April 13-19, 2017

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

1983

Chicago Filmmakers opens its third Annual Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. This week's films include:

Wednesday, April 13, 6 p.m. and Friday April 15, 8 p.m., Chicago Filmmakers – "Track Two." Harry Sutherland, Canada, 1982. Midwest premiere. Documentary about the notorious Toronto bathhouse police raids of 1981, culminating in the second largest mass arrest in Canada.

Wednesday, April 13, 8 p.m. and Saturday April 16, midnight, Chicago Filmmakers – "Fox and His Friends," Rainer Werner Fassbinder, W. Germany, 1975. Fassbinder plays Fox, a naive lower-class carnival entertainer, longing for love as he haunts toilets and gay bars.

Thursday, April 14, 8 p.m., Biograph Theatre – "A Woman Like Eve," "Nouchka van Brakel," Holland, 1980. Midwest premiere. A Dutch housewife (Monique van de, Holland's most popular actress) decides to leave her husband and two children to share her life with a young French commune-dweller (Maria Schneider of "Last Tango in Paris"). A divorce and child custody battle ensues.

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IMAGE: Female Imposters at Bistro Too – Gay Chicago February 23, 1989

In the bars and clubs, Dancers, 5244 N. Sheridan, is "Edgewater's Bar for Men to Meet Men": come listen to rock-Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Seger-at the Normandy, 3400 N. Clark St.; it's the Mr. Bughaus contest at Bughaus, 2570 N. Clark St.; Margot Kimble is performing at His 'n' Hers, 944 W. Addison; Beth Kaplan and Jorjet Harper perform at Opal Station, 6655 N. Clark St.

1995

An editorial in Windy City Times begins:

"Next week, the state gay and lesbian rights bill likely will come up for a critical vote in the Senate Executive Committee. Supporters of the bill believe that, if it passes the committee, the bill probably will pass the full Senate.

"The bill would ban discrimination based upon sexual orientation in housing, employment, public accommodations and credit transactions. Outside of Cook County, Champaign and Urbana, anti-gay discrimination is still legal in Illinois. That means, no matter how good a job she does or how many years of seniority she has, a lesbian who works in Bensenville can still be fired solely because her employer doesn't like lesbians and gays. It means that, no matter how good a tenant he is, a gay man who lives in Peoria can be kicked out of his apartment. It also means that gays and lesbians can be forced out of restaurants in Highland Park and denied mortgages in Rock Island. In most of Illinois, gays, lesbians and bisexuals are still second-class citizens."

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IMAGE: Hot Pink Sundays at Roscoe's – Gay Chicago July 18, 1995

Queer Nation Chicago hold a tag night April 14, 8-11:30 p.m. at Big Chicks, 5024 N. Sheridan.

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Dream birdhouses created by Chicago architects and designers will be on display and on sale April 15-May 4 at Motif of Lincoln Park, 1101 W. Webster. All proceeds benefit Chicago House, a non-profit organization which provides housing for men, women and children living with AIDS.

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Open & Out, Chicago's gay and lesbian open mic, provides a positive atmosphere to express yourself at Le Café, 3343 N. Clark.

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IMAGE: Rocky Horror Show – Gay Life December 12, 1980

Rose Troche is present for a screening of her film "Go Fish" April 19 at 8:45 p.m. in Diversions Lounge, Homes Student Center, on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

2001

Article by Karen Hawkins in Windy City Times begins:

"The number of hate crimes reported to Horizons Community Services increased by five percent from 1999 to 2000, and officials credited the rise to ever-improving awareness and reporting efforts.

"One aspect of those efforts that advocates were most satisfied with was the strong relationship being built with the Chicago police department, reflected in victims being more willing to report incidents to police–including when officers are involved."

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An article in Windy City Times reads:

"BOB BASKER–activist pioneer, founder of Mattachine Midwest, Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame member– died recently at the Jewish Home in San Francisco, reports Chicagoan Bill Kelley, a friend of Basker's for more than 35 years. He had been living in the home since April 2000, after being diagnosed as being in the terminal stages of heart failure and finding that he could no longer live in his own apartment. Until his death, he remained active on a number of agencies' and organizations' boards (In-Home Services Public Authority, NAACP San Francisco chapter, and Alexander Hamilton (gay) American Legion Post)."

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IMAGE: Chicago Eagle – Gay Chicago December 27, 2001

Some of the events this week in Gay Chicago's Calendar of Events include:

WEDNESDAY, April 18:

Justin Hayford takes the stage at Gentry on Halsted, followed by Sammy Goldstein. Gentry on State presents Michael McAssey and Rudy de la Mor. Davenport's has the talents of June Shallene in the cabaret.

THURSDAY, April 19:

Through Saturday, "The Best of Broadway, Part 1" will be presented at Voltaire with Amy Armstrong. The Edge in Blue Island kicks off its third anniversary weekend tonight with ladies night. Roscoe's celebrates its 14th anniversary with a party at 8 p.m. The line-up at Gentry on State is John Paluch and Rudy de la Mor. Gentry on Halsted welcomes Jared Michael and Sammy Goldstein. A birthday bash is combined with Chestmen of America's club night at Cell Block.

Homework

Is Justin Hayford still around?

Anyone ever go to Dancers?

Who won the Mr. Bughaus contest?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Arch Boudros photographs the guys at the Manhandler for Gay Chicago June 1, 2006.

Sherman Heinrich goes to Calumet City to photograph Kelley's Our Way II for Gay Chicago March 12, 1987

Spike King photographs the opening of Horizons new location, the cast of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Big Red's bar.

Spike King photographs Sue Conway at Clubhouse for Gay Chicago October 18, 1990

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.