December 3-December 9, 2015

1984

In the bars and clubs, there's a free afternoon buffet every Saturday at the Innbetween, 6301 S. Harlem; on Sundays there's a Sunday brunch at the Redoubt, 440 N. Halsted; Bab's in Concert, an evening of comedy at the Mineshaft, 8437 Ogden Ave., Lyons; the Blue Parrot, 1128 W. Granville, a '40s bar, is now open; the Chicago Knights M.C. Club presents "Toys For Tots 1984" 'Tis the Dicken's' a Chicago Christmas Carol" at Paradise, 2848 N. Broadway; "Dynasty" is showing on Wednesdays at Berlin, Big Red's, Bulldog Road, Christopher Street, Closet, Company, Dan's On Clark, Depot Lounge, Different Strokes, Gentry, Glory Hole, Gold Coast, Inner Circle, Knight Out, Loading Zone, Mineshaft, Normandy, Piggen's Pub, Sidetrack, Take One, and Trianon.

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IMAGE: Artwork of James Fetterman – Gay Chicago July 19, 1979

In Rick Karlin's Potpourri column in Gay Chicago, he writes:

"Congrats to the Gay Athletic Association for winning the right to host the 1985 North American Gay Volleyball Association's tournament. The site for the 1985 games will be at the University of Illinois Chicago Campus and St. Ignatius Prep School of Roosevelt Road. Plans are to host 40 teams."

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The Artemis Singers, a women's chorus, rehearses every Thursday at the Second Unitarian Church, 656 W. Barry.

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The Windy City Gay Chorus "Don We Now ...VI: A Feast of Carols" takes place at the People's Church, 941 W. Laurence.

2000

On the front page of Windy City Times, an article by Tracy Baim begins:

"A former Mayor's Advisory Council on Gay and Lesbian Issues member and sport activist has been hired by Mayor Daley as his new liaison to the GLBT community.

"Bill Greaves, a former Chicagoan currently works as a Senior Research Chemist at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co. on the East Coast.

"Greaves starts his post as Director and Community Liaison for the City of Chicago Commission on Human Rights Dec. 18."

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IMAGE: Man's Country – Gay Life March 24, 1978

Article in Windy City Times by Karen Hawkins begins:

"A larger than expected crowd of close to 100 marchers gathered for Friday's annual Vida/SIDA World AIDS Day March, braving cold temperatures and a brisk wind to draw attention to the virus' impact on Chicago's Latino communities.

"'It's not cold because we care,' said state Rep. William Delgado. 'Our hearts warm us, our families warm us up."

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The Willow Coffee and Tea Café, 1100 W. Thorndale is the venue for Grinder, queer words and music. This week guests include Windy City Times'Sukie de la Croix and music group Your Hero.

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Brigid Murphy, producer of Milly's Orchid Show, presents her first film, "A Prince in the Projects," at Columbia College, 600 S. Michigan.

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IMAGE: Mike's Broadway Café – Gay Chicago October 24, 1986

Kyle Kennedy performs with Sarabia and several nude stripper boys at Man's Country, 5017 N. Clark St.

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Landmark Century Center Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St., is showing "Boys Life 3," a collection of film shorts.

2012

Article in Windy City Times reads:

"Hell in a Handbag Productions is running 'Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer,' David Cerda's parody of the classic children's television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, for the 15th year.

"It will run at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. Previews are Nov. 29-30; the regular run is Thursdays through Saturdays Dec. 30, with an additional show Dec. 22. General admission is $12-$22, and VIP tickets are $35-$95."

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IMAGE: God Save the Queens – Nightspots January 19, 2006

Another article in Windy City Times reads:

"Chicago Indie Film 'Scrooge & Marley,' a modern-day variation on Charles Dickens' classic holiday story 'A Christmas Carol,' will have its Chicago Red Carpet Premiere and one-week run at Chicago's historic Music Box Theatre (3733 N. Southport Ave.) Nov. 29 thru Dec. 6.

"Recounted from a gay sensibility, the film will also screen in at least a dozen cities nationwide this holiday season, with a DVD and soundtrack slated for December release. Filmed in Chicago last May, Scrooge & Marley stars acclaimed actor David Pevsner, former Saturday Night Live star Tim Kazurinsky, Rusty Schwimmer, Bruce Vilanch, Megan Cavanagh, Ronnie Kroell, David Moretti, Richard Ganoung, and JoJo Baby. It is narrated by Tony award-winning actress Judith Light."

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Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen in "The Diva Stole Christmas" is at Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted.

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Lambda Legal Chicago Leadership Council's "Holidays on Ice" takes place at Downtown Bar and Lounge, 440 N/. State St.

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"Xxxmas With the Sisters," the third annual suburban bar crawl with The Windy City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, starts out from the Bonsai Bar & Lounge, 3503 N Halsted St.

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The Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. production of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" runs from Dec. 9-Jan. 20, 2013, at Angel Island in Chicago, 735 W. Sheridan Rd.

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"Make the Yuletide Gay." Chicago Gay Men's Chorus reprises some of its greatest hits from their first 30 years. Featuring sassy reindeer, waltzing flowers, merry monks, those famous dancing tubes of wrapping paper, and the 120 voices of Chicago's Most Colorful Chorus. Takes place at the Francis W Parker Heller Auditorium, 330 W Webster St, Chicago.

Homework

Are the Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. still around?

Who went to the bars to watch "Dynasty"?

Is the Innbetween, 6301 S. Harlem, still there?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

A fashion show with Augie and C.K.'s, photographed by Linda Henderson for Gay Chicago, May 22, 1986

Jack Sitar photographs Mr. Showcase One contest for Gay Chicago May 29, 1986

Spike King photographs the annual pie toss for Gay Chicago November 15, 1990

Chicago Gay Men's Chorus in Gay Chicago November 22, 1990

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.