August 18-24, 2016

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

1985

An article in the Chicago Tribune begins:

"With cases of AIDS becoming more widespread every week, the United States is undergoing a second, related epidemic--fear of AIDS.

"Anyplace where people gather--especially people in their 20s, 30s and 40s --AIDS is one of the primary topics of conversation. The time is long gone when AIDS was only a homosexual concern. Now heterosexuals are openly expressing their deep fears about AIDS, and are wondering aloud just how long it will be until AIDS is out of control among the heterosexual population.

"Public health officials have a name for these people: 'the worried well.' They do not use that term smirkingly; they realize that people are waking up to the dark possibilities that AIDS presents, and are struggling to figure out how to protect themselves. Fear of AIDS is becoming a syndrome in itself--a syndrome that physicians, psychiatrists and psychologists around the country are beginning to notice.

"One of the people who has noticed is Katie Sprutta, who is coordinator of the AIDS Action Project of the Howard Brown Memorial Clinic in Chicago. Virtually all of the Howard Brown Clinic's patients are homosexuals--and yet Sprutta says that calls to the clinic inquiring about AIDS are now coming primarily from heterosexual men and women.

"'The shift has come during the last month or two,' she said. 'Before, virtually everyone who would call us was homosexual, which was to be expected. But in the last two months, of the people calling for information, more than half have identified themselves as being heterosexual.

"Some of the fear I would call irrational. There was one woman who wanted to know if her little girl was going to get AIDS because she skinned her knee on a sidewalk in New Town.

"But most of the calls are not like that; most of the calls are from heterosexual men and women who want to know if their lifestyles are going to make them candidates for getting AIDS.'"

1997

In Billy Masters' Filth column in Gay Chicago:

"News comes in from my sources at the Enquirer that Eddie Murphy has dropped his $5 million libel suit against the tabloid. You may recall he was suing them after their cover story about Eddie's long association with transvestites. Eddie said it was false, and the Enquirer said, 'Go ahead and sue us.' So, why did Eddie drop the suit? Rumor has it the Enquirer has in their possession video footage of Eddie inflagrante with certain individuals with both woofers and tweeters. Sounds crystal-clear to me."

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IMAGE: Frankie Knuckles – Gay Chicago April 2, 1987

Chicago Lesbian Avengers host a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Caitie Mahoney at the Belmont Rocks. Mahoney was a founding member of the Baltimore, Md. chapter of Lesbian Avengers. She was killed in a triple murder at a coffee shop in Washington D.C.

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In the bars and clubs, there's an Underwear Party at the Chicago Eagle, 5015 N. Clark St.; back by popular demand, Similar Features Club Tour '97, a Melissa Etheridge Tribute, playing three sets at Inn Exile, 5758 W. 65 ^th St.

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The North Suburban Gays host an all-groups picnic at Busse Woods, Grove 3. BYO food and beverage.

2010

An article by Kate Sosin in Windy City Times reads:

"Police are determining if a battery incident that happened during Northalsted Market Days on the Red Line will be classified as an anti-gay hate crime.

"Paul W. Thompson said he was traveling home alone from Sidetrack at 3 a.m. on Aug. 8 when he overheard two men muttering anti-gay slurs.

"'I realized he was saying 'fucking faggots,' Thompson told Windy City Times. 'He was angry that there were all these 'fucking faggots' on the train.

"According to Thompson, he confronted the man and told him to stop. 'I stood up. I never took a step. I never leaned in.'

Thompson said that the harassment continued for 15 minutes. When Thompson gave directions to a gay couple from out of town to exit at Bryn Mawr, the same man told one person in the couple that gangs in the neighborhood would 'beat his faggot ass' and then kicked him as he exited the train.

"Thompson confronted the man a second time. He asked what he was doing and scolded him. 'I told him, 'you're embarrassing yourself in front of the women on this train.' Thompson says other people on the train voiced their disapproval as well.

"When train doors opened at Thorndale, the man punched Thompson in the face and fled the El.

"Thompson had to have seven stitches on his mouth; he also suffered minor head injuries.

"According to the Chicago Police Department, the suspects are a Black male, 6'-6'1", 20-25 years old, 180-200 lbs.; and a white Hispanic male, 5'7"-5'10", 20-25 years old and 170-180 lbs.

"Police have at least one witness. Thompson said he intends to press charges if a suspect is caught."

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IMAGE: Spin – Gay Chicago August 8, 1996

"Dance for Life." Six of Chicago's most renowned and talented top dance companies will come together for one spectacular, celebratory evening of dance - on one stage! $75 performance only tickets, $150, $200, $250 and $500. Red Ribbon Level tickets also available. Takes place at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E Randolph.

Homework

Is the North Suburban Gays group still going?

Did they arrest anyone in the Paul Thompson case?

What happened to the Lesbian Avengers?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Spike King photographs Kip Snyder, Ald. Kathy Osterman, and Art Johnston for Gay Chicago February 23, 1989

Bob Rutkowski photographs leather men for Gay Chicago July 16, 1992

Butch Toland photographed by Jack Sitar for Gay Chicago June 18, 1987

Hot pics from Nightlines August 8, 2001

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.