September 22-28, 2016

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

1984

Despite its recent troubles, Howard Brown Memorial Clinic hold two fundraisers: a black-tie optional, $100 a plate dinner at the Midland Hotel and a Monte Carlo night at Park West. The two events raise over $30,000. Former Mayor Jane Byrne is the speaker at the dinner. The dinner at the Midland, commemorates Howard Brown's 10th Anniversary. This was the first high-level, elegant fundraiser by a Chicago gay or lesbian organization.

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IMAGE: The Snake Pit – Gay Life September 3, 1976

Bar Talk from Rick Karlin's Pot Pourri column in Gay Chicago:

"Linda Clifford was just IT in her personal appearance at Trianon last Friday. Cookie Webb and Linda Leslie were spied dancing up a storm. Our own Mark DeSanto (six weeks to go on crutches) was lucky enough to have a reserved barstool waiting for him ...Peter Zagrafos and Bob Randall were back in the swing of things with the grand reopening of the Factory. The newly remodeled bar has a great dance floor upstairs and now serves food on the main floor. Peter looks great after a recent surgery ...The send-off party for Bob Arthur at Loading Zone was super. Mr. Arthur heads southwest after numerous years at the popular Oak Street bar ...Ministry really packed them in at Medusa's last weekend."

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IMAGE: Berlin – Nightlines August 8, 2001

An article by Albert Williams in Gay Life begins:

"Seeking to improve both his image among gay and lesbian voters and his knowledge of the issues affecting them, U.S. Rep. Paul Simon Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from Illinois, sat down Monday to meet with a diverse group of activists from Chicago-area gay and lesbian organizations.

"Simon's staff arranged the meeting in response to repeated requests from gays and from non-gay political operatives in both 'regular' and 'reform' factions of the local Democratic Party.

"'I'm not as knowledgeable as I should be about gay issues,' Simon said in Monday's meeting. 'I hope to rectify that as a member of the Senate. ...I need to learn, I need you to teach me' about the special concerns facing gays.

"'Jobs, Housing, Basic issues, nothing 'special,' responded Dignity/Chicago member Jim Bussen, beginning a candid, tough dialogue with the Democratic Senate hopeful."

1996

Closing September 30, only two shows left of "Tony & Tony's Wedding" at Piper's Alley, 230 W. North Ave.

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IMAGE: Jock Auction at Ozone – Gay Life August 20, 1982

In the clubs and bars, Spin and Hillery Productions presents Spinsational Sunday Show of Shows hosted by MC Daisy Mae, also appearing Vikki Spykke, Xavier Snow and male impersonator Ricardo; musical comedy duo Cissy Connor and Chris Winslow perform at North End, 3733 N. Halsted; Madonna's Baby Shower, a benefit for TPAN, is at Roscoe's, 3354-56 N. Halsted; celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Gentry on Halsted, 3320 N. Halsted, with Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen; DJ Psycho Bitch takes over Thrush at Hunters every last Wednesday of the month, 1932 E. Higgins Road, Elk Grove Village; Leather University by Leather United-Chicago "History 101-Leather Old Guard, and the Stonewall Riots,' with a lecture by artist J.P. Ranien at Eagle, 5015 N. Clark St.; it's open mic at Off the Line, 1829 W. Montrose.

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IMAGE: "Living for Madonna" at Sidetracks – Nightspots March 4, 2015

The Metropolitan Community Church of the Incarnation, 460 Lake St. in the Pilgrim Church facility holds its second anniversary dinner party on Saturday September 21. The theme of the dinner party is Italian Night. A silent auction is held to provide funds to support the church's ongoing New People Under Construction program for 1996-97.

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As part of an ongoing effort to increase understanding of domestic violence issues within the lesbian and gay community, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office sponsors a Domestic Violence Awareness Seminar at Horizons Community Services, 961 W. Montana.

2009

A Hall of Fame Celebrity Auction benefits the 2009 Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Registration reception, silent auction and raffle begin at 7 p.m. Bidding starts at 8 p.m. Auctioneers are Circuit Mom, Amy Methany of Windy City Queercast, and Molly Callinan, Rock Goddess lead singer of "Catfight" at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St.

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In Quotelines in Windy City Times:

"MY FIRST DATE WITH MY GIRLFRIEND SUSAN WAS AT A SHOOTING RANGE. THAT WAS AWESOME. It was ladies' day on the range. Her sister is a lifetime NRA member and she was organizing ladies' day on the range at her gun club. And so we shot AiR-15s and we threw tomahawks and we did archery and pistols and skeet. Susan was really good with skeet. She was wearing a dress. I mean, first date, right? So we're trying to impress each other. She's all dressed up to the nines, with this giant shotgun." — MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.

And:

"I DECIDED TO COME OUT PUBLICLY (15 YEARS AGO) BECAUSE I WAS TALKING TO A NEW (BRITISH) GAY MAGAZINE, ATTITUDE, which had just started publishing. It seemed a bit ridiculous to talk to them and not say I was gay. It wasn't a really big deal for me. But I had never discussed it with my parents at that age. I was 40 years old at this point. So it made my parents confront this issue. They were very nice about it all." — Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys to the D.C. magazine Metro Weekly, Sept. 3.

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Ani DeFranco with Gregory Alan Isakov are at the Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield.

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Terry Angel Mason, author of "Love Won't Let Me Be Silent," stories/poems about same-gender-loving relationships in the Black community, discusses the book and answer questions at Affinity Community Service 5650 S. Woodlawn.

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"Hannah Free," the Chicago-made lesbian feature film is showing at the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 164 N. State.

Homework

Who remembers the Eagle?

Anyone see Ani DeFranco at the Vic?

Who saw "Tony & Tony's Wedding"?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Jack Sitar photographs Dana Douglas for Gay Chicago May 1, 1986

Sherman Heinrich photographs DJ Mark Haltmark at T.J.s on Oak in Gay Chicago May 1, 1986

Terry Gaskins photographs Valerie James at Gentry for Gay Chicago August 14, 1997

Bob Bearden photographs the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus and the guys at Trianon for Windy City Times January 23, 1986

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.