Gay Chicago Timeline - Sept 14-20

THIS WEEK IN

1979

On the cover of Gay Chicago this week is a photo taken by Mike Williams of Rita the Shopping Bag Lady performing at Alfie's, 900 N. Rush St.; Alfie's opened in 1972 and was closed Oct. 22, 1980, by the IRS for non-payment of taxes. Rita, who sang, played the piano and carried a Fiorucci shopping bag, previously performed at another gay bar called Logjam, 2837 N. Clark St.

The Good Shepherd Players hold auditions for Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Wellington Avenue Church, 615 W. Wellington.

The Gay Academic Union opens a new library at the Rogers Park/Edgewater Gay Alliance Headquarters at 5823 N. Ridge with a wine and cheese party.

The Top 5 Disco Playlist from DJ Hub at Bushes, Carol's Speakeasy and the Loading Zone: 1) Come To Me - France Joli; 2) The Boss/No One Gets the Prize - Diana Ross; 3) This Time Baby - Jackie Moore; 4) Found a Cure/Nobody Knows - Ashford and Simpson; and 5) Good Times - Chic.

1984

On the cover of Gay Life, Kit Duffy, the mayor's liaison to the gay and lesbian community, warns of "a string of assaults along Roscoe and Cornelia." Gays are advised to walk along the main thoroughfares such as Belmont and Addison, to walk in pairs or groups and to carry whistles. Reports suggest the attackers are traveling in a car and are white teenagers from the Northern suburbs.

A Bigger Splash, the movie about the life, trials and tribulations of gay British painter David Hockney, made in 1974 and released 10 years later, is playing at the Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln.

The Top 5 Non-Fiction Lesbian Bestsellers at Women & Children First, 1967 N. Halsted, are: 1) Women-Identified Women, ed. by Darty and Partee Kampmann; 2) Pure Lust: Elemental Feminist Philosophy by Mary Daly; 3) The Coming Out Stories, ed. by Stanley and Wolfe; 4) Another Mother Tongue: Gay Words, Gay Worlds by Judy Grahn; and 5) Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology, ed. by Barbara Smith.

1991

In the bars this week, Thea Vidale, Houston's Chocolate Kiss, performs at Vortex, 3631 N. Halsted. Vidale has appeared on Showtime, at Dangerfield's, the Funny Farm, the Comedy Zone and Slap Tix; it's Video Comedy Club Night at Sidetrack, 3349-51 N. Halsted; Join Wacky Wally on Sundays at Badlands, 6341 N. Clark St.; and see the quick changing craziness of Paula Sinclaire and Vikki Spyke at North End, 3733 N. Halsted.

The obituary column in Gay Chicago this week includes Greg Antepenko, Rev. Dr. John H. Klein, Dave Jacobson and Harry Kamany; all these beautiful men lost their battle with AIDS.

The 15h Annual Gay Chicago Magazine awards takes place at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage. Special guest hosts and emcees are Judith Johns, executive director of Howard Brown Memorial Clinic, and Steve Wakefield, executive director of Test Positive Aware Network. Guest appearances include Encore!, Chi-Town's She-Devils and a cast of AIDS service providers' representatives.

2002

"Fire and Ink: A Writer's Festival for GLBT People of African Descent" takes place at the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle Center, 750 S. Halsted. The festival celebrates the legacy of Audre Lorde, Essex Hemphill, Lorraine Hansberry, James Baldwin, Pat Parker and Melvin Dixon.

Events in the bars this week include a celebration of Mamie's Birthday with a Drag King show at Star Gaze, 5419 N. Clark St.; a Harvest Hoedown with the Chicago Kings at Spin, Halsted and Belmont; Julian Pierce, Alexander, Rico Suave, J.J. and Tristan strip down to the bare essentials at Madrigals, 5316 N. Clark St.; there's an India CD Release Party at Big Chicks, 5024 N. Sheridan; Bobby Love celebrates his birthday at Bobby Love's 3729 N. Halsted; Sassy Trade presents Queer Factor at the Edge, 13126 S. Western, Blue Island; DJs Earl Pleasure and Teri Bristol are at Crobar, 1543 N. Kingsbury, along with Chicago's very own Cher.