November 13-19, 2014

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

1978

On the front page of this week's Gay Life:

"The General Faculty Committee of Northwestern University, representing the entire faculty at both the Evanston and Chicago campuses, has passed a resolution condemning Garret Evangelical Theological Seminary's May 1978 dismissal of 2 openly gay students. Terry Colbert and James Mason were barred from continuing their studies at Garret last spring when the seminary's faculty voted 15 to 10 not to allow them to return in the fall.

"The 2 men had enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Garret. The reason given for their dismissal was that the Methodist Church prohibits the ordination of homosexuals as ministers."

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IMAGE: "We Want You" – Gay Chicago September 27, 1979

Article in this week's Gay Life reads:

"Gay Life has recently received a report of attacks occurring in the North Lakeview area. The caller indicated that he had been attacked twice, most recently on Nov. 9, by youths 19 to 22 in age who hang out at the liquor store at Broadway and Clarendon. Residents in this area are advised to use due caution."

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DJ Michael Graber's Playlist: 1) "MacArthur Park" – Donna Summer; 2) "Instant Replay" – Dan Hartman; 3) "I Love the Night Life" – Alicia Bridges; 4) "Aint That Enough for You" – John Davis Monster Orchestra; 5) "The Freak" – Chic; 6) "Hold Your Horses" – First Choice; 7) "Victim" – Candi Staton; 8) "I Will Survive" – Gloria Gaynor; 9) "In the Bush" – Musique; and 10) "Workin' and Slavin'" – Ray Caviano.

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There's a benefit for Women in Crisis Can Act (WICCA) at the Mountain Moving Coffee House, with the showing of the film "My People Are Home," the story of poet Meridel Le Sueur. Women are invited to come dressed as their favorite author.

1985

DJ Billy Albiez from BJ's, 3231 N. Clark St., picks his Top 10: 1) "Who's Zoomin' Who" – Aretha Franklin; 2) "Part-Time Lover" – Stevie Wonder; 3) "Eaten Alive" – Diana Ross; 4) "You Wear It Well" – DeBarge; 5) "Fall Down" – Tramaine; 6) "Conga" – Miami Sound Machine; 7) "You and Me (instr)" – Flirts; 8) "Walk Away Satisfied" – Zino featuring Jane Edwards; 9) "One of the Living" – Tina Turner; and 10) "Takes a Little Time" – Total Control.

IMAGE: Lolita's – Nightlines September 9, 1998

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Lesbian filmmaker Donna Deitch's "Desert Hearts" is screened at the Chicago International Film Festival. The film is based on Jane Rule's classic novel "Desert of the Heart."

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IMAGE: Star Gaze – Nightlines January 6, 1999

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

"Four men arrested Aug. 11 at Touche were given short periods of court-ordered supervision Oct. 29. All pleaded not guilty to charge of public indecency.

"But charges against the bar, located at 2825 N. Lincoln, were dropped. A bar employee had been arrested and charged with being the keeper of a disorderly house.

"The attorney for the four men, Larry Rolla, said each entered a technical plea of not guilty and of the four supervision sentences, none more than six months.

"According to the police report on the Aug. 11 arrests, which took place about 10.45 p.m. two citations were issued for no liquor license, one person was charged with being the keeper of a disorderly house, and the four men were charged with public indecency.

"Police entered Touche allegedly in response to a citizen's complaint received by the office of Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. According to the police, officers observed a number of 'lewd' behaviors."

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Jo A. Moore writes in Gay Life:

"Trial is set to begin next week for accused murderer Larry Eyler, a 31 year old Chicago man who is the suspect in as many as 24 sex-related slayings of young men.

"Eyler is charged with murder, armed violence, aggravated kidnapping, unlawful restraint, and concealment of a homicide in connection with the August 1984 killing of a 16 year-old male hustler, Daniel Bridges."

1997

In the bars and clubs, it's the Grand Opening of Leatherneck's new mezzanine bar at 209 W. Lake St.; there's a Big Old Fashioned Beer Bust at a joint party between Clarks on Clark, 5001 N. Clark St. and Different Strokes, 4923 N. Clark St.; it's Stud Puppy Tuesdays at Temptations, 10235 W. Grand Ave., Franklin Park; Miss Chicago Continental 1998 and Miss Chicago Continental Plus 1998, takes place at the Baton, with special guests Tasha Long, Dena Cass, Mimi Marks, Xavier Snow, and Amber Starr; it's Concurso de Calzones Mojados at Circuit, 3641 N. Halsted.

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IMAGE: Charlie's – Gay Chicago January 4, 1996

Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"Jon-Henri Damski, 60, prominent activist, columnist, author and poet for the Chicago lesbian and gay community died Saturday November 1 of malignant melanoma at St. Joseph's Hospital.

"Mr. Damski was born and raised in Seattle, Washington and moved to Chicago in the early 1970s.

"With Ph.D in the classics, he taught at both Bryn Mawr and Truman Colleges in the '70s. For the last 20 years he was a columnist for six local gay and lesbian publications including Gay Chicago Magazine, Gay Life, Windy City Times and, most recently, Chicago Outlines."

Homework

Who remembers Leatherneck?

Any Larry Eyler stories?

Whatever happened to Terry Colbert and James Mason?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Terry Gaskins photographs in Spin, Numbers, the Granville Anvil, North End, and Crobar for Gay Chicago May 30, 1996

Chip Mathews, the winner of the Miss Piggy contest in Gay Chicago September 27, 1979

The NAMES Project Quilt is displayed at Elmhurst College in Nightlines May 22, 1996

Woody photographs the guys and gals at Jackhammer in Nightspots February 5, 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.