October 31-November 6, 2013

1978

Article in the October 27 issue of Gay Life begins:

"The talented folks at Good Shepherd Parish are presenting their first musical entitled "A Little Night Ministry," to be performed November 3, 4, and 11 at MCC, 615 W. Wellington. The show, written by MCC Board Member Gerry Pipes, is being directed by Russ Glidden, with sets designed by artist Paul Samuelson."

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Image: Gay Chicago Cover – Gay Chicago July 24, 1986

Some of the gay bars that are sadly missed: the Loft, 430 N. Clark St.; Marilyn, 432 N. Clark St.; Shari's, 2901 N. Clark St.; Eldorado, a Latin bar at 2683 N. Halsted; Petunia's, 2559 N. Southport; and Virgo Out, 2546 N. Clark St.

Image: Male Dancers at the Glory Hole – Gay Chicago October 6, 1983

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The feminist comedy and music duo, Sue Fink and Joelyn Grippo, is featured at a Halloween party/concert at MoMing, 1034 W. Barry. Show times are at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. with a special costume parade at 9:30 p.m.

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In Ira's Eye on Chicago by Ira Jones, in this week's Gay Life, he writes:

"Tom Snyder's show on Oct. 18 was really a hoot. His guest was British author Quentin Crisp who is 70 years old now and has been out of the closet all his life, so you know what hell he has been through. Anyway, they were discussing his life and his book "The Naked Civil Servant." Quentin seems to be quite eccentric but very elegant. He identifies himself as effeminate and claims that his mother was very protective and that he was afraid of his father, whom he finally grew to despise. He would be called genteel in the truest British sense and of course in the British schools he was taunted by his school chums. That condition isn't exclusive to England. Quentin did relate that he doesn't want to live in a gay ghetto; he thoroughly enjoys mixing with heterosexuals and finds them a courteous lot. His one negative was that the world belongs to the heterosexuals and that homosexuals are losers in the present society. He claims that he never finds life boring but his friends consider him tragic. He claims that in homosexuality you are never trapped in the love commitment as heterosexuals are. Amen to that, I say. Quentin concluded the interview by exclaiming that he prefers women in social encounters as nothing is expected of him."

1984

In the bars and clubs this week, there's a Halloween Party at Christopher Street, 3458 N. Halsted; you're invited to Castle Trianon, 3150 N. Halsted for "The Moon, the Music, and You!"; who you gonna call? The Normandy, 3400 N. Clark St., for a Halloween Ghostbusters Party and lip synch contest; Piggens Pub, 674 W. Diversey, is hosting a Halloween Gown Down, so 'fluff up, drag out, get weird, with Chocolate, Billy and introducing Bev; It's Party Time Again at Hunters, 1932 E. Higgins Rd., Elk Grove; it's the 3rd Annual Flesh Fest at the Manhandler, 1948 N. Halsted; Dress As Your Favorite Video Star Contest at Take One, 2570 N. Clark St.

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Image: Nightlines Cover – Nightlines May 27, 1998

Ira Jones and staff invite you to Celebrate Our New Location, the Machine Shop, 3704 N. Halsted. It's an adult bookstore.

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Music Playlist courtesy of Frankie Knuckles of Power Plant; 1) "Two Tribes" – Frankie Goes to Hollywood; 2) "I'm Going to Go" – Jago; 3) "Swept Away" – Diana Ross; 4) "Don't Go Lose It, Baby" – Hugh Masekela; 5) "Mascara" – Baja; 6) "Let It All Blow" – Dazz Band; 7) "Music is the Answer" – Colonel Abrams; 8) "Release the Tension" – Circuit; 9) "Medicine Song" – Stephanie Mills; 10) "Calling Mr. Telephone" – Answering Service; 11) "Can't Stop Dancing" – Conversion; 12) "Civil Defense" – Danny Alias; 13) "Your Next Door Neighbor" – Ritchie Weeks; 14) "Sound Chaser" – Paul Hardcastle; 15) "Come to Me" – Gwendolyn.

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On the front page of this week's Gay Life, an article begins:

"Police in Gary, Ind., are investigating the shooting deaths of two transvestites last weekend.

"Larry Gillespie, 28, was found bleeding from gunshot wounds in the head and stomach ... [and] the body of Randy Best, 26, who also had been shot in the head.

"It has not yet been determined if Best and Gillespie were shot with the same gun, but Detective William Burns said both men were wearing women's clothes and were known to be female impersonators.

"These are not Halloween costumes," said Burns.

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The Metropolitan Business Association holds its annual banquet at the Como Inn, 546 N. Milwaukee Ave. A full course Prime Rib Dinner is $17.00. The featured speaker is Ralph F. Navaro.

1987

"The Outsiders," a Taiwanese gay drama, is screened at the Music Box, 3733 N. Southport, as part of the Chicago International Film Festival.

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Image: Moulin Rouge – Grab December 22, 2009

Sue Fink performs at the Mountain Moving Coffeehouse for Women and Children, 1655 W. School St.

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"Who Is My Family?" second program in "Theological Stew: Men's Spirituality/Women's Spirituality" series at Good Shepherd Parish MCC, 615 W. Wellington.

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Article on the front page of Windy City Times reads "Simon co-sponsors Senate gay and lesbian rights bill."

"Sen. Paul Simon, one of Illinois' two senators and a contender for the democratic presidential nomination, has signed on as a co-sponsor of the federal Civil Rights Amendment Act of 1987, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

"Simon's decision to co-sponsor the legislation in the U.S. Senate was revealed Monday, when Simon's staff relayed the message to the office of Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif), the bill's sponsor."

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Unabridged Bookstore, 3251 N. Broadway, hosts journalist Randy Shilts, who signs his books "The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk" and "And the Band Played On: People, Politics, and the AIDS Epidemic."

Homework

Does anybody know anything further about the murders of Larry Gillespie and Randy Best?

Is the Machine Shop still there?

Who is Sue Fink?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

T.L. Noble and cute boy photographed in Paradise club by Tony Vega in Gay Chicago October 6, 1983

Photos by Steve Picon of funsters at the Snake Pit in Gay Chicago October 13, 1983

Terry Gaskins photographs a "Construction Party" at the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge in Gay Chicago October 28, 1995

I think I took these pictures for Nightlines October 18, 2000. The top one looks like the Closet.

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.