Gay life in Chicago this week, back in... 1977, 1988 and 2002

(September 28-October 3, 2017)

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

1977

An article in Gay Life begins:

"Beginning on October 1 Mountain Moving Coffeehouse for women and their children will have a new meeting place and a new meeting date. At that time the coffeehouse will be held on Saturday evenings beginning at 7 pm at 1655 W. School St."

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IMAGE: Erogenous Zone – Gay Life June 10, 1977

The Windy City Rainbow Society of the Deaf celebrates its second anniversary tonight at Wigton's Barn, 3347 N. Clark.

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The Committee for Gay Rights meets at 7 p.m. at 853 W. Lill, Apt. 1, to discuss Anita Bryant's appearance in Indianapolis and other instances of increased anti-gay activity.

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The Bushes, 3320 N. Halsted, shows a series of witchcraft movies for Halloween starting with this week's "Bell, Book and Candle."

1988

An article by Lief Doerring in Windy City Times begins:

"'This episode is an indication of the negative impact such harmful comments can have on the city at large,' said 48^th Ward Alderman Kathy Osterman. The 'episode' Osterman was referring to was an attempted fire bombing of a local gay bar on Sunday night, and the 'harmful comments' were those made two weeks ago during floor speeches by several alderman opposing the Human Rights Ordinance. 'I hope the derogatory rhetoric didn't cause this, but I would certainly question that,' said Osterman.

"Late September 25, a makeshift Molotov cocktail was thrown into the beer garden at Different Strokes bar, 4923 N. Clark, doing little damage but missing potential tragedy by only minutes."

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IMAGE: North End – Gay Chicago December 1, 1983

In the bars and clubs, Mr. Calendar Boy Contest takes place at L.A. Connection, 3700 N. Halsted; Wednesdays is "Strip Search," an amateur stripper contest, at gay Chicago's largest club, Bistro Too, 5015 N. Clark St.; special weekend pianist at Hev'in, 54 E. Walton, is Frieda Lee; it's Mr. Chest Night at Touche, 2825 N. Lincoln Avenue; after shopping at Bloomingdale's come relax at the cocktail hour at TJ's on Oak, 46 E. Oak St.; Mad Hatters T Party is at Clark's on Clark, 5001 N. Clark St., with Alice & the Wonder Girls; Red Stripe imported lager presents Gay Dirty Dancing at the Limelight, 632 N. Dearborn. Performance starts at midnight.

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An article in Gay Chicago begins:

"The Chicago Chapter of the Names Project distributed $68,200 to 22 area service providers, through the auspices of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. The money was raised during the July display of the Quilt at Navy Pier. Each agency will receive $3,100."

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IMAGE: Man's Country – Gay Chicago January 29, 2009

As part of the continuing AIDS Lecture Series sponsored by the Chicago Public Library and Howard Brown Memorial Clinic, Nancy J. Miller, a registered nurse, discusses home care and the psychosocial needs of Persons With AIDS, their caregivers and friends. The lecture starts at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 29, and is held at the Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln.

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Obituaries in Gay Chicago begin:

"Bob Krause, 28, died September 16 of complications due to AIDS. He was diagnosed in June 1987 and remained quite active until a recent hospitalization at Illinois Masonic Hospital. His lover, David Emmel, was at his side when he died."

And:

"A celebration of the life of Stephen Brahill, co-owner of Christopher St. was held Sunday afternoon in the bar. Mr. Brahill died Monday morning, Sept. 19 of complications due to AIDS. He had entered St. Joseph's Hospital Friday, Sept. 9 after one of his lungs collapsed."

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On Sunday, October 2, beginning at 2 p.m. several local lesbian attorneys provide "an entertaining and informal presentation of the legal issues affecting lesbian lives" at Paris Dance, 1122 W. Montrose. Admission free.

2002

Quotelines in Windy City Times:

"There are a lot of gays among the women surfers. We share rental cars, hotel rooms, dinner out. It makes you open with each other. You wake up in the morning and hear toe rings clicking from two girls in the next bed." – Surfer Holly Beck

And:

"This'll sound wrong, but I feel like I did my time. I tried to be what everybody [expected]. I lived 'the straight lie.'" – Newly-out CSI writer and executive producer Ann Donahue

And:

"I think there is still a lot of education that needs to be done with this generation and previous generations about the gay orientation. A lot of people still believe it's a choice." – Dr. Phil.

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IMAGE: Berlin – Nightspots January 9, 2008

Sukie de la Croix in his Windy City Times column, Street Walkin':

"While everyone in the world is making plans to kill everyone else in the world, the voters of Zurich in Switzerland have decided that lesbian and gay couples can now have equal benefits to straight married couples.

"...And that's a good thing. The only drawback is that you actually have to live in Switzerland to get these benefits. Have you been there? It's like a graveyard with lights. 'Oh what can we do to entertain ourselves today, darling?"

"Well, we could attach two pieces of wood to our feet and slide down a mountain, or, just for a change, we could attach two pieces of wood to our feet and slide down a mountain.

"Name me one successful Swiss movie, one Swiss author ...ok, you get my point. However, I do have to say, it's amazing a country famous for cheese and cuckoo clocks is ahead of the U.S. in basic human rights."

Homework

Anyone ever go to the Limelight?

Is Frieda Lee still around?

Is the Windy City Rainbow Society of the Deaf still around?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

President Obama's Inauguration Party at Sidetrack photographed by Male Image for

Gay Chicago January 29, 2009

Margie Adams in Gay Life December 8, 1983

Last year's Mr. Windy City Harry Shattuck in Gay Life June 10, 1977

Kirk Williamson photographs at Circuit for Nightspots January 9, 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.