Gay life in Chicago this week, back in... 1989, 1995 and 2005

(June 22-28, 2017)

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

1989

Some of this week's Gay Pride events:

June 22

Workshop: 12 Critical Steps to Business Success by Cathie Kopecky at 233 E. Erie, Suite 611.

Movie: Before Stonewall shown; coordinated by Midwest Men's Center at the Rodde Center, Room A. 3225 N. Sheffield.

Workshop: Coming Out for Women by Hannah Frisch, PhD, at 2323 N. Halsted.

June 24

Lesbian Pride Dance: Sponsored by Kinheart Women's Center and Chicago Outlines, 50s music w/DJ Dyke Clark, United Church of Rogers Park, 1545 W. Morse.

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IMAGE: Buddies – Gay Chicago August 18, 1994

Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"IMPACT, Chicago's lesbian and gay Political Action Committee, created in 1988 to further the agenda of the lesbian and gay community, has hired Robert J. Adams as its first executive director. Adams, an attorney, administrator, and community organizer, brings great depth and experience to the position."

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Obituaries this week in Gay Chicago:

"J. Patrick Alongi, 43, died Monday, May 22, of complications due to AIDS.

"A Roman Catholic priest, Mr. Alongi ministered to the Hispanic community of St. Stephen's Parish in Des Plaines, IL. He also had been associate pastor of Blessed Agnes Parish in Chicago."

And:

"Jon F. 'J.B.' Byrne, 33, an actor, director, comedy writer and acting teacher, was a co-founder and company member of the Temporary Theater and performed in the Galimaufrey series at the Organic Theater.

"Services for Mr. Byrne, a resident of North Lake Shore Drive, were held Monday, June 12. He died Saturday, June 10 at home of complications due to AIDS."

1995

Quotelines in the June issue of Outlines:

"Lesbians rarely, if ever, partake in casual sex, preferring to play softball instead. I try to get laid anyway. I am hormonally propelled to try. Not because I'm Italian, but because I'm a 36 year old woman in my sexual peak. That means my vagina is like the plant in The Little Shop of Horrors. It is constantly growing, saying, 'Feed me, FEED ME" – Lea DeLaria

And:

"If you are an athlete or if you are a strong woman of any kind, you will be called a lesbian. I hope you take it as a compliment" – Author Mariah Burton Nelson.

And:

"As a gay man I know all too well what it feels like to be a target everyday of my life, and nowhere do I feel quite so vulnerable as in 'the heartland' ... Almost every gay man I know left middle America for the perceived tolerance and safety of the Big City" – Chicago Reader columnist, Justin Hayford.

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IMAGE: Foot Ball at Glee Club – Gay Chicago January 26, 1995

An article in Gay Chicago begins:

"Chicago's annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25, is expected to attract close to 165,000 people in the parade procession, along the parade route and at the rally in Lincoln Park afterward. Using the international theme 'Pride from Silence to Celebration,' the parade will step off with close to 200 parade entries, including businesses, organizations, and politicians."

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Sandblast, the Gay and Lesbian Pride Day Tea Dance takes place at the Theatre on the Lake, Fullerton and Lake Shore Drive. Entertainment includes DJ David Knapp and special guest performer Nicki French.

2005

In the bars and clubs, Chix Mix Productions presents Fridays4women at Circuit, 3641 N. Halsted; Thursdays it's Spank go-go-boys and DJ Timmy Loop at Cocktail, Roscoe and Halsted; there's a Michael Jackson Victory Party at Crew, 4804 N. Broadway; DJ Gomi celebrates Pride weekend at Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted; Shower contest and Vivian Green CD release party at Spin, Halsted and Belmont; Drag Idol Finals at @mosphere, 5355 N. Clark St.; Star Gaze, 5419 N. Clark St., celebrates Pride with DJ XL; celebrating Chicago Pride 2005 with Brunch at Scot's, 1829 W. Montrose.

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IMAGE: Gentry – Gay Chicago December 19, 1996

The Chicago Gay Men's Chorus presents "World Tour: Looking For Love in All the Wrong Places" at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport.

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Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and the Clerk's Officer Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Employees Committee will host the annual GLBT Pride Celebration and Award Ceremony on Thursday, June 23, at 3 p.m. in Room CL115 of the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington."

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Article in Gay Chicago begins:

"PRIDEChicago, organizers of the annual Pride Parade, were just informed that the City of Chicago has adjusted its previously announced policy of banning certain motorized vehicles at city parades.

"Each city parade will be allowed to have two registered groups of motorcycles, with a maximum of 50 motorcycles per group. In addition, each of the two groups of motorcycles must be separated by other parade entries (Motorcycles will only be allowed as a part of these two entries in city parades)."

Homework

Who remembers Foxy's?

Is DJ Gomi still around?

Who remembers the Rodde Center on Sheffield?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Does anyone know what this is about? In Gay Chicago May 3, 1979.

Jack Sitar photographs Michael Shimandle at Bulldog Road.

John Henri Damski in Gay Chicago May 17, 1979

The ONE of Chicago banquet in Gay Chicago May 24, 1979

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.