August 14-20, 2014

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

1984

Larry Eyler is rearrested on suspicion of the dismemberment murder of Danny Bridges, whose body was found in a dumpster in Rogers Park. The dumpster belonged to a building next to Eyler's apartment building. Police would eventually link Eyler to the murders of a number of young men in Illinois and Indiana.

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IMAGE: The Gold Coast – Gay Chicago April 26, 1979

Tricia Alexander and Lori Noelle are among the featured entertainers at the Broadway Art Festival, where nearly 200 artists, community organizations, and charitable groups are represented.

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On the front page of Gay Life:

"A disturbance at the Northalsted Market Days street fair resulted in 39 arrests, a 400 person protest at the Town Hall police station, and dozens of complaints of physical and anti-gay verbal abuse by police.

"It all started with squirt guns.

"The annual two day affair on Halsted Street between Belmont and Addison was the most successful ever–until the last 15 minutes. Squirt guns, wielded by merchants, patrons, and even uniformed police officers assigned to patrol the fair, had been part of the fun on the street, where about half the business owners and residents are gay.

"But the traffic became more congested Sunday evening, and festival goers who had been imbibing liquid refreshment most of the day started squirting passing motorists.

"From this point on, accounts of the story differ. The police department's Office of Professional Standards, reacting to an unusually large volume of complaints, has launched a full-scale investigation into all 39 arrests ... In addition, Mayor Harold Washington has appointed an 'August Twelfth Committee' to study the incident and to provide an outlet for those not comfortable complaining about police to the police.

"Some witnesses, and police, say the crowd became unruly, throwing ice, water and beer as well as squirting motorists trying to plod through the packed street.

"'The street was totally obstructed, the prank was getting out of hand,' said one observer, who, along with others, said that a bus driver frazzled because beer was thrown on her windshield radioed for police aid.

"Other observers, including some of those arrested, say the trouble began when undercover officers driving in an unmarked car were squirt-gunned near the corner of Halsted and Roscoe, in front of the gay bar Christopher Street, 3458 N. Halsted. Several witnesses concur that a short, heavy-set Hispanic man wearing a red shirt and black baseball cap, who did not identify himself as a police officer, got out of the unmarked car, grabbed the man who had squirted by the hair, and dragged him into the back seat. Another man, the sources say, then came up and asked what was going on, and he, too, was thrown into the back of the car.

"At that point, three police paddy wagons and between five and 12 squad cars pulled up. 'There was blue as far as I could see,' said one of the arrestees later.

"'They were dragging anybody," said Steve Brahill, co-owner of Christopher Street, who was working the stand in front of his business.

"Another arrested man said he asked the undercover officer if he could see his badge. 'He threw me to the ground and said. 'Here's my badge,' without showing me. Then he threw me into the wagon and still refused to show me his badge.'

"Several witnesses claim some of the officers made anti-gay slurs, though the crowd was by no means all gay. Reported remarks include: 'Let's clear these faggots off the street.' 'Up your ass, you faggot,' and 'Fucking faggots.'

"Some witnesses reported that they saw a female officer pull a man off his bicycle as he was passing. One witness said he saw an officer kick someone he had thrown on the ground.

"A police officer got up on the band stage and ordered everyone to leave. After that, all sources concur, police marched in a line down the street with billy clubs outstretched ordering everyone inside.

"'I felt like I lived in a Communist country,' said Kim Holtz, who lives with her husband upstairs from the Lady Bug, a lesbian bar at 3445 N. Halsted. 'Anyone who talked back was arrested.'

"'These cops made asses of themselves,' said a non-gay businesswoman on the street, who asked not to be identified. 'They were not nice at all. They had a job to do and they were not going to let anybody get in their way. People were having such a wonderful time up to that point. It was such a drastic change.'"

1993

In the bars and clubs this week, Vortex, 3631 N. Halsted, invites you to its 3rd Anniversary Party with entertainment from Lonnie Gordon performing songs from her new album, "Bad Mood"; it's the Grand Opening of AA Meat Market, 2933 N. Lincoln, with Bob Jones's biggest star, Rick Bolton, doing an erotic performance; Dion's Suave Summer Night," a jazzy evening of smooth, cool music ... Roxy Music, Cocteau Twins etc., a real hep happening at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont; it's "Disco Palace" bell-bottoms up, let's party down at Roscoe's, 3354-56 N. Halsted.

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IMAGE: One Way – Babble July 12, 1995

Playing at the Bijou, 1349 N. Wells, is "The Moon Also Rises":

"At a lush park, uncut Vinnie Marino works his Italian sausage while dark Nick Roman takes all of muscleman Steve Regis's boner into his mouth and let's his tongue work his balls. Josh Taylor discovers the ins and outs of uncut Brazilian hunk Vladimir Correa while British and uncut Matt Windsor watches intently and works his meat and tweaks his nipples."

2003

Dana Caprina's "Profile" of Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) in Gay Chicago begins:

Gay Chicago: How long ago did TPAN get started?

TPAN: TPAN was founded in 1987, so 16 years ago. We are one of the last remaining agencies solely devoted to HIV.

IMAGE: Babble cover – Babble August 10, 1994

GC: Who and how did TPAN get started?

TPAN: A group of 16 individuals gathered in the home of Chris Clason and talked about how there were minimal or no resources or services available for people who were HIV positive but had not progressed to AIDS. Noticing this, they began meeting and forming support groups based on finding and sharing information. Soon they began typing up new medical information and clinical trials information, copying it on an old mimeograph machine and distributing it around Chicago.

GC: For someone who was just moved to Chicago, how would you describe TPAN?

TPAN: TPAN provides peer-led, empowerment-based HIV information and support services. We specialize in treatment education, referrals into medical care and social services, and HIV prevention education.

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Tracy Baim writes in her "Off the Cuffs" column in Nightspots:

"It is official, after eight years on Belmont (and 16+ in Lakeview), our offices are moving September 1 to 1940 W. Irving, just west of the Ravenswood El, just east of Damen. Our phones are expected to remain the same, but with the phone companies, you never know."

Homework

Do you have memories of the squirt gun incident?

Who remembers Babble?

Does anyone know if Vinnie Marino's uncut Italian sausage is still around?

Babble people From August 10, 1994 issue

Gay Chicago celebrates New Year's in 1995 in Gay Chicago January 5, 1995

Jack Sitar photographs International Mr. Leather in Gay Chicago on June 6, 1985

David Veltkamp photographs at the Steve English art exhibit at Bushes bar in Gay Chicago July 5, 1979

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.