Aug 6-12, 2015

1981

Lionheart Gay Theatre Company presents the return engagement of "Gunsel, or Love on the Lam," a 'gayngster radio mystery serial by Lawrence Bommer and Rick Paul at the Theatre Building, 1225 W. Belmont.

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IMAGE: Blacklines Cover – Blacklines August 1997

On the front page of Gay Life, Stephen Kulieke writes:

"Plainclothes police officers raided the Image Theater, an X-rated all-male movie house at 750 N. Clark St. on Aug. 4, arresting 18 men on prostitution and prostitution-related charges. It was the second raid at the Image in five weeks. Ten men were arrested July 1 in a similar incident.

"According to police reports, three 18th (East Chicago Avenue) District tactical officers entered the theater Tuesday at approximately 9:40 p.m. Officer Terrance Pekara reported observing 'numerous patrons' engaged in sodomy and oral copulation.

"Pekara said that one man approached, rubbing his crotch, and invited Pekara to 'finish him off.' When Pekara refused, the man allegedly offered to perform oral sex on the officer for $20. Pekara said he then attempted to persuade the man to go to his 'hotel' but the man refused. Pekara then allegedly asked the theater cashier to change a $20 bill for a 'blow job,' a tactic police used in the July 1 raid as well. Pekara said that when he commented that a 'lot of action' was going on in the theater, the cashier responded, 'Sure is.'"

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Chicago Men's Gathering hosts its Third Annual Gala Previously Owned Rummage Sale Extravaganza at Wellington Avenue Church, 615 W. Wellington.

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Strike Under (Wax Trax recording artists) appears at the Space place rock loft. 955 W. Fulton.

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Lesbian singer, Janis Ian, performs at Park West, 322 W. Armitage.

1989

Proceeds from rental of the video, "Torch Song Trilogy" during August is donated by Specialty Video, 3349 N. Broadway, to Horizons Anti-Violence Project.

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IMAGE: Steamworks, Ltd. – Gay Chicago News May 27, 1977

Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"The third annual summer brunch to benefit Chicago House and Social Service Agency was held at Scoozi, 410 W. Huron.

"Patrons enjoyed Italian cuisines and cabaret-style entertainment of a variety of local artists, while raising money for an organization providing housing for people with AIDS.

"The benefit raised more than $34,000 for Chicago House, which was established in 1985 to provide housing for people with AIDS."

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A Letter to the Editor of Gay Chicago from Gregory Morrow begins:

"I wholeheartedly agree with H. Holcombe's view concerning Morgan Summer's column (Vol. XII, No 30). His column was utter rubbish, well gotten rid of.

"While I'm at it, I'd like to say that Don Eric's self-indulgent meanderings are hard to stomach. Who cares how much he paid for vodka or gladioli? He's old enough to know better.

"Why does Gale Harris write a column? Surely she can find something better to discuss than cats and checkbook balancing."

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An article by Cliff O'Neill on the front page of Windy City Times begins:

"The nation recently passed a somber threshold. On July 1, the 100,000th case of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome was reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). An average of 189 new AIDS cases are now reported to the CDC each day."

1997

In Quotelines in Outlines:

"I must say, the emphasis on identifying the killer of Gianni Versace and four other men with the label 'gay serial killer' seems wrong to me. He may be gay and he may be a serial killer. But one doesn't find epithets describing other alleged murderers in religious, sexual or ethnic terms. We don't read about Jewish serial killers' or 'African American serial killers' or 'poor white trash serial killers." – Liz Smith in her L.A. Times column.

And:

"I used to fight with my daddy and my mama about the stuff I wore. I wasn't doing it to be trashy. I was doing it 'cause I didn't feel right being ordinary. It was almost like being gay. It's a good thing I was born a woman, 'cause I'da damn sure been a drag queen if I hadn't. I can't get flamboyant enough." – Dolly Parton in Out magazine.

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IMAGE: Brady Cartoon – Gay Chicago June 5, 1997

Article in Gay Chicago reads:

"Effective Aug. 1 Stop AIDS Lakeview Center will be located at 3651 N. Halsted, adjacent to the Brown Elephant Resale Shop, said David Ostrow, M.D., interim director. The office provides drop-in hours Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m., for people in need of HIV-prevention information. For more information call Dianne Goodwin at ________ "

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In the clubs and bars, Leatherneck, 209 W. Lake St., is "right the heck downtown" with masters, slaves, beer & booze, hooks, a cage, stocks, the L & lots of parking"; cool your buns at the Manhandler Saloon, 1948 N. Halsted; Madrigals, 5316 N. Clark St., celebrates with a 3 year anniversary party; there's a Hawaiian Luau and costume contest at Ultimate Oz, 7301 W. Roosevelt Road, Forest Park; Sunday is free pizza night at the Chicago Eagle, 5015 N. Clark St.; it's Madonna Monday, see "Evita" on the big screen at Roscoe's, 3354-56 Halsted.

Homework

Who remembers Leatherneck?

What happened to the Lionheart Gay Theatre Company?

Where is Gale Harris these days?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Frank Failing photographs the North End crowd for Chicago Free Press July 9, 2008

Sherman Heinrich and Big Jim photographs the Unicorn 4th anniversary party and Little Jim's 10th anniversary celebrations in Gay Chicago July 11 1985

Art and Pepe from Sidetrack photographed by Jim Pirih for Gay Chicago August 22, 1985

Terry Gaskins photographs the guys and gals at Gentry and Spin for Gay Chicago June 4, 1998

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.