May 19-25, 2016

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

1982

A memorial notice with photo appeared in Gay Life for Robert D. Voreis, died May 3, 1982. The cause of death was not given. Some speculate this could be the first notice for a Chicagoan who died of the recently identified immune disorder affecting gay men. AIDS.

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IMAGE: Golden Shutters Lounge – Mattachine Midwest Newsletter 1966

Chicago businesswoman Sarah Craig is chosen as president-elect of the National Association of Business Councils at a delegate convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Craig is believed to be the first Chicagoan to hold such a post in a national gay association.

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Volleyball tryouts for the Gay Olympic Games in San Francisco are held at the Latin School of Chicago, at the corner of Clark and North Avenue. Tryouts are conducted and team members selected by AA Sports in cooperation with the Chicago Volleyball Clinic Inc.

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IMAGE: Inner Circle – Gay Chicago January 30, 1986

An article on the front page of Gay Life by Stephen Kulieke begins:

"An ongoing investigation by plainclothes Elgin police officers in a city park in the northwest suburb has resulted in the arrests of eight men since mid-April, primarily on charges of unlawful sexual activities, Gay Life has learned.

"Elgin Deputy Police Chief Warren Danielson told Gay Life Tuesday that six men have been charged with public indecency, one with contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor, and one with battery for 'grabbing and fondling' an undercover cop. All arrests have occurred at Trout Park, located wholly within the Elgin city limits adjacent to the Fox River. Danielson said none of the cases has yet to come to court."

1990

The Chicago House annual Garage Sale takes place at Lakeview Presbyterian Church, 716 W. Addison.

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IMAGE: Party Weekend at Big Chicks–Gay Chicago May 12, 1994

Dignity/Chicago, the gay Catholic group, celebrates its 18th anniversary with a mass, pot luck dinner, and presentation of the John Michie Award to Joanne Trapani, Co-Chair of the Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Takes place at 2nd Unitarian Church, 656 W. Barry.

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Open Hand Chicago, Meals-on-Wheels for persons with AIDS, hosts a Volunteer Meeting and Orientation, at the new location, Thorek Hospital, 850 W. Irving Park Road.

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An article by David Olson in Windy City Times begins:

"One year after Northwestern University (NU) President Arnold Weber rejected the idea of placing condom machines in university dormitory bathrooms, NU students voted overwhelmingly to support their installation.

"In light of the 2,236 to 361 (or 86 to 14 percent) April 18 vote in favor of condom machines, Weber will reconsider this decision, according to Jim Carleton, NU's vice president for student affairs."

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IMAGE: Gay Chicago cover – Gay Chicago November 3, 1994

Another David Olson article in Windy City Times begins:

"A Chicago man Monday, May 21, became the first person indicted under a state law that makes the transmission of HIV a crime.

"A Cook County Circuit Court grand jury indicted Olivia St. John, 24, on two charges of criminal transmission of HIV and four charges of aggravated battery. Each criminal transmission count carries a three-to-seven year jail term.

"St. John, who describes himself as and often dresses as a woman, allegedly bit one officer and scratched another March 28 while being held at Area Six police headquarters at Belmont and Western avenues. St. John had been arrested the night before for allegedly vandalizing a car parked at Eastwood and Campbell avenues. St. John pleaded 'not guilty' to all charges. She is currently at Cook County Jail on $100,000 bond."

1999

The Fourth Presbyterian Church's Forum For Gay & Lesbian Concerns and AIDS Pastoral Network present "AIDS: Shaping Our Response" at 126 E. Chestnut.

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In Quotelines in Outlines:

"I was in love with a gay man growing up." – Drew Barrymore

And:

"I work out and I have a trainer. I am in the best shape I have ever been. I got muscles and pecs. I want a husband. I just want a man who has a car and doesn't live in it. I dated a guy who was pierced everywhere. I chipped a tooth." ­Gay comedian Jason Stuart.

And:

"I don't understand the whole thing about being post-gay. It was something that started with OUT magazine, which is a magazine I really don't like much. I think it's poorly written. ...If I'm going to read a gay magazine I'll read THE ADVOCATE. Obviously, I'm biased because I work for it, but OUT is a real fluff lifestyle magazine and it doesn't interest me." ­ Chastity Bono.

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The AIDS Memorial Quilt is displayed at the Reynolds Club South Lounge at the University of Chicago. 5706 S. University. Also, "Philadelphia" is shown at the Max Paevsky Cinema at Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 E. 59th.

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At the bars and clubs, Big Chicks, 5024 N. Sheridan, hosts a Cher Trivia Nite. Winner gets a pair of Cher pavilion tix. Lots of CD's, posters and giveaways; there's a salsa exhibition and competition as a pre-Dance for Life 1999 event at Star Gaze, 5419 N. Clark St.; Cocktail, 3359 N. Halsted, has a Diana Ross CD release party with a Diana look-a-like contest; the Lesbian Community Cancer Project's WISTERIA benefit takes place at 1650 W. Foster. Performers include the Artemis Singers, C.C. Carter and Carrie Brecke, Dykes on Pipes, GirlFunk, Karen Mooney and Paul Walowitz. Tickets $10-$20; Servicemembers Legal Defense Network host a fundraiser at Davenport's Piano Bar & Cabaret, 1383 N. Milwaukee with guest speaker Colonel (Ret.) Margarethe Cammermeyer; and the Cathy Richardson Band perform at Spin, Halsted and Belmont.

Homework

Is Sarah Craig still around?

What's Jason Stuart up to these days?

Dykes on Pipes, what was that all about?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Terry Gaskins photographs St. Patrick's Day celebrations at Sidetrack and Lucky Horseshoe Lounge for Gay Chicago March 27, 1997.

Ray Bouchard photographs the winners of the Mr. Blue Parrot Contest for Gay Chicago May 2, 1985

At the Women of IMPACT Dinner in Gay Chicago November 3, 1994

Kirk Williamson visits Scarlet and Crew with his camera for Nightspots April 16, 2008

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.