January 16 - January 22, 2014

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

1977

In Gay Life:

"You have a perfect excuse to stay home tonight, the 4th season of 'Upstairs, Downstairs' begins at 8 p.m. on Channel 11."

Image: From the Heartland – Gay Chicago December 10, 1987

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The absolutely zany gay trio, Gotham, sing, dance, and tell jokes, for a five-day engagement at the Ivanhoe Theater.

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Don Embinder, publisher of Blueboy magazine, and Jonathan Katz, author of "Gay American History," are the guests on the Phil Donahue Show. One of the topics discussed is the homosexual male as a potential market. The program airs 11 a.m. on WGN-TV, Channel 9.

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Image: Dead Or Alive – Gay Chicago November 5, 1987

On the front page of Gay Life:

"After two years of totally independent operations, Gay Horizons, Inc. and the Rogers Park Gay Center, have announced the merger of the fund-raising committees of the two organizations. This joint committee will be responsible for raising funds necessary to meet the 1977 budgets of the two organizations.

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Also on the front page of Gay Life:

"Ron Anderson, associate editor of Gay Life, has accepted the position of managing editor, to begin the next issue. He fills the vacancy left by Sarah Craig, former managing editor."

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A letter to the editor in Gay Life reads:

"Your paper has taken a stand against racism in the past, but you really goofed with your headline on the article about Frannie Golde ('Little Yid Makes Big'). The use of a derogatory name for any ethnic group is racism in the highest degree! I must admit I was certainly disappointed, and hope you'll watch this sort of thing in the future."

Editor: "Our apologies! We used the term because it was used by Ms. Golde in the article, entirely in fun we're sure. As another friend stated, 'It wasn't so bad to see it in the article ...but in the headline. Again, we sincerely apologize."

1997

The movie "Marvin's Room," starring Meryl Streep and Dianne Keaton, is showing at 600 N. Michigan and Old Orchard.

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Image: Annual Pie Toss – Gay Chicago November 8, 1984

On the front page of Windy City Times, an article by Lisa Neff begins:

"Two gay organizations last week joined a coalition of civil liberties groups demanding that the U.S. Supreme Court decriminalize physician-assisted suicide. Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Gay Men's Health Crisis filed a brief Jan. 6 asking the court to declare that banning doctor-assisted suicide is unconstitutional."

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More from Windy City Times:

"The Fillmore Center is recruiting new members for its ongoing support group for men ages 22-45 who are wondering if they might be gay, as well as for men who are currently negotiating the coming-out process. ...The group meets at the Fillmore Center, 1010 Lake, in Oak Park."

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The Women's Program at Howard Brown Health Center is offering anonymous HIV testing and counseling during its Saturday clinic on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Clients cost ranges from free to $60 depending on income.

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"Come Out of the Cold '97," the Lesbian Community Cancer Project's 6th annual benefit gala, is held at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. Shore.

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The Chicago Chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) features guest speaker Guy Warner, founder of the Chicago/Lakeview chapter of PFLAG, at its meeting at 615 W. Wellington

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Open & Out, Chicago's gay and lesbian open mic at Halsted Street Café, provides a positive atmosphere to express yourself.

2006

In Gay Chicago this week:

"This could be the year gay-themed films dominate Hollywood's awards season. The cowboys-in-love drama "Brokeback Mountain," a potential Academy Award front-runner, led nominees for film prizes from actors and directors unions, including performers Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams and Jake Gyllenhaal and filmmaker Ang Lee."

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Image: Take Honey West Home – Gay Chicago December 26, 1996

Gossip maven Billy Masters writes in Gay Chicago:

"Which brings us to Mariah. Look, I have nothing but respect for Miss Carey. Two years ago she was locked up in a nut house, and her career had less life than Dick Clarke's right side. But she's back with the biggest record of not only her career, but anyone's career. That said, Mimi is a big, strapping girl-she's five foot nine without heels (and you know she likes those high heels). Watching her on New Year's Eve with Times Square as her backdrop, poured into that babydoll, breasts propped up with more blush on 'em than on her cheeks, walking in that tip-toe, hunched over way like she's a little bit of a thing-she looked like Mothra attacking Manhattan. Come on, Mimi-you're better than that."

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Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"The Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded Chicago House $1 million to expand its Fred Woods Home in the Uptown neighborhood, which provides housing for families affected by HIV and AIDS. With the Section 811 capital advance, Chicago House, will create six new apartments for families, which will provide a permanent home to an additional 15 children and their parents who are affected by HIV/AIDS."

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In the bars and clubs this week, Pornfest returns to the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge, 3169 N. Halsted, with lifetime Falcon exclusive Matthew Rush in his newest video "Cross Country"; cigar smoker "Longest Ash" contest at Cell Block, 3702 N. Halsted; DJ Eddie Baez is at Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted St.; Alma Mendoza is performing at Gentry, 440 N. State St.; and Jeremy Rill and Ben Hartman, are the entertainers at the Grand Opening of the 3160 Club at 3160 N. Clark St.

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One Important Night, One Important Cause, "Justice for All." Equality Illinois 2006 Gala takes place at the Chicago Hilton & Towers, 720 S. Michigan Ave. with Master of Ceremonies, Don Lemon, NBC5 anchor.

Homework

What happened to Ron Anderson, associate editor of Gay Life?

Who is Frannie Gold?

3160 Club used to be Annex 3 and before that Teddies, but does anyone know what it was before that?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Sherman Heinrich took this photograph of a costume contest at Berlin for Gay Chicago November 8, 1984

Bar owners of Normandy, L.A. Connection, Big Red's photographed by Jack Sitar for Gay Chicago October 30, 1980

Mystery photograph from Gay Life December 26, 1985. Does anyone know who this is?

Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Midwest photographed by Marty Grochala for Nightlines December 3, 1997

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.