March 27 – April 2, 2014

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

1988

A joint autographing party and poetry reading celebrates two new local anthologies: "Nommo: A Literary Legacy of Black Chicago," and "Naming the Daytime Moon, Stories and Poems by Chicago Women," which features work from lesbian writers including Yvonne Zipter and Jorjet Harper. The reading takes place at 607 E. Muddy Waters Drive (43rd Street).

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IMAGE: The Music Box – Gay Life February 17, 1978

Article in this week's Gay Chicago begins:

"Test Positive Aware Network (TPA) a non-therapeutic support fellowship and information network for people impacted by HIV, is emerging as the most comprehensive self-help HIV-related support program in the nation. One of the first of such groups to form, TPA has attracted a registered membership of over 275 groups since its first meeting in June 1987."

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IMAGE: Charlie's – Gay Chicago February 9, 1995

Also in Gay Chicago:

"The board of the Rodde Center, Chicago's Gay and Lesbian Community Center, has established an executive committee consisting of: Tom Sukowitz, president; Paul Cochran, vice president; Kathleen Ineman, secretary; and David Leyana, treasurer.

"Its objectives are to streamline operational activities of the center and to provide a responsive resource for tenants or others in explaining or implementing Rodde Center Board policies."

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In this week's Windy City Times, Mark Schoofs writes:

"More than 500 AIDS activists staged a protest on New York's Wall Street in order to dramatize their frustration over the government's response to AIDS. The protestors lined the sidewalks and blocked traffic on two streets in the financial district, incurring 117 arrests."

1991

MUSIC PLAYLIST courtesy of Donnie Warner, DJ at Hunter's: 1) "How to Dance" – Bingo Boys; 2) "Jealousy" – Stevie V; 3) "'O'" – Das Spiel; 4) "Sadeness, Part 1" ­ Enigma; 5) "I Say Yeah" – Secchi featuring Orlando Johnson; 6) "Here We Go" ­– C&C Music Factory; 7) "Being Boring" – Pet Shop Boys; 8) "Contrast" – Recall IV; 9) "Strike it Up" – Black Boys; 10) "My House" – Paul Lekakis.

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IMAGE: Jeff Stryker on Stage! – Gay Chicago April 12, 2001

Jeffrey McCourt writes on the front page of Windy City Times:

"Fifteen months after selling the original center on North Sheffield, the Board of Directors of the Rodde Center announced that it has offered to buy another Lakeview building, located at 1034 W. Barry. The four story edifice, which contains a two level multi-use assembly hall, is owned by the Resurrection Lutheran Church and for the past 16 years has been leased by Moming Dance Company, which has now ceased operation.

"The building is currently offered at $435,000 and the Rodde Board has placed a $390,000 bid on the property with the hope of buying with a 20 percent down payment and a five year balloon balance with eight percent seller financing."

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On Page 6 of this week's Windy City Times:

"Helen Shiller is denying Mike Quigley's charge in a March 22 WMAQ-TV interview that Shiller is telling 46th ward residents from the Appalachian region that Quigley is gay.

"Meanwhile, Quigley claims he never said that, but his WMAQ interview shows that he did.

"'I'm enraged,' Shiller said, 'He made this up, and he knows it's not true. It's typical of his campaign. It's a total, complete lie aimed at dividing people, and it's very dangerous. He just says whatever he wants.



"Quigley denied that he ever said Shiller herself told voters that he is gay, emphasizing to Windy City Times that he said Shiller precinct workers were saying that."

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In the bars and clubs, free shrimp cocktail with any Finlandia purchase at North End, 3733 N. Halsted St. A portion of the proceeds go to the Dan DiLeo PWA fund; come to the Sleaze Ball at the Manhole, 3458 N. Halsted, with DJ Mark Valese and hot sweaty half-naked men; Spring is here. Let's act queer with a Mr. Easter Bunny Contest at JJ's, 6406 N. Clark St.; Glenda and Seth will fill your Easter Baskets at Clarks on Clark, 5001 N. Clark St.; Roscoe's, 3354-3356 N. Halsted, presents the Gong Show; the French Canadian Dancers return to their original Chicago base for a benefit for Direct Aid, at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont.

2003

In this week's Gay Chicago:

"The 2003 Unsung Heroine Award for the 10th District will be awarded to Renae Ogletree, the director of the Youth Services Division of the Chicago Department of Human Services in a public breakfast ceremony at the Chicago Cultural Center on March 27. Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-10th) and Women's Commissioner Gail Morse selected Ogletree for this year's award for her 'fantastic' leadership and passion in the areas of diversity, youth services and health care."

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IMAGE: Mary Blige CD Release Party – Gay Chicago January 19, 2006

"Passings" this week in Gay Chicago:

"Ginni Clemens, 66, famed folk, blues singer and friend of the Chicago gay community, diedFebruary 15 from injuries suffered in a car crash in Maui, Hawaii, where she has been living in recent years. Ms. Clemens was a popular figure on Wells Street, where she played folk and blues music at legendary clubs such as Mother Blues. She played with John Prine, Steve Goodman and Spanky McFarlane. One of her memorable tunes was called "Wild Women Don't Get the Blues."

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Lesbian comic Suzanne Westenhoefer returns to Chicago on March 29 at the Harold Washington Library. Tickets can be bought at Women and Children First, 5233 N. Clark St.

Homework

Whatever happened to Mark Schoofs?

Is DJ Donnie Warner still around?

Anyone ever go to JJ's, 6406 N. Clark St.?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Terry Gaskins photographs guys and gals at Vortex and Touche for Gay Chicago February 3, 1994

Sherman Heinrich photographs the boys of Kitty Sheon's bar for Gay Chicago February 7, 1985

Frank Failing photographs at Jackhammer for Gay Chicago January 2, 2006

Three Little Bears photographed by Sukie de la Croix at Manhandler for Nightspots March 6, 2003

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.