Honorary Chicago street to celebrate the life of gay Chicago pioneer
Sun. May 13, 2018 9:38 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
from the collections of the leather archives & museum, chica
photo credit // leatherarchives.org
Chicago, IL -
An honorary Chicago street name will celebrate the life of gay rights champion, business man, publisher, International Mr. Leather (IML) and Leather Museum & Archives founder Chuck Renslow.
The dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 19 at 4pm at 5020 N. Clark.
The City of Chicago and the Full Kit Gear shop, along with Renslow's family, will unveil the brand new Chuck Renslow Way street signs that will mark the section of north Clark street, between Ainslie and Winnemac streets.
Renslow was an out Chicago businessman in the 1950s who, in the early-1960s, opened the Gold Coast, one of the first openly gay businesses in the city and one of the first leather bars in the world. He also published GayLife in Chicago.
Renslow opened Kris Studio in 1954 and began publishing a variety of male physique magazines. In addition to founding the International Mr. Leather (IML) competition and Leather Museum & Archives, his career also included owning the Chicago Eagle and Man's Country, an iconic gay bathhouse located at 5015 N. Clark in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.
Man's Country closed last December after 44 years. A four-story brick and glass building condo building to be named after Renslow will replace the old structure.
Renslow, who was also active in city, state, and national Democratic Party politics, passed away last June at the age of 87 with many LGBT community leaders praising his life and achievements and calling him a "giant of our community" and a "true champion."
In less than two weeks, the worldwide IML competition, will hold it's 40th year of events and competition in Chicago.
Calendar: 2018 International Mr. Leather events
The dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 19 at 4pm at 5020 N. Clark.
The City of Chicago and the Full Kit Gear shop, along with Renslow's family, will unveil the brand new Chuck Renslow Way street signs that will mark the section of north Clark street, between Ainslie and Winnemac streets.
Renslow was an out Chicago businessman in the 1950s who, in the early-1960s, opened the Gold Coast, one of the first openly gay businesses in the city and one of the first leather bars in the world. He also published GayLife in Chicago.
Renslow opened Kris Studio in 1954 and began publishing a variety of male physique magazines. In addition to founding the International Mr. Leather (IML) competition and Leather Museum & Archives, his career also included owning the Chicago Eagle and Man's Country, an iconic gay bathhouse located at 5015 N. Clark in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.
Man's Country closed last December after 44 years. A four-story brick and glass building condo building to be named after Renslow will replace the old structure.
Renslow, who was also active in city, state, and national Democratic Party politics, passed away last June at the age of 87 with many LGBT community leaders praising his life and achievements and calling him a "giant of our community" and a "true champion."
In less than two weeks, the worldwide IML competition, will hold it's 40th year of events and competition in Chicago.
Calendar: 2018 International Mr. Leather events