January 14-January 20, 2016

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

1980

Article by Rhonda K. Craven in Gay Life begins:

"A slide show about the lesbian novel throughout history will be featured during a benefit for the Lesbian Community Center on Saturday, January 19.

"'Women Loving, Women Writing' was put together by lesbian activist and publisher Marie Kuda. It presents an overview of the subject matter and authors of lesbian literature from 1928 through 1979. The presentation will begin at 9 p.m. at the Mountain Moving Coffeehouse, 1566 W. School St. All women and their children are invited, and a $2 donation will be requested at the door."

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IMAGE: Happy Holiday from Paradise – Gay Chicago December 26, 1985

An article on the front page of Gay Life begins:

"The National Gay Task Force has announced that Senator Edward M. 'Ted' Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) has promised to sign an Executive Order banning discrimination against homosexuals in government employment and services if he is elected President.

"In a letter to NGTF, Kennedy stated that he believed that the Democratic party platform 'should commit itself to the issuance of an executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in government programs and the enactment of legislation protecting the civil rights of those who have historically been stigmatized on the basis of sexual orientation.'"

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Article in Gay Life begins:

IMAGE: Angels in America – Windy City Times May 19, 1994

"Frank Collin, former leader of a Chicago-based neo-Nazi group that received national media coverage for an aborted march on the north suburban village of Skokie, was arrested by Chicago police on January 10 for taking liberties with young boys. Collin reportedly was in the habit of cruising in the Clark and Diversey area for young boys, then taking them to a nearby hotel or to his apartment located above the headquarters of the National Socialist Party of America, located at 2519 71st Street. According to newspaper reports, Collin would have sex with the boys, whose ages ranged from 11 to 14, take nude pictures of them, and show them pornographic movies, one of which he allegedly filmed himself."

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Adult bookstores with a gay clientele include the Pit Stop, 1020 N. Clark St.; Book-A-Rama, 2928 N. Broadway; Howard Street Bookstore, 7614 N. Ashland; Idyll Pleasure, 3511 N. Ashland; L&W Books, 3237 N. Ashland; Loop News, 400 State St.; Machine Shop, 504 N. Clark St.; Mar-MarNews, 416 S. State St.; Over 21 Books, 1347 N. Wells St.; Peeping Tom's, 1345 N. Wells St.; Rush St. Books, 913 N. Rush; Sheridan Bookstore, 3930 N. Sheridan; and Van Duren Books, 36 W. Van Buren.

1989

In the bars and clubs, you can see and hear Shanti on Mondays at Christopher Street, 3458 N. Halsted; Bachelors, 444 W. Fullerton, is now open for the city's finest cocktail hour; the Granville Anvil, 1137 W. Granville, has College Night on Mondays and Leather Night on Thursdays; Studs 'N' Suds, a Colt Calendar Giveaway Night is at Carol's Speakeasy, 1355 N. Wells St.; the Rockets male dancers perform at Hideaway II, 7301 W. Roosevelt Rd., Forest Park; Ginger Grant presents the 6th Annual Miss Gay Chubby World Contest at the Baton Show Lounge, 436 N. Clark St.; Robert Russell and Dave Edwards announce sole management of Gentry, 712 N. Rush St. You are invited to celebrate their new beginning with an open bar and Ben Witte playing the cocktail hour with special treat, Ginger Tam.

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IMAGE: Jammin' Monday – Windy City Times October 24, 1996

Article by Mark Schoofs in Windy City Times reads:

"Fulfilling a long time 'dream,' the Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force (IGLTF) has retained a professional lobbyist, Lana Hostetler, to promote lesbian and gay interest to the Illinois state legislature.

"'To say we're ecstatic is a gross understatement,' said IGLTF co-chair Grant Thornley. "It's not a magic switch, but certainly we'll be better informed and better armed.'

"Thornley's co-chair, Joanne Trapani, was more succinct. 'It's dynamite,' she said."

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An obituary in Gay Chicago reads:

"Well-known and well-liked dancer and performer, Greg 'Kim' Spaulding, 33, died Jan. 13 in his sleep in Cook County Hospital of complications due to AIDS.

"Mr. Spaulding's dancing career, in which he often dressed in spectacular and dazzling costumes, including Sundays, Paradise, Coconuts, and Bistro Too. He was a featured dancer at Dugan's Bistro from 1977 until it closed. Mr. Spaulding also was known for his portrayal of 'Coco the Clown' and his favorite, 'Kimmy Kat.' He loved to entertain in front of children, delighting in their laughter.

"He would amaze store window observers when he portrayed a life-like mannequin, changing positions only when no-one was looking."

2008

Article by Andrew Davis in Windy City Times begins:

"Given the steady streams of plaudits (including over 150 Jeff Committee citations, recommendations and nominations), hit productions (such as Jeffrey, Jerry Springer: The Opera and the Barenaked Lads series) and seemingly successful fundraisers associated with Bailiwick Repertory since its 1982 inception, one would expect the company to be extremely financially successful.

However, one would be wrong, according to Bailiwick's founder and artistic director, David Zak.

"Zak said that the financial problems have snowballed in 'the past 12 months.' He said that the perception was that things were going smoothly all along. 'Our sense was that everyone thought we were fine. [Even] the foundation community thought we were fine.'"

Part of the problem, Zak told Windy City Times, is the burgeoning Broadway in Chicago series that takes place downtown. 'We sent a fund- raising letter to our people that talked about the change in the marketplace,' he said. 'It's great that people are going to Altar Boyz, Jersey Boys and all these other 'Boys' that are down there, but it's expensive. If people spend $80 for Wicked or $100 for Jersey Boys, [the effect] is what a lot of the smaller theaters are feeling. People will see the big stuff like Jerry Springer, but we've done workshops and smaller gay and lesbian plays, and we've found that audiences aren't coming for those—and that's true across the country.'"

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IMAGE: The Holiday @mosphere – Nightspots December 19, 2007

A benefit for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago stars Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, a one night only engagement at the Harris Theatre.

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The People's Theater of Chicago's production of Edward Crosby's "Flowers Out of Season," is a special benefit performance for Season of Concern at EP Theater, 1820 S. Halsted St.

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"Getting into Face," photography by Bernard Colbert, featuring the living art of JoJo Baby and Sal-e. Opening reception is at Gallery 203, the Flat Iron Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Homework

Are Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo still around?

Did anyone ever go to Bachelors?

Is Ginger Tam still around?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Craig Gernhardt photographs Inner Circle owner Ben Allen and bartender Jeff and Sherman Heinrich snaps Jerry Armstrong at the Manhandler.

Kirk Williamson lists the Baton for Nightspots April 14, 2010

Kirk Williamson and Kat Fitzgerald cover the scene in Nightspots December 19 2007

Kirk Williamson photographs the Grand Opening of Scarlet and fun and games at Jackhammer for Nightspots December 19 2007

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.