November 6-12, 2014

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

1983

Fred Silver's "In Gay Company," starring Ben Rudolph, Raymond Ruggeri, Dennis Kinsella, and Thomas Kelly, and produced by the Echo Theater Company, is playing at Dingbats, 247 E. Ontario.

+++

"One," a powerful and human one-act play about a man with AIDS is performed as part of Good Shepherd Parish Metropolitan Community Church's worship services. The play, a one-man monologue by Chicago Playwright Jeff Hagedorn premiered in August under the auspices of Lionheart Theater. Carl Forsberg, who created the role of a gay man confronting AIDS and its effects on his life, will again appear. The Good Shepherd Parish meets at 615 W. Wellington.

+++

The Bijou Theatre, 1349 N. Wells, presents the Midwest premiere of "Nighthawks in Leather" starring Fred Halsted, J.W. King, Paul Monroe, Chris Burns and Melchor.

+++

In the bars and club, Wednesdays is "Dynasty" night at Dan's on Clark, 6341 N. Clark St.; the Longest Cocktail Hour in Chicago 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. is at Little Jim's, 3501 N. Halsted; DJ Jeff Davis is at Medusa's, 3257 N. Sheffield; there's a birthday celebration for Cesar Vera, Steve Allman, and Fred Conti at BJ's, 3231 N. Clark St.; Mary Lynn Morrison and Bill Muzillo entertain at Opal Station, 6655 N. Clark St.; Come in Uniform to Veteran's Day USO Nite at Piggen's Pub, 674 W. Diversey.

1998

The Lincoln Park Lagooners host a benefit porn sale at Touche, 6412 N. Clark St., to benefit Better Existence for HIV (BEHIV).

+++

The Leather Archives and Museum, 5007 N. Clark St., presents an exhibit, "Kink: A Woman's Perspective" exploring the ideas, work and art of kinky women.

+++

Sukie de la Croix is the featured reader at Twilight Tales reading series at the Red Lion Pub, 2446 N. Lincoln.

+++

In Quotelines in this week's Outlines:

"What's the most shocking thing about the fall TV season? ...The biggest eyebrow raiser has to be that NBC debuted a sitcom about a proud, openly gay man and–get this–no one made a fuss. No boycotts. No advertiser defections. No Bible-thumping jeremiads by Jerry Falwell. Instead, the cleverly written 'Will & Grace' has gotten to-die-for reviews and tasty ratings; it's one of the new season's few freshmen hits (albeit a modest one). What the heck? Is this the same country that threw a massive conniption over a little show called 'Ellen'? Has the Moral Majority upped and moved to Ecuador? Where's the controversy we journalists so love?" – Entertainment Weekly.

And:

"The opportunity to be threatened, humiliated and to live in fear of being beaten to death is the only 'special right' our culture bestows on homosexuals." – Denver Post columnist Diane Carman.

+++

Rex Wockner in Outlines writes:

"Gay pop singer George Michael revealed details of his April arrest in Beverly Hills, Calif., park toilet during a live interview on MTV Nov. 4.

"'I got followed into the restroom and then this cop–I didn't know it was a cop, obviously–he started playing this game, which I think is called 'I'll show you mine, you show me yours, then when you show me yours, I'm going to nick you,' Michael said.

"'Actually what happened was once he got an eyeful, he walked past me, straight past me and out, and I thought, that's kind of odd. I thought, maybe he's just not impressed. And then I went to walk back to my car, and as I got back to the car, I was arrested on the street. ...If someone's waving their genitalia at you, you don't automatically assume that they're an officer of the law. ...I've never been able to turn down a free meal,' Michael joked."

2001

Quotelines in this week's Outlines includes:

"Singing Irving Berlin's 'God Bless America' raises a number of issues for me. Like, for instance, whose god? And what kind of God blesses one nation over another? How far is this song from Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson's contention that a Christian god once kept a Christian America protected behind an invisible shield? And, besides, although it is not widely known, the royalties from 'God Bless America' go to the Boy Scouts of America!" – Jim Baxter, publisher of the North Carolina gay newspaper Front Page.

+++

In this week's Gay Chicago:

"'Dream Halloween,' to benefit the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, was held on Saturday, Oct. 20. Jamie Lee Curtis and Marlee Matlin were the celebrity chairs, and more than $500,000 was raised."

+++

AIDSCare and the Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce cosponsor the Jack Daniels' "Chili Challenge Cookoff" at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted. Twenty-five restaurants and caterers participate for the Grand Prize of $1,000. All proceeds from the door and raffles are divided between the two agencies.

+++

Tim Gideon hosts the Miss Tri-State Continental, the first Chicago preliminary for 2002's Miss Continental Pageant. Miss Continental 2001, Candis Cayne, makes her first appearance in Chicago since being crowned the previous year. Monica Munro and Tasha Long are the emcees. Takes place at the Baton, 436 N. Clark St.

Homework

What happened to Rex Wockner?

Is the Lionheart Theatre still around?

Have you ever flashed George Michael in a restroom?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Chicago's 24th Annual Pride Parade in Gay Chicago July 1, 1993

Sherman Heinrich photographs Little Jim Gates and Linda Henderson snaps the Women's Bowling League for Gay Chicago October 16, 1986

Summer frolics in Gay Chicago September 27, 1979

Israel Wright photographs the Academy Awards at Circuit for Nightlines April 11, 2001

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.