April 30-May 6, 2015

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

1978

An article in this week's Gay Life reads:

"Over the past several weeks Gay Life has received complaints of gay persons being beaten and harassed in the vicinity of Broadway and Barry by area youths. These complaints are being checked into by members of the newspaper staff.

"Commander Thomas Hanley of the 23rd Police District (Town Hall), who met with representatives of the gay and lesbian community earlier this year, is cooperating with this investigation and is making an inquiry of his own into the matter in an effort to give gay people equal protection."

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IMAGE: Chicago Police Commander – Cover of Gay Life January 25, 1980

The Shepherd Players of Good Shepherd Parish Community Church present Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" at 615 W. Wellington.

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Tom Peters in Gay Life writes:

"When you read his new book, 'Take Off the Masks,' you will know the man who is Malcolm Boyd. You will also know the struggles of being gay from both inside the closet–and outside of it as last. 'I have learned that a mask is a lie,' he says, 'that it obscures deep truths, that it gets in the way of life.'"

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A workshop on "Gays and the Family" is held at the University Union, Illinois State University at Normal. Sponsored by the Gay Peoples Alliance, the workshop features Rusty Mann, a lesbian mother from Chicago and Phil Marti, representing Parents of Gays.

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The movie, "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" is shown at the Glory Hole, 1343 N. Wells St.

1992

Groups meeting this week include ACT-UP Windy City at Ann Sather's, 929 W. Belmont; CAMEO PLUS, HIV support group meets at Hideaway II, Forest Park; Chi-Town Squares do-si-do at 615 W. Wellington; and Gays/Lesbians of Unity host a pot luck at 1925 W. Thome.

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IMAGE: Hunters – Hotspots January 2001

Alexandra Billings and Jamie Pachino star in "Gertrude Stein and a Companion" by Win Wells at Strawdog Theatre, 3829 N. Broadway.

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The free flexi-disc in the May 1992 issue of Chicago-based Hotwire, a journal of Women's Music and Culture, contains Side One: "Linda" by Pam Hall, "Glory Glory" by Leah Zicari, and "Let There Be Peace" by Casselberry and Dupree. Side Two: "No Closet" by Jamie Anderson and "Angel Park" by Macula Lutea.

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The first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Leather Archives & Museum is held during IML weekend in Chicago. LA&M IS officially founded.

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In the bars and clubs this week, it's the Grand Opening of Eons bar, 3200 N. Halsted; there's a Male Box Party at Deeks, 3401 N. Sheffield; Chicago's best amateur drag and strip night is at L.A. Connection, 3700 N. Halsted; "The Great May Day Rodde Center Flower Fetishist Festival," a plant sale benefit for the Rodde Center, is at Buddies, 3301 N. Clark St.; and it's the Stud Puppy Underwear Party with the Masculine Overdrive strippers at Temptations, 10235 W. Grand Ave., Franklin Park.

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IMAGE: Voltaire – Gay Chicago January 27, 1994

The Chicago Gay Men's Chorus performs "The Wizard of Oz" at Lane Tech High School (Addison & Western).

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E. Lynn Harris, author of "Invisible Life," a novel exploring bisexuality in the Black community, signs his books at People Like Us Bookstore, 3321 N. Clark St.

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Article in Gay Chicago reads:

"Sunday, May 3, marks the commemoration of the first Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) service held in Chicago by Good Shepherd Parish in 1970. ...The celebration will begin with a reception at 5 p.m. in the Parish Center, 615 W. Wellington, and will be followed by the 7 p.m. evening service in the Main Sanctuary. The evening will be capped off by the customary social hour after the service, again being held in the Parish Center.

2003

Popular restaurants for gay couples include: Marysol, tapas bar and lounge, 812-816 W. Randolph; the Kit Kat lounge and supper club, 3700 N. Halsted; and Dinotto, 215 N. Ave., for late-nightly dining and cocktails.

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IMAGE: Sidetrack – Nightlines January 13, 1999

From the creator of "Making Porn," "10 Naked Men," the hit off-Broadway comedy about Hustlers and Hollywood, written by Ronnie Larsen, has a limited engagement at the Theatre Building, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

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Article in Gay Chicago reads:

"Dozens of Andersonville businesses will donate a portion of their sales to the Lesbian Community Cancer Project and the Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization during the community's Pink Ribbon days on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4. Participating merchants will have pink ribbons on their doors, letting shoppers know that their purchases will support these charities. @mosphere, 5355 N. Clark St. will hold a kick-off party from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, May 2."

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Billy Masters in his Filth column in Gay Chicago writes:

"Could it be that Star Jones has put her foot in her mouth? Literally. That gargantuan gabby gal was told by ABC brass to cool it on plugs for Payless during 'The View.' Since Star is a paid spokesperson, the network brass felt that it was a conflict of interests for Star to keep using her position on the show to give the chain some free publicity. Jones was perturbed, but the network was adamant–either keep your mouth shut or stick with the shoes and keep walking."

Homework

Did anyone see "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" at the Glory Hole?

Who remembers People Like Us Bookstore?

Who saw "Making porn?"

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Steve Picon photographs Barry Flynn, Bruce Cegur and the gang at Bushes bar for Gay Chicago March 28, 1983

A cake-cutting at Bistro in Gay Chicago News January 6, 1978

Mystery event in Nightspots April 24, 2002

Sukie de la Croix takes pictures at Buddies for Nightlines May 23, 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.