Gay life in Chicago this week, back in... 1986, 1993 and 2000

(October 12-18, 2017)

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

1986

Dionne Warwick and Johnny Mathis team up to kick off the concert series at the newly renovated Chicago Theater. The singer's will appear through the 26^th of October, and in addition to solo performances, will sing a few duets.

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An article by Tracy Baim in Windy City Times begins:

"Of 20 new Chicago AIDS cases reported between Aug. 28 and Sept. 28, 19 are gay or bisexual males, and of the 20, 10 are black and two are Hispanic; the remaining eight are white."

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IMAGE: Chicago Takes Off – Nightspots January 9, 2008

Music Playlist courtesy of DJ Frank Lipomi at the Loading Dock: 1) "Love in the Shadows" – E.G. Daily; 2) "Run to Me" – Tracey Spenser; 3) "Summertime, Summertime" – Nocera; 4) "Nail It to the Wall" – Stacey Lattisaw; 5) "you're So Strong" – Mental As Anything; 6) "For Tonight" – Nancy Martinez; 7) "Don't You Try It" –Raww; 8) "Don't Leave Me This Way" – Commodores; 9) "When I Think Of You" – Janet Jackson; 10) "Brand New Love" – Dead or Alive.

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An article in Gay Chicago reads:

"Horizons Gay and Lesbian Parents group host a discussion on what it's like to be the lover of a gay or lesbian parent. These 'step-parents' are cast in a role many of them never imagined they'd be in. Should make for some interesting talk. At the Rodde Center, 3225 N. Sheffield."

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You are cordially invited for champagne and dessert with State Representative Ellis B. Levin, in honor of his first decade of service to the Gay and Lesbian Community. Takes place in the Buckingham Greenhouse, 745 W. Buckingham.

1993

An article by Kimberly Griffin in Windy City Times begins:

"Two openly gay men are running for community representative seats on local Chicago school councils. If elected, Marc Loveless, who is seeking a position on the Pulaski Community Academy council, and Scott Mendel, who is seeking a post on the Lincoln High School council, would become the first openly gay elected officials in Illinois."

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IMAGE: Alfie's – Gay Chicago October 14, 1979

Author Anne Rice signs copies of her novel, "Lasher," at Barbara's Bookstore, 1110 Lake, Oak Park and also at Unabridged Bookstore, 3251 N. Broadway.

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In the bars and clubs, all drink prices reduced on Mondays at Hideaway II, 7301 W. Roosevelt, Forest Park; celebrate Octoberfest at the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge, 3169 N. Halsted; it's Charlie's, 405 W. Ontario, Man of the Month Contest; there's a Talent Contest at Dandy's, 3729 N. Halsted; and the Illinois Gay Rodeo Association holds a fundraiser at AA Meat Market, 2933 N. Lincoln.

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Team Chicago/Gay Games IV registration packets and information is available at Barbara's Bookstore, 3130 N. Broadway.

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IMAGE: Kate Clinton – Gay Life December 8, 1983

Laurie Benz, a differently artistic singer-songwriter dyke, is back at Mountain Moving Coffeehouse, 1545 W. Morse.

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Generation Q, a group for gays, lesbians and bisexuals 18-25, host a social night at 3711 N. Ashland.

2000

"Whitman" opens at About Face Theatre, 3212 N. Broadway. Conceived and directed by Eric Rosen with music by Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, the performance offers a series of theatrical images and songs inspired by Walt Whitman's writings.

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IMAGE: Opal Station – Gay Life December 8, 1983

Grinder, queer words and music, is hosted by Scott Free at the Willow Café, 1100 W. Thorndale. This week Karen Lee Osborne and Aerin Tedesco perform.

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Eroticon 5, an erotic fetish ball, takes place at Axis Nightclub, 419 N. Walnut, Bloomington, IN.

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Congregation Or Chadash celebrates Sukkot with a dinner at 656 W. Barry.

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An article by Karen Hawkins in Windy City Times begins:

"Using National Coming Out Day as their backdrop, more than 70 GLBT leaders and activists publicly announced their endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore Oct. 11, calling the vice president 'a great friend of our community.'"

"'We've come too far in the last eight years to turn back now,' said Deputy Cook County Clerk Brandon Neese, the highest openly gay official in county government. 'We cannot let this opportunity slip through our fingers."

"Speakers at the press conference were Neese, state Rep. Larry McKeon, D-34^th, and Mary Morten, former liaison to the GLBT community for Mayor Daley's office and a delegate at this summer's Democratic National Convention."

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The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Equality Illinois co-sponsor a forum discussing the role of gays and lesbians in the upcoming election. "Election 2000: What's at Stake" is held at Ann Sather's 929 W. Belmont.

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The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Equality Illinois co-sponsor a forum discussing the role of gays and lesbians in the upcoming election. "Election 2000: What's at Stake" is held at Ann Sather's 929 W. Belmont.

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Quotelines in Windy City Times:

"I actually don't think I'm the first ever transsexual member of parliament in the world. Margaret Thatcher beat me to it by a number of years." – New Zealand MP Georgina Beyer.

And:

"I don't think there should be a separate genre called 'the gay novel.' It's become a clever marketing ploy by the publishing companies. We've been marketed into the ghetto ... I don't mind being in the gay section but I also want to be out there in the literature section as well." – Armistead Maupin.

Homework

Did anyone attend Eroticon 5?

Who is Laurie Benz?

Who remembers the AA Meat Market?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

Quentin Crisp at the Paradise in Gay Chicago December 1, 1983

Phil photographs at Annex II for Gay Chicago December 29, 1983

Phil photographs Ed Jones from Bucks for Gay Chicago December 8, 1983

Kirk Williamson photographs at Hydrate and Jason at Club Krave 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.