December 4-10, 2014

1978

An article in this week's Gay Life begins:

"The murders of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk Nov. 27 continue to dominate the life of the city. However, even as funeral services for the 2 men were being held decisions were being made regarding their successors.

"The first outpouring of grief was a spontaneous candlelight march of more than 40, 000 people, most of them gay, down Market Street to the City Hall Monday evening. Among the speakers was Harvey Britt, president of the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club (now renamed the Harvey Milk Memorial Democratic Club), who compared Milk to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Wednesday the city of San Francisco held a memorial service for the 2 men at which acting Mayor Dianne Feinstein and Milk's administrative assistant, Anne Kronenberg, spoke. Joan Baez sang 'Sweet Low, Sweet Chariot.'"

+++

Article in Gay Life begins:

"Representatives from the Greenleaf and Pepper's, two Rogers Park/Edgewater gay bars, and from the Rogers Park/Edgewater Gay Alliance have called for a community meeting to be held on Friday, Dec. 15 to discuss harassment of gays and gay institutions in the Rogers Park/Edgewater area. The meeting will be held at the Greenleaf between 7 and 9 pm and will be an open meeting.

"The purpose of the meeting will be to formulate requests to be made of the Chicago Police Department and to form a delegation to meet with Police Commander John Stibich of the 20th District. The meeting will also consider other possible actions to deal with the existing situation in the area."

"Periodic harassment has gone on at all three establishments including three incidents at the Greenleaf on Halloween and several incidents of window breaking at previous locations of the Rogers Park Gay Center. The most recent episode occurred at the Greenleaf Nov. 17 when several youths entered the bar, one swinging a crowbar, and injured co-owner Chuck Hadley as well as causing an estimated $1,000 damage."

1986

The Chicago Department of Health reports 18 new cases of AIDS. Since 1980, 538 cases had been reported, with 298 deaths. In 1986 alone, 252 cases were recorded.

+++

Article in Windy City Times begins:

"Dr. Lenora Fulani, a pro-gay New Alliance Party candidate for New York Governor in last month's elections, will be in Chicago for a forum, 'Which Way for Black and Latino Empowerment: What Are the Challenges Facing Black Leadership?' will also include County Commissioner-elect Bobbie Steele, Ald. Marlene Carter (who voted against the sexual orientation ordinance in the City Council July 29), State Rep. Arthur Turner, and Dr. Jessie Fields."

+++

In the clubs and bars, meet Ron Sable, 44th Ward Ald. Candidate at 2nd Story Bar, 157 E. Ohio; the Psychotronic Film Society presents "Ed Wood-The Man, the Myth, the Legend," at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont. Also, they show the rare, all-girl gang 1951 classic, "The Violent Years"; Paris Dance, 1122 W. Montrose, presents Gayle Johnson's 2nd annual Winter Fashion Show, featuring designers Paul Sisti, L. V. Jordan, and Tiffany Kim; and it's Eva and Todd's Birthday Party at the Factory, 3474 N. Clark St.

+++

Cartoonist Nicole Hollander, the creator of the marvelously witty "Sylvia," signs her books at Women & Children First, 1967 N. Halsted

+++

The Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport, screens a Bette Midler double-feature, "Ruthless People," and "Down and Out in Beverley Hills.

1993

Express yourself! Try Open & Out, Chicago's first gay and lesbian open microphone, at Cool Temptations, 2808 N. Halsted. The open mic is held the first and third Sunday of every month.

+++

"Welcome to Our Family of Faith," it's the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach Christmas Party at Ann Sathers, following a Catholic Mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church.

+++

The West Suburban Gay Association says cheers to a wine tasting at the Lynfred Winery in Roselle, Il. Price is $12.50.

+++

The Top 5 Bestselling Books according to People Like Us Bookstore are: 1) "Flesh and the Word 2" edited by John Preston; 2) "The Case of the Not-So-Nice-Nurse" by Mabel Maney; 3) "Romantic Naiad" edited by Katherine V. Forrest; 4) "Spawn of Dykes to Watch Out For" by Alison Bechdel; and 5) "Gay Issues in the Workplace" by Brian McNaught.

+++

Article on the front page of Windy City Times reads:

"The Oak Park Lesbian and Gay Association and attorneys for the village of Oak Park were given the green light last week to begin preparing a domestic partnership ordinance.

"If the measure passes, Oak Park would become the first municipality in Illinois to recognize domestic partnerships."

+++

Jeff Rosen writes in Gay Chicago:

"In his 1947 song, Frank Loesser asked, 'What are you doing New Year's Eve?' On the night that 1993 bows out to make room for 1994, 15,000 fortunate individuals will be seated in the Garden Theatre at the new MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, watching the first public concert by Barbara Streisand since April 15, 1972.

"In the intervening 21 years, Barbra has made an occasional live appearance, but those performances have been rare, consisting of a song or two, and almost all have been for political causes.

"In fact, Barbra has given only two extended performances in the past 20 years–her 20 minute appearance at the inaugural celebration earlier this year, and the 'One Voice' concert held in the backyard of her Malibu estate on September 6, 1986.

"However, to be in attendance for either, you had to be invited. And for the Malibu event, attendees had to pay $5,000 a couple–but the tickets did include a buffet."

Homework

What are the Oak Park Lesbian and Gay Association up to these days?

Did anyone go to the Factory, 3474 N. Clark St.?

Dr. Lenora Fulani, where is she now?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Terry Gaskins photographs Manhole's 5th anniversary and Berlin's 12th in Gay Chicago November 13, 1995

Speak It's Name, a gay theater company in Gay Chicago October 16, 1980

Random bar pictures, including one of Sukie and Jorjet Harper, in Nightlines October 27, 1999

Signing up recruits to STOP AIDS Chicago at 1991 Pride Rally.

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.