October 24-30, 2013

1980

No job is too big for ... "The Janitor," showing at the Bijou Theatre, 1349 N. Wells.

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Image: Charlie's Angels – Gay Chicago September 27, 1979

"Gay Group Joins Anti-Nazi Rally," is an article on the cover of this week's Gay Life. It begins:

"Evanston, IL–Five members of the Illinois Gay Rights Task Force joined more than 1,000 people last Sunday at Northwestern University's Deering Meadow to protest a Nazi Rally being held the same day at a park in this north suburban Chicago community.

"The five gay protestors carried a yellow, white and purple 'Illinois Gay Rights Task Force' banner to demonstrate gay support for the protest rally and to remind those assembled of the thousands of gay victims of the Nazi Holocaust."

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"In the Best Interests of the Children," a film about lesbian mothers and their children, is shown in Room 107 of University Hall, on the Northwestern (Evanston) campus. $1 admission.

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Image: Gaytown Project – Outlines September 3, 1979

Felicia presents "Costumes on Review" at Park West, 323 W. Armitage. Prizes: $600, $300 $100. The guest DJ is Crickett from Atlanta, Georgia.

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In this week's Gay Chicago, Jim Flint is elected president of Tavern Guild Monday, October 13, replacing Michael "K" Kucharski, who did not seek reelection. Other officers elected to the organization, made up of liquor industry employees, are Chip Matthews, first vice president; Ted Hall, second vice president; Delilah Kenney, secretary; Chris Timmons, corresponding secretary; Albert J. Albert, treasurer; Tyrone Sinclair, entertainment (fundraising); Chuck Rodocker, representative to the Frank M. Rodde Fund; Bill Maggio, publicity; and Chuck Kaiser, board member at large.

1995

Quotelines in October Outlines:

"What's the big deal? You don't have a problem kissing puppies, do you? You're playing a role, man! I've been in acting classes when I've done that before. It's like doing an accent." – "To Wong Woo" star Wesley Snipes on kissing men in USA Today.

And:

"I have spent a lifetime anesthetizing myself with one drug or another–food, fame, sex, drugs, religion" – Boy George in his book, "Take It Like a Man."

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Image: Stage 618 – Gay Life October 29, 1979

In the bars and clubs this week, the Best of Biceps and Buns strip down to their jock-straps at Temptations, 10235 W. Grand, Franklin Park; "Disco Party" at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont; Halloween Party with pitmaster Harry Shattuck at Eagle, 5015 N. Clark St.; Halloween '95 is "Beach Blanket Godzilla" at Vortex, 3631 N. Halsted; Cissy Connor and Chris Winslow, musical comediennes, are at North End, 3733 N. Halsted; Crossdress Karaoke, "Come dressed as your favorite star" at Inn Exile, 5758 W. 65th St.; the Men of Impulse, watch them Strip, Strut and Tantalize at Hideaway II, 7301 W. Roosevelt, Forest Park.

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The Metropolitan Sports Association 8th Annual Invitational Bowling Tournament promotes joint participation of men and women and raises money for local AIDS related agencies. The opening reception is at the Congress Hotel, and the bowling events at Waveland Bowl, 3700 N. Western.

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Lambda Car Club hold its end-of-season car show from noon-4:00 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 29 at the Belmont Bank parking lot at the corner of Belmont and Halsted. The show is co-sponsored by the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge and the Belmont Bank.

2000

Sidetrack and Equality Illinois "Night of 100 Drag Queens," 8th annual benefit for Equality Illinois at Sidetrack 3349 N. Halsted.

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Image: Costumes in Review – Gay Chicago October 6, 1983

A Stonewall Democrats fundraiser featuring U.S. Rep. Barney Frank and State Rep. Larry McKeon is at Voltaire, 3441-43 N. Halsted.

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On the cover of this week's Windy City Times:

"In a dramatic display of both anger and reverence for those lost to AIDS, ACT UP Chicago took control of the stage Oct. 17 during the 10th annual Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame induction ceremony. As Mayor Daley sat next to the stage, several men and women took turns at the microphone calling attention to both the death of ACT UP as an institution, and the deaths of so many people lost to AIDS."

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Quotes from Windy City Times:

"The worst thing about fame is that it makes anonymous sex impossible. Once or twice I've tried to go down to Blow Buddies on a hot Saturday night, but I've come away feeling tremendously uncomfortable. Years ago I had a guy actually lean down into the glory hole and speak through it, saying 'I love your books,' and I felt like saying, 'Excuse me but it wasn't my books that I just put through the hole!'" – "Tales of the City" author Armistead Maupin to the Advocate.

And:

"Today, in 2000 A.D. (After DeGeneres), gay characters are so common on television, so unexotic, that their sexual orientation has become all but invisible to most viewers. It is, in a sense, the ultimate sign of acceptance: Gays, like blacks and single moms before them, are now allowed to be every bit as boring (or smart or stupid or ruthless or whatever) as anybody else on TV." – Entertainment Weekly magazine.

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"Grinder" queer words and music, hosted by Scott Free, with performers Noam Gastor and Your Hero, takes place at Willow café, 1100 W. Thorndale.

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Jacques Cristion presents his 30th annual Halloween Ball. "Fantasy" is a Las Vegas style revue featuring a costume contest, food and cash bar, at St. Margaret of Scotland Hall, 99th and Throop Streets.

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Horizons Community Services name Stephen Majsak as the agency's director of development, effective Oct. 30. Majsak replaces Paul Fairchild who will be leaving the position. Majsak comes to Horizons with an extensive background in development and marketing.

Homework

Is Noam Gastor still around?

Does anyone know what happened to Michael "K" Kucharski?

Anyone want to share the dirt of what happened to Voltaire?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Photographer Sherman Heinrich snaps John Zielinski, a bartender at Club Illusions, and DJ Roger Wolfe. From Gay Chicago October 6, 1983.

More great Spike King photographs. These of Inn Exile, including Kelly drowning in man-muscle, in Gay Chicago August 2, 1990.

Jack Sitar's Question of the Week in Gay Chicago June 30, 1988.

Gay Life September 11, 1981. I don't know the name of the photographer but that's the Bearded Lady and the bar is Ozone.

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.