May 28-June 3, 2015

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

1978

"Commentary" in this week's Gay Life begins:

"Gay and Lesbian Week 1978 is only 3 weeks away and it is time once again to discuss the merits of the various activities, particularly the parade. Every year there are complaints about the parade not being representative of Chicago's gay and lesbian community. That may be true, but if it is it is the fault of those who do not participate.

"After all if there are 12 floats and 10 of them are entered by bars and feature drag queens or men dressed completely in leather that is not the fault of those connected with those floats. They have at least made the effort to have a float and participate in the parade. They are not afraid to take part in a gay event.

"However, if there are 30 floats and 10 of them are entered by bars and 20 by organizations, then the parade would reflect a totally different picture of Chicago's gay men and lesbians. I hope that there are enough people who are out of the closet and who will take part in the parade so that both the spectators and the media get a good idea of who we are."

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IMAGE: Medusa's – Gay Chicago May 22, 1986

The 2nd Unitarian Church, 656 W. Barry, is the venue for Bill Kelley and Renee Hanover speaking on "Straight Talk on Gay Legal Issues." A coffee hour and open discussion follows.

1988

Ad in Gay Chicago reads:

"Miller Brewing Co. and Chicago Beverage Systems are proud to sponsor the WCAA Blow-Out Softball Event. Come watch teams from Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Norfolk, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Toronto, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Nashville, and Washington, D.C. compete at Warren Park, 6800 N. Western Ave., in the Windy City Blow-Out Softball Tournament. Sunday evening, May 29th join the 400 men and women softballers at the Park West Complex, 322 W. Armitage, for a great night of entertainment and dancing. Linda Clifford and the outrageous Pudgy will be bringing down the house. Your 'homer' hankie is your ticket to fun for a $10 donation."

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IMAGE: Studs and Black Leather – Gay Chicago May 11, 1989

Cleve Jones, founder of the NAMES Project, is the keynote speaker at the 8thannual Gay and Lesbian Press Association Convention, held at the Executive House Hotel, 71 W. Wacker. The theme of Jones' speech is "Addressing Excellence." Entertainment is provided by leather-dyke singer Lynn Lavner.

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Article in Windy City Times reads:

"Last Sunday, members of Dignity/Chicago voted almost three to one to reject an archdiocese decision to assume sponsorship of the mass which Dignity has sponsored for the last 16 years. In a statement released two weeks ago to Dignity members, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin stated that archdiocesan sponsorship of theSunday evening liturgy for the lesbian and gay community would be based on a 'commitment to minister spiritually to its brothers and sisters who are homosexual,' but in the same text Cardinal Bernardin also stated that 'the Archdiocese fully supports the Church's teaching on human sexuality which rejects as immoral homosexual acts as distinguished from the person who is homosexual.' It was this latter statement which appeared to swing the vote to its final 55 to 19 with two abstentions."

1999

In the bars and clubs, June Special, say "I'm a Circuit Boy" at the door at Manhole, 3458 N. Halsted, and Fusion, 3631 N. Halsted, and get in free; it's $1 drinks on Wednesdays at Hunters Dance Club, 1932 E. Higgins, Elk Grove; everyThursday at the Nutbush, 7201 Franklin, Forest Park, is Latin Night; it's Stud Puppy Tuesdays every week at Temptations with Hot Male Dancers at 10235 W. Grand Ave. Franklin Park; and Ultra Glam Wednesdays with Tina Stefano and the Gurls, with sounds by DJ Ozzie, at the Mashed Potato Club, 316 W. Erie.

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IMAGE: The North End – Gay Chicago April 23, 1992

In Quotelines in Outlines:

"If I have to sit through 'The Normal Heart' one more time, I think I'll slit my wrists. ...I hate seeing the stuff that I've done." – Larry Kramer.

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Article in this week's Outlines begins:

"The state gay and lesbian civil-rights bill is still alive, but it did not come up for a vote before the end of this legislative session. Supporters could not count on getting the 60 votes necessary for passage out of the House, so they delayed a vote until the Fall veto session in Springfield, which ends in December.

"Rep. Larry McKeon earlier this session was able to get House Speaker Mike Madigan to OK an extension of the bill. The bill had earlier failed by a slim margin."

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IMAGE: Different Strokes – Nightspots April 30, 2003

Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"At a time when most congregations are divided over same-sex issues, one church has become a haven for those who are both homosexual and black.

"The Rev. Alma Faith Crawford and her lesbian partner, the Rev. Karen Hutt, started the Church of the Open Door three years ago as a Bible study group in their apartment.

"Since then, the small congregation has grown to 275 and has settled into its own red brick house of worship in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the city's southwest side."

Homework

What happened to the NAMES Project in Chicago?

Is the Church of the Open Door still there?

Is Hunters still open?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Terry Gaskins photographs the 1st anniversary of the Eagle for Gay Chicago May 19, 1994

Linda Henderson photographs a fashion show at CK & Augie's for Gay Chicago May 22, 1986

Kirk Williamson photographs Neo for Nightspots April 30, 2003

Jason Smith photographs Pepe and Chuck at Sidetrack for Windy City Times May 19, 1994

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.