From Outlines, Copyright © 2002 Lambda Publications Inc. All rights reserved.
A couple of weeks ago Mark Sherkow talked about the Rogers Park-Loyola Gay Students Association in the '70s (later known as the Rogers Park Gay Center, then the Rogers Park Edgewater Gay Alliance).
The group formed in early 1974, when Richard Stern, a student at Loyola, held the first meeting. He tried to get the group sanctioned as an official club by the University but they refused, so they held meetings in a bar called David's Place and at a Day Care Center on Broadway called Alternatives; until the parents found out they were meeting there and they were stopped.
On Nov. 24, 1974, the group opened the Rogers Park Gay Center at 7109 N. Glenwood. During the month of July, 1977, the Center was repeatedly vandalized, mostly damage to the windows and façade. The following month, Chicago almost became the site of the first Gay/Lesbian Olympics. It was to have been sponsored by the Rogers Park Community Center and would have taken place at Winnemac Stadium. It was cancelled due to lack of interest.
In November 1977, the Rogers Park Gay Community Center moved to larger quarters at 6958 N. Glenwood. In September 1978, Vol. 1 No. 2 of their newsletter 302.0 was published. (302.0 being the international classification number for homosexuality).
The cover story begins: "Since Friday, August 25, the Rogers Park-Edgewater Gay Alliance has bewn without a home. Alliance members moved the furniture and possessions of the Alliance into storage on that date, in response to an eviction notice from the Sheriff's office. The notice said that eviction could take place at any time."
The Center owed $211.25 (a month's rent $185 + court costs). Members of the group began looking for other properties. On Aug. 30, 1978, members of the Alliance met with the Lesbian Community Center to discuss the possibility of the two groups sharing a space in a new center.
In the newsletter, Chairperson, Joe Tully, writes this amusing report:
"Everyone should experience chairing an organization such as the Rogers Park-Edgewater Gay Alliance. I recall my first meeting of the Steering Committee. I waltzed in clutching my 50-page agenda. Two people were present. I was to have my first lesson in GST (Gay Standard Time). After some cookies and milk, accompanied by a two-hour nap, we plunged in with the introduction of guests. Seeing there were none, we proceeded with the reading of the minutes. As nothing except elections took place at the previous meeting, the minutes were waived by a unanimous vote.
"Moving right along, I asked the House Staff Director to give his report. Some qualitative suggestions for improving the staff and its functions were offered. Some of the suggestions were a) installing extra telephone lines, b) sending everyone on the staff to Azrin's Behavior Modification Training, and c) inviting Broom Hilda, Inc., to train staff in housekeeping techniques. Someone else queried, 'Isn't this a house staff matter?' Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Our conclusion was to have the house staff draw up a proposal and present it to the Steering Committee.
"I suggested that we take an ice cream break at Baskin and Robbins.
"The timely item on the agenda was moving from 7109 N. Glenwood to a better facility. It was suggested that we look for a place that was problem-free. We said that we would give it our best shot, and spent all our time talking about decorating the future center rather than dealing with finding a suitable facility. The problem was, none of us had any suggestions for funding the crystal chandeliers, Scandinavian sofa, and Pierre Cardin throw rug. In keeping with realistic standards, we decided we would seek donated space (including heat, I might add).
"We proceeded on to a lengthy discussion concerning the agenda of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Metropolitan Chicago. As luck would have it, our representative only has to reflect our views on 39-1/2 matters. I limited the discussion time for this segment. After six motions to extend the discussion, our representative said that really only 38-1/2 of the topics needed immediate deliberation. We were all thankful for that.
"Someone interrupted and asked if I would take measures to shorten the meeting. Being the diplomat that I am, I said 'No!'
"It takes a warm, emphatic and caring person to chair the Steering Committee meetings. One must keep a level head. A good chairperson is able to store views and suggestions quickly so as to effect relevant conclusions. The best system of survival is the repetition of these words: I WILL LEAVE THIS MEETING WITH MENTAL STABILITY AND A WORKING PULSE."
Future historians take note: The memory section in this column contains just that--memories--and are only to be used as a starting point for your research. Send your stories to Sukie de la Croix at Windy City Times. You can leave a message on his voicemail at 773-871-7610. He interviews over the phone, in person, or via e-mail sukiedelacroix@ozhasspoken.com
WHAT A
DIFFERENCE
A GAY MAKES
Oct. 27-Nov. 2
1997
U.S.: Gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank tells Between the Lines: "It was probably easier for me to come out as a member of Congress because it's a federal offense to hit me. I had a little extra protection." * Xena: Warrior Princess opens its third season, teasing lesbians with visions of its Amazonian heroine (Lucy Lawless) being more than just friends with her trusty sidekick Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor). * In an episode of NBC's Mad About You, the two regular lesbian characters are shown in bed together. * France: Eighty films from 14 countries are screened at Paris' 9th Lesbian Film Festival. * Argentina: Diez Porciento (10 percent), a new gay magazine, is available on newsstands in Buenos Aires.
1992
U.S.: Petty Officer Allen Schindler, 22, is murdered by one of his homophobic shipmates, Airman Apprentice Terrence Helvey, 20, in a public bathroom near the Sasebo Base in Japan. * The New Joy Of Gay Sex, co-authored by Dr. Charles Silverstein and Felice Picano, is in bookstores. * Melvin Dixon, an award-winning Black gay author, dies of AIDS at 42. * France: After 15 years, Gai Pied Hebdo, France's leading gay publication, shuts down because of a drop in sales. * Canada: The Federal Court of Canada strikes down the ban on lesbians and gay men in the military, saying it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms--Canada's bill of rights. * Russia: Russian President Boris Yeltsin proposes an overhaul of the nation's Criminal Code, that includes lifting the ban on anal sex between men. * Britain: Elton John starts his own AIDS charity. The 45-year-old singer says that the Elton John AIDS Foundation will operate in both the U.S. and Britain, and would be funded by royalties from his singles, as well as charity events and businesses.
1987
U.S.: The Rev. Jerry Falwell says his ultra-conservative political efforts are, "no longer breaking new ground," and he steps down as head of the Moral Majority. * Brazil: Janio Quadros, Mayor of Sao Paulo, issues an order authorizing city police to help a ballet teacher expel any gay dancers from her corps and school. Quandros, once the President of Brazil, is known for his eccentricities: in the 1960s he tried to ban the bikini from public beaches, and in 1985 his first act as Mayor of Sao Paulo, was to spray his predecessor's chair with disinfectant. * Russia: The Soviet Union reports only 165 cases of AIDS, 23 are resident foreigners.
1982:
U.S.: Christopher Street publishes Andrew Holleran's Journal of the Plague Year. * The Advocate publishes a quiz: Just How Butch Are You? The first question is: In first grade you received a box of crayons; the first crayon you picked was A: Gray B: Navy Blue C: Red D: Silver or E: Magenta. * What do GAY and CIA have in common? USA Today report that both are banned from license plates in Colorado, along with GOD and SOB. * Washington, D.C., vice detectives raid Star, a gay magazine, and the apartment of the associate editor, Glenn M. Turner, as part of an investigation into child pornography. * Italy: The murder of a gay man earlier in the year results in a demonstration of more than 1,000 people. Journalist Francesco Guerre says: "This is perhaps the beginning of a new phase of gay lib." Guerre noted that Italian men are raised with "Catholic and male sexist sensibilities," and concluded that the murder of Salvatore Pappalardo was committed by someone who "only applied, to the letter, what he'd been taught."