Sukie de la Croix

this week in...

1973 Popular gay restaurant bars at this time include Vittles, 2942 N. Clark St.; the Belfry, 111 W. Hubbard St—with your host Mr. Kelly; the Wells Street Depot, 1321 N. Wells; and Burton Place, 168 W. Burton.

1976 Melodies restaurant and lounge opens at 3174 N. Clark St. It advertises itself as "Chicago North-Side's largest completely gay-owned club." Beer is 50 cents between 11 a.m.—8 p.m. and the décor theme is stained glass and houseplants.

Other popular bars are Den One, 1355 N. Wells St.—later the location of Carol's Speakeasy; Sundays, 430 N. Clark St.—prior to that this address was the Ramrod, and after Sundays closed it was Jocks, the Loft, Marilyns and Annex 2; The New Flight, 420 N. Clark St.; and the Haig, 800 N. Dearborn, which had been a gay bar since 1945.

1978 The VD Bus, organized and staffed by the Chicago Gay Health Project, tours the bars with free testing for STDs.

1979 Breaking away from the usual gay bar entertainment, Bobo the Clown appears at the Chatterbox, 744 N. Clark St.

Summer is here so enjoy the outdoors at gay bars like the Frog Pond, 2917 N. Sheffield Av., for a backyard atmosphere with chaise lounges for sunning, or Crystal's Blinkers, 3153 N. Broadway, with their rooftop sundeck called the Sunstar Plastic Palace, or a pool party and BBQ every Sunday at the Glory Hole, 1343 N. Wells St.

1980 Gary Scott, a gay man, is attacked by six youths after leaving Dago Rose's bar at 905 W. Belmont. He is found unconscious in an alley near his home. In hospital Scott told a reporter, "I kind of look like 'The Bride of Frankenstein'; other than that I'm fine."

1983 Novelist Ann Bannon, whose lesbian romances were popular in the 1950s, is in the news again when Naiad Press republishes her "pulp classics." Bannon speaks at the Jane Addams Bookstore. She also makes an appearance at Women & Children First Bookstore.

1988 Review, a support group for gay or bisexual married men, holds one of its regular meetings at the Hideaway II bar, 7301 W. Roosevelt in Forest Park.

JoAnn Loulan, "The Dr. Ruth of Dykedom," presents "An Evening of Provocative Comedy & Lesbian Sex Education" at the People's Church, 941 W. Lawrence Ave.

The Gay/Lesbian Union of Northern Illinois University holds its "Corn Country Lesbian and Gay Picnic" in the Elburn Forest Preserve located 14 miles east of DeKalb on Highway 38 near Highway 37.

1992 The 17th National Conference on Men and Masculinity takes place at the McCormick Center Hotel. Sponsored by the National Organization for Men Against Sexism, the national pro-feminist men's organization draws over 300 men from every state and some from abroad.

Thanks to the Gerber/Hart Library at 1127 W. Granville for the use of their collection and archives.