre Ensemble presents Noel Coward's "Fallen Angels" amid a perfect backdrop, the Piper Hall lakeside mansion, 6363 N. Sheridan Rd. Coward's comedy of the English upper classes is presented among the audience making the evening one of total involvement.

+++

Article in Outlines begins:

"Four members of the Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force met with Gov. James Thompson Tuesday to discuss AIDS bills passed by the state legislature and waiting action by the governor.

"Thompson was 'very receptive' to the group, according to Kit McPheeters, IGTF female co-chair, who added, 'We were very impressed with his knowledge of the details of the bills.' Participating in the historic meeting–the first such between a governor of Illinois and a gay/lesbian organization–were McPheeters, male co-chair Al Wardell, IGLTF Director of Research Paul Varnell and Tim Drake, head of IGLTF's State Bills Committee."

1993

In the bars and clubs this week, David Hamilton is at the piano every Friday at Dandy's, 3729 N. Halsted; Harry Shattuck is the Bootblack at the Eagle, 5015 N. Clark St.; there's a "Great Legs Contest" at North End, 3733 N. Halsted; grab a weenie & some buns at the Patio BBQ at Numbers, 6406 N. Clark St.; show what hard labor has done for your body, at the "Hard Body Contest," at the AA Meat Market, 2933 N. Lincoln; "Underparty," separating the men from the boys, at the Manhole, 3458 N. Halsted; Paula Sinclaire is the host of "Drag Race '93" at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont; join us for the 3rd annual Labor Day cook out at the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge, 3169 N.

Halsted; the "Miss Continental After-Pageant Party" is at Vortex, 3631 N. Halsted; and it's the "Big Hair Contest" at Charlie's, 405 W. Ontario.

+++

Chicago's Aware: HIV Talk Radio, the nation's only weekly talk radio show dedicated to providing awareness and education about HIV/AIDS legal, social, medical and wellness/healthcare resource topics for all people, broadcasts an interview with Randy Shilts, author of "And the Band Played On" on September 5 at 7 a.m. on WNUA 95.5 and midnight on Q101/Chicago.

Image: '70s Dance Party – Gay Chicago March 6, 1995

+++

Author Bebe Moore Campbell comes to town to read from and sign copies of her just released paperback edition of "Your Blues Aint Like Mine" at Women and Children First Bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St.

+++

The caption to a photograph on the front page of Windy City Times reads:

"Lee Erickson of Chi-Town Squares, Chicago's gay and lesbian square dance club, kicks up his heels with Pauline Plummer of New York City's Times Squares at the Great Chicago Crossfire, held over the Labor Day weekend. The annual event attracted about 180 people to the city and is one of the largest events of its type in the Midwest."

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Spike King photographs a bear for Gay Chicago July 30, 1990

Terry Gaskins photographs more hairy guys at Cell Block in Gay Chicago October 5, 1995

Kelly at the opening of Inn Exile in Gay Chicago August 20, 1987

The whole gang at the 3160 Club in Grab December 22, 2009

Homework

Is DJ Michael Triner still around?

Does anyone remember Charlie's at the first location at 405 W. Ontario?

Is Harry Shattuck still around?

Thanks go to publishers Michael Bergeron for Chicago Gay Crusader, Ralph and Craig Gernhardt forGay 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.