October 10-16, 2013

1978

On October 13, 1978, the mother of all drag queens, Mother Carol (Richard Farnham), opened Carol's Speakeasy at 1355 N. Wells St. Prior to opening, rumors appeared in the press. Ira Jones in his Gay Life column wrote: "A new rumor floating about that Mother Carol Farnham is buying into the now closed Den One in Old Town. I wonder if Carol's sponsor this time is Flo's 'sister.'"

+++

IMAGE: C.H.A.P.S. – Gay Chicago July 5, 1984

The Illinois Gay Rights Task Force hosts a "Television Party" at Blinkers' Penthouse, 3153 N. Broadway. The occasion is the screening of "Word Is Out" on WTTW.

+++

A Gay Life front-page article headlined "We oppose Proposition 6" is written by Gary Chichester and Patrick Jordan. It begins:

"Notwithstanding the obvious attack upon the minority group of gay and lesbian public school teachers of California, the proposed Briggs Initiative endangers the ideals of freedom of the United States.

"The Briggs Initiative proposes to go further than to interfere with the private sexual practices of a minority group. The insidious threat of this proposed legislation is its attempt to censor the freedom of speech of California teachers, be they heterosexual or homosexuals."

+++

Grace Jones appears for two nights in "Disco Dancing and Theater" at Park West, 322 W. Armitage.

+++

There's a party to celebrate the birthday of Oscar Wilde, sponsored by the Northwestern Gay Union/Lesbian Alliance. Call for location details.

+++

Rita Mae Brown, author of "Rubyfruit Jungle", autographs her new novel "Six of One,' at the Jane Addams Bookstore, 5 S. Wabash."

+++

Illinoisans To Stop the Briggs Initiative presents "Harvestfest," a potluck banquet at Burl Hall, St. James Cathedral, 65 E. Huron St. with special guests Loree Lynn, Rev. Troy Perry, Leonard Matlovitch. The Briggs initiative, which was on the California ballot for the November 7, prohibited the hiring of homosexuals and their supporters in the state school system.

1985

"Lack of action after bar raid" is an article on the cover of this week's Gay Life, it begins:

"According to Mayoral Liaison Kit Duffy, only four requests have been received so far for the return of records and photos taken during the September 12 raid on Carole's Speakeasy. The raid was conducted by Metropolitan Enforcement Group officials to execute four specific arrest warrants; but over 30 customers were detained for questioning, some for as long as two hours."

+++

IMAGE: It's Daisy's Birthday – Gay Chicago March 28, 1996

Chicago Filmmakers is showing the gay movie "Buddies" (featured in the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival) at 6 W. Hubbard.

+++

Gay Bestseller List from Unabridged Bookstore, 3251 N. Broadway:

Softcover: 1) "Kiss of the Spiderwoman" by Manuel Puig; 2) "Boys on the Rock" by John Fox; 3) "Why We Never Danced the Charleston" by Harlan Greene; 4) "Mansex & Other Stories" by Max Exander; 5) "Star in My Pocket, Like Grains of Sand" by Samuel R. Delaney.

Hardcover: 1) "I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore" by Ethan Mordden; 2) "Caracole" by Edmund White; 3) "Glory Hole Murders" by Tony Fennelly; 4) "Something in Common" by Robert Robin; 5) "Family Dancing" by David Leavitt."

+++

Headline on front page of Windy City Times, reads "Hudson Dead," by Yvonne Zipter.

"Rock Hudson died at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 2 after a year long battle with AIDS. Hudson, who was the first celebrity to announce his diagnosis, died peacefully in his sleep, according to publicist Dale Olsen. Hudson was 59."

+++

The Howard Brown Memorial Clinic celebrates its 11th anniversary at a dinner with guest speaker Congressman Gerry Studds, at the Chicago Marriott Hotel, 540 N. Michigan.

1995

Jim Nash, 47, founder of Chicago's Wax Trax record label and store, both known for their anti-establishment stance, dies of AIDS complications October 10. The label, which he co-founded in 1980 with Dannie Flesher, recorded bands that had been dismissed by other labels, including Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Filter and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. Many of its artists achieved commercial success: three Wax Trax bands are featured on the hot-selling Mortal Kombat soundtrack, and this year the label released its best selling album ever, "Nihil" by KMFDM. His store, opened in 1978, was a popular hangout for gays, punks, college students and visiting celebrities; Nash's famous friends included the late Divine. Nash's label released an album to benefit AIDS charities before he knew he was HIV-positive; he also started a folder on the Internet to assist and communicate with other HIV-positive persons."

+++

IMAGE: Nightspots cover – Nightspots June 9, 2010

Gerber/Hart Library and Archives exhibits "Keepin' On: Images of African-American Lesbians." This exhibit was created by the Lesbian Herstory Archives in New York and was brought to Chicago by Gerber/Hart through a grant from the Chicago Foundation for Women.

+++

In the bars and clubs, every Sunday it's the Honey West Show at Madrigal's 5316 N. Clark St.; there's a Black Cat Fright Night and a Lights Out Party at the Chicago Eagle, 5015 N. Clark St.; enter the "Big Hair Contest" at Charlie's, 3726 N. Broadway; it's Latex Fetish Night at Cell Block, 3702 N. Halsted; Cockpit BBS monthly social and party at North End, 3733 N. Halsted; and come party with the Gods ...Roman/Sambvca Toga Party of the century at InnExile, 5758 65th St.

Homework

Is Inn Exile still around?

Did anyone ever go to Den One on Wells Street? Just wondering what it was like.

Who remembers Wax Trax?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Raffle winners at TJ's bar photographed by Spike King for Gay Chicago June 30, 1988.

From Gay Life September 23, 1977. John Shea, Lennell Bonds, Tom Bartz, and David Glynn. I wonder if any of these guys are still around.

Excellent photo by Tom Coughlin in Gay Chicago News September 9, 1977, of Chuck Renslow and Wanda Lust.

Christopher Stryker took this picture of gay Chicago celebrity and bar fly, Michael K. in Windy City Times in June 30, 1988 issue.

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.