April 2-8, 2015

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

1981

"Jocks' with Jack Wrangler opens at the Bijou, 1349 N. Wells.

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Two new gay bars open this week, the Ozone, 112 W. Hubbard, and Dickies, 674 W. Diversey.

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IMAGE: Linda Clifford at Trianon – Gay Chicago September 13, 1984

In the Polish Princess column in Gay Life, Ron Helizon writes:

"A brand new organization, the West Suburban Gay Association, is holding its first party Saturday, April 4, in the Woodbridge/Bolingbrook area.

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An article by Stephen Kulieke in Gay Life begins:

"One year after he was brutally assaulted in his New Town bar, Warner 'Nino" B.' Heacox remains in a coma in a medical facility in Michigan.

"Heacox has never regained consciousness following the early morning April 5, 1980 attack at Ann Arkees, 2838 N. Broadway.

"Heacox had apparently dismissed the last customer and was completing the count of the night's receipts when one or more assailants attacked him, delivering a crushing blow to the head and stabbing him in the chest.

"Heacox lay on the floor the rest of the night until an employee discovered him at 10 a.m. The front door was ajar, and the lights were still on.

"Heacox was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital and later moved to the North Chicago VA Hospital, before he was transferred to Michigan to be near his family, an attending neurosurgeon said that there would probably be permanent brain damage."

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The Shepherd Players present "Curses!" a musical melodrama featuring the play "Curse You Jack Dallon!" by Wilbur Braun, songs of the gay 90s, at Wellington Avenue Church, 615 W. Wellington.

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Congregation Or Chadash, a gay Jewish group, hosts a dance concert by Isadora Guggenheim, at the Unitarian Center, 656 W. Barry.

1992

In the clubs and bars, "Let's Be Street Safe," a benefit in support of the Pink Angels, is held at the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge, 3169 N. Halsted.

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IMAGE: Michael Feinstein – Windy City Times November 30, 1989

Chicago's Original Country Dance hosted by David Boyer with DJ Ron Goodman is every Sunday at Puszh Studios, 3829 N. Broadway.

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Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"The Physician's Association for AIDS Care (PAAC) recently distributed $470,000 in grants to 51 chapters of AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP)

"The funding represented a portion of the profits from the sale of 'Red Hot and Blue,' an album collection of popular Cole Porter tunes performed by pop/rock stars, including Sinead O'Connor, Lisa Stanfield, Jimmy Sommerville, Iggy Pop, Blondie, U2, Nineh Cherry, and David Byrne."

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The Rodde Center, Lesbian and Gay Community Center of Chicago, 4753 N. Broadway, holds a 15th Anniversary Celebration with a Candlelight Rodde Memorial March.

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IMAGE: Women Obsession at Berlin – Nightlines September 9, 1998

"Dirty Dreams of a Clean-Cut Kid: The Musical," written by Henry Mach, composed by Paul Katz, co-directed by Buddy King and Henry Mach, musical direction by Daniel Stetzel, previews at Puszh Studios, 3829 N. Broadway.

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GOOD READS at People Like Us Bookstore, 3321 N. Clark St.:

MENS EROTICA: 1) "Leatherfolk" edited by Mark Thompson; 2) "Leatherman's Handbook," by Larry Townsend; 3) "Meatmen Vol. 12" edited by Winston Leyland; 4) "Movie Buff Checklist" by Marvin Jones; 5) "Mantalk" by Jerry Douglas.

WOMEN'S EROTICA:

1) "Bushfire" edited by Karen Barber; 2) "Kiss & Tell" by Robbi Summers; 3) "Travels With Diana Hunter" by Regine Sand; 4) "Players" by Robbi Summers; 5) "Pleasures" by Robbi Summers.

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In the bars and clubs, "S & N (Sweats and no underwear) Party" at Deeks, 3401 N. Sheffield; Chicago's Best Drag and Male Strip contest takes place at L.A. Connection, 3700 N. Halsted; Drag Race returns to Berlin, 954 W. Belmont; it's a "Spring Affair" benefit for Community Response with Mother Matt's 1st Annual Bake Sale and Kenned & Carl at Hideaway II, 7301 W. Roosevelt Rd., Forrest Park; and Temptations, 10235 W. Grand Ave., Franklin Park, presents Chicago's Wild & Zany Singer and Comedienne Memory Lane.

1999

Betty DeGeneres, Ellen's mom, reads from her book "Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey" at Women and Children First, 5233 N. Clark St.

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IMAGE: Feast of Fools – Nightlines March 31, 1999

Minority Outreach Intervention Project. Lo Nuestro es un program de discussion para hombres Latinos con vida sexual alternativa, 1900 S. Carpenter.

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In Quotelines in Outlines:

"A cigar is very sexual to me. My dad smoked a cigar. Do I want to have sex with my dad? I don't know. Personally, I think many homosexual men's homosexuality is wrapped up in the masculine imagery of their father or an uncle. For me, the first association of what a man was had that smell of a cigar around it – it was my dad. That smell and that sight to me are the epitome of ultra hyper masculinity." – porn star Cole Tucker.

And:

"The Army may recruit high school dropouts. It's part of the new 'Don't Ask, Don't Spell' policy." – Jay Leno

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Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"The Illinois House unanimously approved an HIV/AIDS prevention bill targeting senior citizens.

"The legislation, sponsored by State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), required the Illinois Department of Ageing to develop a comprehensive public health AIDS awareness program targeting persons 50 years and older, who are now witnessing the greatest HIV infection rates, concerning the dangers of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. 'The senior citizen population today is becoming older and, yet, remaining healthy, fit and sexually alive,' said Feigenholtz. 'But the attitude 'this disease cannot reach me' exists, and it is a false and dangerous attitude.'"

Homework

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has information about Warner 'Nino" B.' Heacox.

Who is Wilbur Braun?

Anyone remember Dickies?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Mike Siegel of Broadway Limited bar in Gay Chicago July 19, 1979

Terry Gaskins photographs at Gentry and Madrigals for Gay Chicago March 11, 1999

Terry Gaskins at Gentry and the Leather Archives and Museum for Gay Chicago October 28, 1999

David Rosenberg takes this picture of "Tony and Tony's Wedding" for Nightlines July 3, 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.