Sept. 3-Sept. 9, 2015

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

1989

In the bars and clubs, every Thursday is Leather/Uniform Night at the Granville Anvil, 1137 W. Granville; every Sunday Jeff Roberts and guest vocalists present an evening of light classical music at Hev'in, 54 E. Walton St.; there are live dancers at the new Party Time Lounge, 1004 N. Clark St.; the Pour House Lounge, 103 155th Place, Calumet City, celebrates its 3rd Annual "Tropical Nights Weekend," with a limbo contest nightly and a Hawaiian Feast for the Gods; there's a Labor Day Party at Oasis, 111 W. Hubbard St.; the Continental Polka Band perform at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont; Charlene Unger and Jeff Little perform at Stars, 3209 N. Halsted; and the Chicago Voguer's Ball is at Medusa's, 3257 N. Sheffield.

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IMAGE: Broadway Limited – Gay Chicago April 16, 1981

Article in this week's Windy City Times begins:

"Choosing to Make a Difference" was the theme of the 11th International Conference of Gay and Lesbian Jews, held August 24-27 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago. Jointly sponsored by the World Congress of Gay and Lesbian Jewish Organizations and Chicago's lesbian and gay Congregation Or Chadash, the conference attracted almost 270 participants, about one-third women, making it the largest in the conference's history (the 10th conference, held in Amsterdam in 1987, topped 300).

1994

Headline on the front page of Outlines reads:

"'Angels in America' comes to Chicago. Award-winning play goes on nationwide tour."

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IMAGE: BJ's – Gay Chicago August 18, 1983

In Outlines' Quotelines:

"I'm not as afraid to question my own sexual orientation as I might have been 10 years ago. I'm not afraid to think about certain things you aren't supposed to think about" – Nine Inch Nails singer Trent Reznor.

And:

"I've been lucky. I've worked with beautiful women and beautiful men. I've had it all. I've done love scenes with every one of them" – Christian Slater.

And:

"My gay audience is as important to me as my pumps ...I don't feel whole unless I have on five inch pumps, I don't feel whole unless I have a gay crowd" – Patti LaBelle.

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A Local News Brief in this month's Outlines reads:

"Alan Richko, 38, was convicted Aug. 8 in the 1992 murder of Legacy bartender Robert Teresi. Prosecutors said Richko was drinking at Legacy, a North Side gay bar, and became enraged when Teresi refused to serve him another drink the morning ofMarch 6. Richko pulled Teresi over the bar and beat him about the face with a beer bottle. Richko was convicted of second-degree murder. He will be sentenced Sept. 6before Judge Michal Bolan at the Cook County Courthouse, 26th and California."

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IMAGE: Ball Room – Gay Chicago August 5, 1993

Article in Outlines reads:

"Horizons Community Services Anti-Violence Project received reports concerning 37 victims in July, including 5 physical assaults, 5 police misconduct cases, 11 domestic violence, 1 arson, 4 stalking, and 4 vandalism."

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Lesbian comedienne Suzanne Westenhoefer is on the cover of Chicago's Hot Wire: A Journal of Women's Music and Culture

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"Suddenly Last Summer" with Katherine Hepburn, is showing at the Music Box, 3733 N. Southport. Also "A Time for Witches," a film about AIDS in Poland.

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Executive Sweet's "Stimulating Saturday" party is at Hot Shots, 547 S. Clark St, hosted by Pat and Vera.

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In a letter in Gay Chicago, Terry M. Byrne, Polygram Records Promoter, ABBA Gold, writes:

TOP 10 REASONS FOR THE CURRENT ABBA-MANIA IN THE GAY COMMUNITY.

10) Forget about wife-swapping rumors. Did Benny do Bjorn and did Agnetha fool around with Frida in the Bjords.

9) Their videos look like drag shows (just ask Erasure)

8) They sound fabulous on CDs instead of 8-tracks.

7) They really are better than Ace the Bass.

6) Because of Bjorn's, not Agnetha's, sexy bottom.

5) They still pack the dance floor with dancing queens.

4) "The Winner Takes it All" still makes me cry.

3) We all sympathize with Frida's 'bad hair' days.

2) Just go see 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.'

1) Because they're fun and we still love 'em ...honestly.

"ABBA nice day."

2010

Equality Illinois First Friday Networking Event, Equality Illinois and ChicagoPride.com present this monthly "Make A Difference" event. For a $10 donation to the Equality Illinois PAC, you receive two drink tickets and a ticket for a door prize drawing at Sidetrack, 3349 N Halsted St.

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IMAGE: Lingus in Love – Nightspots March 20, 2002

The Hinsdale PFLAG Chapter meets every first Sunday of the month. This month's speaker is former Marine Sergeant Marquel Smith on the topic of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

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Bisexual Panel Discussion, a casual conversation group for bisexuals, bi-curious, and bi-allies meets at Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted.

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Celebration of Progress hosted by John Dalton Kane County Resident, Judge Candidate John Dalton, is a fundraising event honoring the 1st anniversary of legalization of gay marriage in Vermont and the 10-year anniversary of the first U.S. Civil Union. It takes place at Minibar Ultra Lounge & Café, 3341 N. Halsted.

Homework

Are those Executive Sweet parties still going on?

Anybody know anymore about the murder of Legacy bartender Robert Teresi?

What happened to Charlene Unger?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Two cowboys photographed by Christopher Stryker for Windy City Times July 28, 1988

The fabulous Joan Jett Blakk photographed by Genyphur Novak for Windy City Times July 4, 1991

P.J. Engelbrecht photographs SLDN benefit for Outlines June 3, 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.