January 22-28, 2015

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

1982

In Gay Chicago:

"Our cover subjects this week are Don Greer and Bill Mieldazis of La Cage Chicago. Starting Friday, Jan. 29, the bar will begin its new policy after many successful Sunday T-Dances and Tuesday gay nights. The weeknight cover charge has been dropped and only apply to Friday and Saturday evenings. Wednesday night will be dancing and romancing night and Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday there are two shows featuring Diana Hutton, Billy Blake, Ruth Dix, Lisa Eaton and occasional special guest artists."

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IMAGE: Cover – Gay Chicago January 19, 1984

Howard Brown Memorial Clinic agrees to continue sponsoring a support group for patients suffering with chronic hepatitis B. In the last few years the clinic has seen over 200 patients who are carrying the hepatitis B virus in their blood on a continual basis.

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Ads in this week's Gay Chicago:

"Farm Fresh" – Two country guys, 22 and 24, just blew into the windy city. Bud and Sven, 312 –––––

And:

"CALL MARK" – Hot 23-year-old to show you a good time. 6', swimmer's build, well hung, cut, versatile.

And:

"Pretty Boy!" – Very attractive young, slim white male, petite build, wants to meet black males who are Greek/active.

1992

Extramuros, a passionate film about lesbian love inside convent walls, is showing at Facets, 1517 W. Fullerton. The story follows two nuns who fake stigmata in order to save their financially troubled convent so they can stay together.

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IMAGE: Judy Tenuta at Christopher Street – Gay Chicago February 15, 1987

In the bars and clubs, the Blaze Star Show with Bernice Blew Oprah Look-a-Like, Lisa Eaton "Chicago's Judy Garland," and special guests, takes place at L.A. Connection, 3700 N. Halsted; there's a Superbowl Potluck Buffet and Auction at North End, 3733 N. Halsted St.; Mr. Drummer 1991/1992 Woody Bebout is the special guest judge for Mr. and Ms. Midwest Leather Contest & Show at Bistro Too, 5015 N. Clark; Country singer Dena Kaye performs at Deeks, 3401 N. Sheffield; Sue Murphy "the hottest stand-up comic in the San Francisco Bay Area" performs at Vortex, 3631 N. Halsted; and it's the monthly underwear party at North End, 3733 N. Halsted.

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"We Dress You Up" introduces the L. Manning First and Original Fragrance, Skin and Nail Care Products for the Gentlemen at Le Market Mall, 1113 W. Belmont Ave. "Busting Loose Fashion Show," a special benefit for Test Positive Aware and the NAMES Project featuring Alyn Toler, Encore-Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, and Pat McComb.

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IMAGE: Party Time Lounge – Gay Chicago November 2, 1989

In Gay Chicago:

"Readers of this magazine could hardly not know of Memory Lane. Memory Lane is the creation of Dean Ulrich and is a regular entertainer at many local benefits and clubs. What many local fans do not realize is that Memory Lane is a well-known entertainer across the nation, appearing across the Midwest and sunbelt states. Memory Lane is not quite a drag queen and certainly not a female impersonator. Memory is really a female comic that shares a body (and a great deal of man-made fibers) with Mr. Ulrich. The closest equivalent would be Phyllis Diller."

2002

In Sukie de la Croix's Street Walkin' 2 column in Nightspots, he writes: "Another really cool gay-friendly place to go is Neo. I was invited down there by Dave Awl, who said, 'I think of Neo as the Island of Misfit Toys. It's for all the people who don't fit in with the other bars and clubs.'"

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IMAGE: Charlie's Hairy Ass Contest – Gay Chicago May 15, 1997

Quote in Quotelines in this week's Windy City Times:

"I'm the most fabulous fag in Pittsburgh. That's if it's possible to be fabulous in Pittsburgh" – The Brian character on the season premiere of Showtime's "Queer As Folk."

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Dahveed Kneeshack and Schwa present "Indigenous," a bi-weekly alternative to the Halsted Street scene. Entertainments includes music by resident DJs Corey Labadie and Rebecca, a Nu Skool Cabaret with live vocal acts, and installations by artists and photographers. Takes place at Subterranean, 2011 W. North.

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On the front page of this week's Windy City Times, Tracy Baim writes:

"A gay Democrat is running unopposed in the North Suburban 10th Congressional District, but he faces an uphill challenge against Republican incumbent Mark Kirk in the November General Election.

"Henry 'Hank' Perritt, a former moderate Republican who worked in the Nixon and Ford Administrations but who later converted to the Democratic Party when his own party shifted right, is taking a leave of absence as dean of the Chicago-Kent College of Law to campaign for a U.S. seat."

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Grinder: Queer Words and Music hosted by Scott Free this week features words by Rose Tully and music by Tim Cain, at the Coffee & Tea Exchange, 1100 W. Thorndale.

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Chicago Gay Men's Chorus is the guest chorus for two special performances of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat" at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted.

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Ritchie Havens and lesbian Janis Ian perform at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie.

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BUNGALOW and OPALGA, two suburban gay groups, host a joint bowling night at Oak Park Lanes, 6046 W. Roosevelt Rd. Oak Park.

Homework

Whatever happened to Memory Lane?

What's country singer Dena Kaye up to these days?

Who remembers LA Connection? What a dump ...

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Sara Feigenholtz receives an award in Gay Chicago May 17, 2001

Eli Burick photographs International Mr. Leather for Nightlines June 5, 1996

David Rosenberg and Tracy Baim photographed "Tony and Tony's Wedding" for Nightlines June 5, 1996

Two guys at Vortex in Windy City Times December 9, 1993

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.