March 3-9, 2016

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

1980

Over six hundred people filled the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ as a hearing sponsored by the Human Resources subcommittee was held to discuss the pending gay rights legislation in the Illinois General Assembly.

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IMAGE: Danny Sotomayor cartoon – Windy City Times October 18, 1990

Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe's first major Chicago exhibition is at Stuart Wilbur's In a Plain Brown Wrapper gallery at 2943 N. Halsted. Monte Salus wrote in Gay Life: "Viewing this handsomely mounted show of oversized black and white photographs is a remarkably engaging experience. Portraits of men and women predominate, but there's a healthy sprinkling of Mapplethorpe's more controversial sexual imagery as well as some surprisingly delicate floral portraits."

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Mattachine Midwest holds its monthly brunch at 4415 W. Wolcott. Cost for Mattachine members is $2.50, for non-members $3.

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An article in the Chicago Tribune by Jane Fritsch begins:

"A 21-year-old college student testified Monday that a night of terror and sexual torture inflicted by John Wayne Gacy was so painful that he begged Gacy to kill him.

"'The pain was just so bad, and I was terrified,' said the witness, a student at the College of St. Francis in Joliet. 'I said, 'Look, if you're gonna kill me, just kill me now and get it over with.' He (Gacy) told me my time was coming and to shut up.'

"Later, he said, Gacy told him he was going for his last ride and asked, 'How does it feel to know you're going to die?'

"The ordeal began late on the night of Dec. 30, 1977, and lasted for more than six hours, the student said. During that time, he said, he fell unconscious nearly a dozen times as Gacy played Russian roulette with him and attempted to drown and strangle him.

"Gacy released him on the morning of Dec. 31 but said he would return to kill him and predicted police would never believe him, the student said, adding, 'They didn't believe me.'"

1986

In the bars and clubs, it's guest bartender night with Karen Richardson at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont; Saturday and Sunday with Sophie and male dancers at Inner Circle, 2546 N. Clark St.; the only bar in Streeterville, 75 steps off the Magnificent Mile, Second Story bar, 157 E. Ohio; Double Dose Wednesdays, back to back tunes, double shots, at Paris Dance, 1122 W. Montrose; enjoy dancing in the ballroom at Paradise, 2848 N. Broadway; the 1st Mr. New Town Contest takes place at Normandy, 3401 N. Sheffield.

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IMAGE: Cupid's – Hotspots December 4, 2000

Video TOP FIVE courtesy of Chuck Hyde of Sidetrack: 1) "How Will I Know" – Whitney Houston; 2) "Another Night" – Aretha Franklin; 3) "Twist My Arm" – Pointer Sisters; 4) "Sanctify Yourself" – Simple Minds; 5) "Addicted to Love" – Robert Palmer.

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An article in Gay Chicago reads:

"'Have a Heart for Friends With AIDS' benefit, held Feb. 15 at St. Sebastian resulted in proceeds of more than $9,800, according to chairman Frank Winzer. Proceeds after expenses have been donated to Howard Brown Memorial Clinic's AIDS Action Project to be used for patient support services.

"Nine Chicago area gay and lesbian organizations sponsored the event: Asians and Friends, Black and White Men Together, Dignity, Girth and Mirth, Mattachine, LEGACY, North Suburban Gays, Professionals Over 30, and West Suburban Gay Association."

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IMAGE: Strippers at Hydrate – Nightspots October 31, 2007

An article in Gay Chicago reads:

"The Deep Dish Drama restaurant/video service, 2167 N. Clybourn, may have started a trend.

"The word 'Drama' in the name doesn't refer to the exciting arrangement of olives and pineapple on the basic double-cheese to go, rather it refers to the porno videos they also deliver for $5. The company's flyer doesn't say whether the delivery boy is included in the offer, but Pizza Boys is one of several dozen gay male videos that can be rented.

"Deep Dish Drama will also deliver a pint of Haagen Dasz ice cream ($2.95) and a bottle of California Chardonnay ($8.95)."

1996

The life and legacy of Audre Lorde, the feminist poet and human rights activist, is on display as a photo-documentary exhibition co-sponsored by Gerber/Hart Gay and Lesbian Library and Archives and the University of Illinois at Chicago, at Chicago Circle Center's A. Montgomery Ward Gallery, 750 S. Halsted. The exhibit, titled "Transcending Silence: The Life and Poetic Legacy of Audre Lorde," runs from March 4 through April 5, with an opening reception from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5. Admission is free.

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IMAGE: Screaming Queens & Lavender Panthers – Windy City Times April 30, 2008

The Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Veterans of America meet at Ann Sather restaurant, 929 W. Belmont. Alan Amberg from Lesbigay Radio AM 750 is the speaker.

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In Billy Masters' Filth column in Gay Chicago:

"And, lastly, a ridiculous item. Siegfried and Roy were recently asked in a German periodical if they were lovers, and they stated (and I quote in the original German): 'Wir sind nicht Schwulen, wir sind Deutschen" which roughly translates as "We are not gay, we are Germans.' Hello? What the hell does that mean? Like, you can't be German and gay? Trust me. I've been to Europe and you can definitely be both!

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The City of Chicago Office of Cable Communications broadcast the 1995 Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame induction ceremony on MUTV (channels 23 and 49). The program is broadcast simultaneously on Prime Cable of Chicago and Chicago Cable TV.

Homework

Whatever happened to Stuart Wilbur?

Who was Monte Salus?

Who won the 1st Mr. New Town Contest?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Miss Dina Jacobs in the Issue No 25 1975 Chicago Gay Crusader.

Drag Queens in Issue No 25 1975 Chicago Gay Crusader

Mr. Gold Coast Contest 1974 in Nov-Dec 1974 Issue of Chicago Gay Crusader

Chicago bartenders in 1972 issue of Michael's Thing

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.