April 3 – April 9, 2014

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

1987

The Next Theatre Co. and David Dillon present "The Normal Heart" by Larry Kramer at 927 Noyes, Evanston.

IMAGE: The New Flight – Gay Life February 15, 1980

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On the Windy City Times book review page, Jim Coughenour discusses recent books about AIDS including: "A Strange Virus of Unknown Origins" by Jacques Leibowitch; "The Truth About AIDS: Evolution of An Epidemic" by Ann Giudici Fettner and William A. Check; and "Sex and Germs, the Politics of AIDS" by Cindy Patton.

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IMAGE: Barbara Streisand ­– Gay Chicago December 9, 1993

In the bars and clubs this week, bartender, Feathers, is on the 7:00 a.m. shift at Bulldog Road, 2916 N. Broadway; every Friday, Rocks, 3320 N. Halsted, presents Miss Lori Hammel; there's an Andy Warhol film series at Orbit Room, 3708 N. Broadway; come to the Annex 3, 3160 N. Clark St., for the Chicago Cubs season opener vs the St. Louis Cardinals; and Charlotte and Bruce entertain at Gentry of Chicago, 712 N. Rush St., and don't forget Bob's Wiener Buffet.

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In this week's Windy City Times, Tracy Baim writes:

"Strongly pro-gay incumbent Democratic Mayor Harold Washington won re-election easily Tuesday, with an estimated 53 percent of the votes cast to Illinois Solidarity candidate Edward Vrdolyak's estimated 42 percent and Republican Don Haider's 4 percent. Chicago First candidate Thomas Hynes, who withdrew from the race, had 1 percent."

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In this week's Windy City Times:

"In a speech to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia April 1, President Reagan urged that schoolchildren be taught that abstinence is the best means of stemming the AIDS epidemic."

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At the Bijou Theater, 1349 N. Wells:

"'A Few Good Men' starring Lee Ryder, Michael Christopher, Lee Stern and Many Others. There's nothing like a man in uniform to raise temperatures, and director Scott gives us a whole series of military fantasy sequences. From two young men who go for a farewell roll in the hay before one leaves the Army, to the hugely hung Lee Ryder drilling his drill sergeant, this feature promises and delivers erotica. I promise it does, sir."

1997

It's the Grand Opening of Scot's, 1829 W. Montrose.

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IMAGE: Foozie – Nightspots March 20, 2002

Karen Mason is singing at Le Cabaret, 505 N. Lake Shore Dr.

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The Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Veteran's of America meet at Ann Sather, 929 W. Belmont. State's Attorney's Liaison for Gay and Lesbian Issues Ellen Meyers is the featured speaker and will address the present state of hate crimes and domestic violence.

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In her Off the Cuffs column in Nightlines, Tracy Baim writes:

"Allen Ginsberg, 70, who was scheduled to perform in Chicago this weekend in a tribute to Jack Kerouac, died April 5 of a heart attack related to his recent diagnosis with terminal liver cancer. Just last week, it had been announced he had only a few months to live."

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Also in Off the Cuffs, Tracy Baim writes:

"Ellen DeGeneres has jumped the gun on her sitcom alter-ego–coming out in a big way on the cover of the new TIME magazine. 'Yep, I'm gay," the title story of this week's TIME, includes an in-depth interview with the comic, who said her coming out is 'the most freeing experience.'"

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The Vagabond Reading Series at Powell's Bookstore, 2850 N. Lincoln, hosts Jon-Henri Damski, OUTLINES/NIGHTLINES columnist, rabble-rouser, and queer philosopher-king of Chicago, reading his recently published poetry.

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Windy City Performing Arts "The Joy of Life," starring UNISON, Windy City Gay and Lesbian Singers, and Aria, the Windy City Women's Ensemble, at Temple Emanuel, 5959 N. Sheridan.

2008

Windy City Gay Idol 2008, the fifth event of the 6th annual talent search contest is at the Closet, 3325 Broadway.

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IMAGE: Eagle – Nightspots March 5, 2003

CALOR Conexiones, a bilingual social support group for gay/bi Latino men 25 and older meets at 3220 W. Armitage.

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It's the three-year anniversary of the Flesh Hungry Dog Show at Jackhammer, 6406 N. Clark St. Performers include Jinx Titanic, the Joans, Bric-a-Brac and Fleshtones Burlesque.

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The Coady Roundball Classic is the largest gay basketball tournament in the world. More than 25 teams from all over the country, compete at the University of Illinois at Chicago Gymnasium, 901 W. Roosevelt.

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The Gerber/Hart Library Wine Tasting takes place at Kafka Wine Co., 3325 N. Halsted.

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It's Equality Illinois' Lobby Day for Civil Unions in Illinois. Free buses depart Chicago's North Side at 7 a.m. to Springfield after a short stop at Bolingbrook.

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Matt Simonette writes in this week's Chicago Free Press:

"Members of Chicago' Black Gay Men's Caucus met April 3 at the DuSable Museum of African-American History for their first quarterly 2008 meeting, focusing their discussion on the adult entertainment industry and its role in influencing the sexual health of gay African-American men."

Homework

Remember Feathers at Bulldog Road?

What was the Orbit Room like?

Is Lori Hammel still around?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Dave Ouano photographs the Gay Men's Chorus after party for Chicago Free Press, February 27, 2008

Terry Gaskins snaps Gentry's 12th anniversary for March 16, 1995 Gay Chicago

Bob Bearden and Elaine Otto photograph JJ's and the Lady Bug for Gay Life, March 15, 1984

Jason Schupp took these at Neo for Nightspots, March 13, 2002

Thanks go to publishers Michael Bergeron for Chicago Gay Crusader, Ralph and Craig Gernhardt forGay 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.