Gay life in Chicago this week, back in... 1983, 1992 and 2005

January 11-17, 2018

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

1983

An article in Gay Chicago reads:

"Bill Hagstrom of the Broadway United Methodist Church, 3444 N. Broadway, reports they are opening 'a new warm home cruising restaurant in the church's basement.' They hope to open in about a month and run it on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week. A café would be added in the spring. The restaurant will run on a non-profit basis with proceeds going to gay/lesbian organizations."

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IMAGE: Hotwire cover – January 1992

An article in Gay Chicago begins:

"Howard Brown Memorial Clinic has been awarded a grant of $25,000 from the federal government's Centers for Disease Control to conduct a follow-up study of all individuals who participated in the Hepatitis B vaccine trial which concluded earlier this year.

"Purpose of the study is to determine how long vaccine-induced immunity to hepatitis B lasts."

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In the Models/Masseurs ads in Gay Chicago:

"GRADE 'A' LARGE

"For a big time! Handsome, hung, dark hair, mustache, blue eyes, 6', 150lbs, swimmer's build, clean, healthy, discreet, and reliable ..."

AND:

"BIG BOY

"Have a big boy on me! 8", 6' 1", 160lbs, brown hair, blue eyes, muscular bod with hot tan line ..."

AND:

"WHY GO OUT, WE DELIVER

Two hot, young swimmers, well-endowed. Available together or separate. Discreet and personable. Out calls only. Jack–N-Mark.

AND:

"ITALIAN GIGOLO

"Masculine, muscular, topman. Intelligent conversation and more. Exceptional good time available. City and suburbs. Have car. Will travel ...

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An article in Gay Life begins:

"3 found dead near Ill.–Ind. border

Three young men have been found near Lowell, Ind., near the Illinois state line, in the past few months, all of them stabbed multiple times.

"In addition, a fourth man was found alive in the same area. He was taken to an area hospital, but disappeared a few days later. Police are staging a massive manhunt for him, because they believe he may give them clues to the three murders."

1992

In the bars and clubs, Two-Steppin' Sundays at Berlin, 954 W. Belmont; don't forget David Boyer's Country & Cowboy Wednesdays at Buddies, 3301 N. Clark St.; celebrate Neil Mann's birthday at the AA Meat Market, 2933 N. Lincoln; Bad Boys are ...so good!!! Temptations, 10235 W. Grand Ave, Franklin Park, proudly presents Christopher Tracy's Parade, Midwest's Best Male Dance Review; "For the Boys," a wartime costume contest with The Boys (Next Door) and Becky & Orlee, at Clark's on Clark, 5001 N. Clark St.; Sam Harris, winner of the 1984 male vocalist grand prize on Star Search, performs at Vortex, 3631 N. Halsted.

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IMAGE: Le Pub – Gay Life October 29, 1975

Top sellers from People Like Us Bookstore, 3321 N. Clark St.; 1) "Behind the Mask" – Dave Pallone; 2) "Close to the Knives" – David Wojnarowicz; 3) "Cures" – Martin Duberman; 4) "Fire in the Rain, Singer in the Storm" – Holly Near; 5) "The Naked Civil Servant" – Quentin Crisp.

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An article in Gay Chicago begins:

"The Frank M. Rodde Fund board of directors regrets to announce the resignation of Al Wardell, the executive director of the Rodde Lesbian and Gay Center of Chicago. Mr. Wardell resigned as of Dec. 31.

"Mr. Wardell served the Rodde Center admirably since he began working in August, 1990."

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IMAGE: Manhole at Ozone – Gay Chicago May 13, 1982

"A terrific human comedy, a goose-bump experience" – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone. "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" is showing at the Music Box, 3733 N. Southport.

2005

This week Homolatte, Queer Words and Music, hosted by Scott Free, features Rick R. Reed, Bill Breedlove, and Anthony Whitaker, at the Big Star Café, 1439 W. Jarvis.

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IMAGE: 1986 Safe-Sex Calendar – Gay Chicago December 26, 1985

Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" featuring Tony Dobrowolski as Lady Bracknell can be seen in the elegance of Mayslake Hall, the Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook.

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Newtown Writers, Chicago's homophile writing group, hosts a reading at the Gerber/Hart Library, 1127 W. Granville.

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An article in Gay Chicago begins:

"Cook County Clerk David Orr recently recognized the first same-sex couple of the new year to sign the county's Domestic Partnership Registry.

"Julie Rodriguez, 30 and Jamillah Crawford, 31, both of Park Ridge, were the first domestic partners to sign the Cook County registry in 2005.

"The Clerk's office has been issuing Domestic Partnership certificates only since Cook County initiated the program Oct. 1, 2003."

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An article in Gay Chicago begins:

"Holy Covenant United Methodist Church celebrates its tradition of affirming GLBT's on Reconciling Sunday, Jan. 16, at 10:30 a.m. with 'The Shower of Stoles' and guest preacher Rev. Troy Plummer, executive director of the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN). Chicago-based RMN is a national grassroots organization founded in 1983 that exists to enable full participation of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the United Methodist Church, both in policy and practice."

Homework

Who are Becky & Orlee?

Is New Town Writers still around?

Is Sam Harris still around?

Gay Chicago Photo Rewind

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.