September 19-25, 2013

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

1982

In the bars and clubs this week, the Manhandler 1948 N. Halsted celebrates its 2nd anniversary with a Texas style BBQ;

BJ's, 3231 N. Clark St, presents Cesar's Farewell to Summer Party; Tricia Alexander & Lori Noelle with special guests Kaplan & Hansen entertain at His 'N' Hers, 944 W. Addison; and the Palace, 3400 N. Halsted, is 'a new place to party.'

+++

Image: Pink Flamingos – Gay Life June 30, 1978

Top 20 Dance Numbers from DJ Frank Lipomi in Gay Chicago: 1) "Love is in Control" – Donna Summer; 2) "Jump To It" – Aretha Franklin; 3) "Do You Wanna Funk" – Sylvester/Cowley; 4) "Orbital Bebop" – Q-Feel; 5) "Entire LP" – Sharon Redd; 6) "Situation" – Yazoo; 7) "Entire LP" – Gino Soccio; 8) "Love Cascade" – Leisure Process; 9) "I'm So Hot for You" – Bobby O; "Dance Or Die" – Sweet Pea Atkinson; 11) "Inside Out" – Odyssey: 12) "Abracadabra" – Steve Miller Band; 13) "A Place Called Tarot" – Tantra; 14) "Can't Believe" – Nancy Martin; 15) "My Heart's Not in it" – Brenda Jones; 16) "X-Ray Vision" – Moon Martin; 17) "Love Come Down" – Evelyn King; 18) "You Can Dance" – Slimline; 19) "Rock the Casbah" – Clash; 20) "Entire LP" – Lime.

+++

Letter to the editor begins:

"We the undersigned, wish to let the gay community be made aware of a most disturbing and intolerable situation which exists within our midst. We refer to the ownership and control of three hotels which are presently and have previously advertised and promoted as 'gay.' The facts regarding the attitudes and thoughts of the owners of these businesses are definitely not pro-gay. ...The hotels which we ask your non-support are The Abbott Hotel, 721 W. Belmont; the Diplomat Hotel, 3206 N. Sheffield; and the Chateau Hotel, 3838 N. Broadway.

"Respectfully, Ex-Employees of the Abbott, Diplomat and Chateau."

1990

Headline on cover of this week's Windy City Times reads: "Thompson Signs Hate Crimes Bill into Law: First pro-gay law enacted in Illinois history."

"Governor James Thompson September 11 signed into a law a bill that increases criminal penalties for perpetrators of hate crimes against lesbians and gay men.

"The Freedom from Violence Act, which takes effect January 1, 1991, amends a current state law that mandates additional penalties for crimes based upon race, religion or ethnic background. In addition to sexual orientation, the bill adds ancestry and mental and physical disabilities."

+++

Image: Gay Chicago Cover – Gay Chicago August 16, 1979

Bestseller Book List based on sales figures provided by Unabridged Books, 3251 N. Broadway:

FICTION: 1) "Sure of You" – Armistead Maupin; 2) "A Place I've Never Been" – David Leavitt; 3) "Crocodilia" – Philip Ridley; 4) "28 Barbary Lane" – Armistead Maupin; 5) "Secret Matter" –­ Toby Johnson.

NON-FICTION: 1) "Behind the Mask" – Dave Pallone; 2) "Come Home!" – Chris Glaser; 3) "Beyond Acceptance" – Griffin, Wirth and Wirth; 4) "Permanent Partners" – Betty Berzon; 5) "Gay Love Signs" – Michael Jay.

+++

The Chi-Town Squares gay and lesbian square dancing group holds introductory classes at Clarendon Park District, 4501 N. Clarendon.

1993

The Anti-Violence Project at Horizons Community Services reports that 30 calls were received during the month of August, with some cases involving multiple offenses. The number of incidents of physical assault, 12, and domestic violence, 11, accounted for the majority of the reports. The other offenses included: chased/followed, 1; attempted sexual assault, 1; robbery, 1; verbal harassment, 6; verbal threats, 4; written harassment, 2; phone harassment, 1; suicide, 2; police misconduct, 4; discrimination, 5.

+++

Image: Faggot With a Gun – December 1995

The Bijou, 1349 N. Wells, is showing "Club Utah."

"Just a day in the life of your typical garden variety athletic club. Blond bubble-butt, Peter Garrett, massages Steve Vaughn's expansive shoulders, licks up to his armpit and ends up with his tongue up his _________ "

+++

Pomo Afro Homos, the groundbreaking theatre group with a powerful insight into contemporary black gay life, performs "Dark Fruit" at Randolph Street Gallery.

+++

Police Superintendent Matt Rodriguez is the guest speaker at a meeting of Gays and Lesbians Working in Government at Ann Sather, 929 W. Belmont.

+++

Article in this week's Windy City Times reads:

"Tom Chiola officially announced last week his candidacy for the circuit court, making him the first openly gay person to see a position on the court.

"In the March primary, Chiola will be vying for the Democratic nomination for the 8th Judicial Subcircuit, which is bounded by Chinatown to the south, along the lakefront to Devon Ave. and west to Ashland Ave.

+++

Article in Gay Chicago by Dave Murray, recommends "Fall Films Featuring Gays and Lesbians." They include "And the Band Plays On," "The Ballad of Little Jo," "The Wedding Banquet," "M. Butterfly," "Farewell My Concubine," "Okoge," "Philadelphia," "Even Cowgirl Get the Blues," and "Wittgenstein."

+++

A newly forming queer employee advocacy group, tentatively called "Gay and Lesbian Cultural Workers Group," holds it first meeting at the Randolph Street Gallery.

+++

Asians and Friends Chicago celebrates its 9th anniversary at Ann Sather with a cash bar, dinner and dancing until 1 a.m.

Homework

Does anyone have memories of His 'n' Hers on Addison?

Any readers ever stay at the Abbott, Diplomat or Chateau hotels?

Is Asians and Friends still around?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Mother Carol being nursed by a bevy of mustached lovelies in Gay Chicago August 16, 1979. Photo by David Veltkamp

Terry Gaskins photo from Gay Chicago March 6, 1995

Terry Gaskins photographs cuddly bear in Gay Chicago October 5, 1995

Photograph by Lisa Ebright in Windy City Times October 4, 1990

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.