Before I launch into my weekly list of debauch, I feel the need to make one thing fairly clear. This column you read serves a function. It is the nightlife column which anchors a nightlife magazine. As such, I write primarily about nightlife. No big stretch there, right? The problem arises when people assume that the content of this column is the sum total of my life and interests. After a particularly deep conversation with a friend this week, I feel the need to elucidate a bit about the nature of this column and how it relates to my life as a whole.
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FROM LEFT: Miss Julia Knight at Encompass,
Chris and friend at Jackhammer;
A bear sandwich with Frida meat at Spin
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I could write an equally pithy column about Scrabble, Woody Allen movies, my nieces and nephews, my cats Iggy and Boxer, my sick fascination with proper spelling, my affinity for soup, etc. The point being: Please do not assume that just because I am 'That Guy' from the magazine, I do not enjoy a rich, diverse list of other interests, hobbies and loves.
And when I start writing my Scrabble column, I do hope you'll read that too.
He says, stepping down from the soapbox.
Congratulations to Miss Annastcia Demoore, Miss Encompass 2008. Props to Miss Julia Knight for organizing an exciting and surprisingly cohesive night of entertainment. If you find yourself in the Hoosier state, get to Encompass and enjoy the show!
I wish I knew the American sign language sign for surreal, because that would accurately describe my experience at the Windy City Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf's St. Pat's party at Jackhammer. Never has it been so quiet and peaceful at that joint. I knew I had stepped into an alternative scene when, after a performance ( usually I would say it was lip-synced, but I guess it was 'hand-synced' ) I began to applaud and quickly realized I was the only one applauding. I should have been waving my fingers in the air, which is the hearing-impaired equivalent.
It really put into stark relief the hardship of getting by in a world constructed for others, not you. It's assumed you can hear, just as it's normally assumed you are straight. Having immersed myself nicely in the gay world, thereby removing the straight assumption, it was intriguing to see that within this gay bubble, there are even deeper levels of assumption. It's like they're twice as gay as the hearing among us. And that's pretty gay!
Catch the next Windy City Gay Idol at Crew on April 1. Mary's Attic was a blast. Sorry I had to school that one dude singing 'Kiss.' That's just my way.
Happy Easter!
kirk@windycitymediagroup.com