Pictured Toni Armstrong Jr. and Tracy Baim are pictured upper left. Cap party pics by Mel Ferrand.
Hundreds of women made their way to a three-story house in Andersonville on Jan. 14 for a gathering that has become legendary in Chicago's lesbian community.
Shortly after 8 p.m. on this unusually mild January night, clusters of women coming from every direction excitedly approached a brick house on Wayne street. They gave one another knowing smiles as they stopped to check that they had the correct address. Once inside, guests were swallowed into a sea of wall-to-wall women.
From trendy urban hipsters with short, spiky hair and multiple piercings to gray-haired women in their 50s and 60s to polished, professional couples in smart tweed blazers, it appeared that every imaginable type of lesbian had somehow been invited to the same party that night.
This gathering of approximately 500 women was the 20th annual Capricorn Party. The Capricorn Party is a BYOB, women-only house party that has been drawing lesbians out of the woodwork for the last 20 years.
Because lesbians have relatively few places to socialize in the city, it can be difficult for women to connect with one another. It is especially rare that an event connects women from different generations, ethnicities and backgrounds.
Remarkably, this party attracts a large and diverse crowd, giving lesbians the chance to meet or reunite with women they otherwise may not. 'For young people, [ we come ] because we know we're going to see people we see at the bar, but would never talk to,' said Kerri from Edgewater. Because the Capricorn Party creates such a rare social opportunity, it has become one of the not-to-be-missed lesbian events of the year.
This year's party was particularly special because after 20 years of these parties, with countless tequila slammers and lap dances, through blizzards and flu epidemics, as relationships were born and broken, this was to be very last Capricorn Party. This year lesbians came out in droves for the final celebration. Several women said that they made a point to attend the party because it would be the last one.
As groups of women walked into the house, they were ushered into a bedroom where they flung their coats onto a massive pile on a bed. A bathtub on the first-floor was transformed into a cooler where women kept libations cold. Once situated with cocktails in hand, partygoers made their way through the seemingly impenetrable crowd to check out the spectacle of activity on each floor.
On the ground floor, groups of women had lively conversations over shots of tequila. Meanwhile, younger lesbians and adventurous veterans trekked up to the third 'Anything Goes' floor where an uninhibited crowd spun the infamous 'Wheel of Debauchery.' An adult version of spin the bottle, the wheel dared brave spinners to kiss an attractive stranger, run through the party topless, or some other wild 'icebreaker.' The basement of the house was turned into a 'Red Light Room' for dancing.
For the last two decades, Tracy Baim, Windy City Media Group publisher, and Toni Armstrong Jr., a well-known teacher, journalist and organizer, have been opening their homes to hundreds of friends and strangers for the annual Capricorn Party. After realizing they and several of their friends share the same Jan. 12 birthday, Baim and Armstrong Jr. decided to host a joint birthday party in 1985 at Baim's former apartment at Ashland and Winnemac streets.
The first party was a smaller gathering, but within a couple of years, the January event gained notoriety and began drawing a larger crowd. The party changed venues a few times, and has been hosted at Armstrong Jr.'s Andersonville home for the past several years.
'The thing about this party is that is started small, and has taken more than 20 years to grow to the size and scope that it is today,' Armstrong Jr. said. 'When we were young, none of us had a building that would accommodate this number of women. Eventually we got older, more successful, and moved into larger spaces.'
Because it is not hosted at a bar and is not widely publicized, the Capricorn Party has developed an almost mythical quality. Young lesbians hear about it through friends, and cannot resist showing up to see what makes it so special. 'It's like their initiation into the community,' Baim said.
Since Armstrong Jr. is selling her home, she and Baim have made the difficult decision to stop hosting the party. 'It's hard to calculate the loss when something goes away. But I believe it is a loss for women to lose a venue where they can meet so many other types of women, have a woman-only environment that is open to women of all walks of life, and experience some wild fun in a safe environment,' Armstrong Jr. said.
She added, 'The Capricorn Party has always been an oasis of sorts. I myself will miss it more than I can ever put into words.'
There was sadness among guests at the final Capricorn Party because they knew this was the last time they would gather in this space. 'We're totally sad. It's sentimental, and we're super appreciative [ of Baim and Armstrong Jr. ] ,' said Jo, who has attended the party for the last 10 years.
The sadness was mixed with hopeful excitement as Baim, Armstrong Jr. and their friends passed the torch to the younger generation. 'Young lesbians will be stepping up and starting things now that will come to fruition in a couple of decades. It will be exciting to see what they establish, and how they choose to create community,' Armstrong Jr. said.
While no plans were underway for a new venue, many younger women seemed confident that their generation would continue the tradition. 'I think we'll find somewhere to have it,' said Amy, a student from Andersonville. 'The party must go on!'
Beth Stroud at
Holy Covenant
Holy Covenant Church will hold a 'Worship Celebration for Reconciling Sunday' Feb. 12, at 10:30 a.m. This celebration will affirm Holy Covenant's commitment both to welcome LGBT people to all levels of the congregational life and leadership and to advocate for change in the 10-million member United Methodist denomination, of which it is a part. Holy Covenant, a young ( median age of thirty ) , theologically diverse, socially progressive congregation, is defying the mainline Protestant 'aging, dying church' stereotype by growing in membership, combining spirituality and justice, and celebrating a liturgy that's blended, post-modern and sacramental.
To mark this year's special celebrations, Holy Covenant will welcome Elizabeth 'Beth' Stroud to preach in morning worship. In 2004, while serving as a pastor in Philadelphia, Beth Stroud came out as a lesbian in covenant relationship with another woman. After a church trial, an appeals process and a final decision in Fall 2005 by the Judicial Council, the denomination's 'Supreme Court,' Beth was found guilty of violating current Church policy, which prohibits partnered gay and lesbian Christians from serving as ordained ministers. Her clergy orders were revoked.
See www.holycovenantumc.org or call 773/528-6462.
Correction: Cafe Nine 17
In the Jan. 11 issue of Windy City Times, the address of Cafe NINE 17 was listed as 917 West 79th. It is actually 917 East 79th.
Windy City Times regrets the error.