How did a small barber shop Edgewater cultivate a followg Chigo’s gay kkster scene? Patrons say down to acceptance.
Contents:
- \NQUEER-FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOODS\NONE THG I LOVE ABOUT QUEER LIFE CHIGO IS HOW SO MANY FAC AND VOIC ARE BEG REGNIZED. IN THE PAST, YOU’D GO TO BOYSTOWN AND SEEMED LIKE WAS MOSTLY JT A PLACE FOR GAY WHE GUYS. TODAY SO MANY MORE PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE A LARGER PRENCE QUEER LIFE CHIGO—PEOPLE OF LOR, FEMM, TRANS MEN AND WOMEN, GENRQUEER AND MORE. AND WHAT’S BETIFUL TO ME IS EVERYWHERE YOU GO CHIGO, QUEERS ARE THERE. EVEN THOUGH MANY OF STILL LIVE GAY-HEAVY ‘HOODS, WE’RE NOT GHETTOIZED ANYMORE AND LIVE EVERYWHERE — AND THE CY, FOR THE MOST PART, IS OPEN AND ACCEPTG. \NBOYSTOWN\NDPE THE NAME, BOYSTOWN IS CHIGO’S LARGT CLIVE LGBTQ+ NEIGHBORHOOD WH BARS, SHOPS, RTRANTS, GYMS, THEATERS, A HISTORIL LEGACY WALK WH RABOW-CLAD MARTNS ALONG HALSTED STREET AND THE CENTER ON HALSTED, THE CY’S LARGE LGBTQ+ CENTER. THE ANNUAL PRI PARA AND FTIVAL TAKE PLACE HERE EACH JUNE AS DO MARKET DAYS, ONE OF THE UNTRY’S LARGT STREET FAIRS. GAYS STARTED MOVG HERE THE 1960S AND ‘70S AND OFFICIALLY BEME A GAY VILLAGE 1997, THE FIRST UNTRY. \NANRSONVILLE\NSET ON THE FAR NORTH SI CENTERED ALONG CLARK STREET BETWEEN WNEMAC AND IRVG PARK, THIS FORMER SWEDISH ENCLAVE STARTED ATTRACTG MORE GAYS AND LBIANS THE LATE 1980S, PECIALLY WH THE OPENG OF WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST BOOKSTORE. TODAY, ANRSONVILLE IS A LIVELY, LORFULLY-MIXED NEIGHBORHOOD WH FANTASTIC RTRANTS AND BARS LIKE ANTEPRIMA, LTLE BAD WOLF, REPLAY AND MARTY’S MARTI BAR. THERE ARE BETIFUL HOM AND EASY ACCS TO HOLLYWOOD BEACH, A.K.A. THE GAY BEACH, JT A FEW BLOCKS TO THE EAST. \NWICKER PARK\NWHILE NOT REALLY NSIRED AN OFFICIAL LGBTQ+ NEIGHBORHOOD, WICKER PARK (AND BUCKTOWN AND LOGAN SQUARE FOR THAT MATTER) IS VERY GAY IENDLY, AS EVINCED BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF QUEER FOLK WHO LIVE THAT PART OF THE CY. THIS AREA IS A HUB OF CREATIVY, EXCELLENT NIGHTLIFE, LIVE MIC BARS, GALLERI, THEATERS, AND SO MUCH MORE. \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3665683574},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":800,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":560,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"THE DRAWG ROOM AT THE CHIGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATN. ","HEIGHT":800,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":800,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20678,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960},{"RETAHEIGHT":800,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":560,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"DRAWG ROOM AT THE CHIGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATN. ","HEIGHT":800,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":800,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20679,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960},{"RETAHEIGHT":800,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":560,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"SOME CHAMPAGNE THE DRAWG ROOM. PHOTO BY CLAYTON HCK. ","HEIGHT":800,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":800,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20680,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":3831971573},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"HOTELS\NIN THIS DAY AND AGE, YOU’D BE HARD PRSED TO FD A HOTEL CHIGO THAT ISN’T GAY IENDLY (NOT TO MENTN GAY WELG), WHETHER THE HIGH-END SPOTS AROUND MICHIGAN AVENUE, HIP HOTELS FULTON MARKET LIKE THE ACE, HOXTON, AND SOHO HOE, UBER-OL ROBEY WICKER PARK, OR THE SIGN-FORWARD HOTEL ZACHARY ACROSS THE STREET OM WRIGLEY FIELD AND JT BLOCKS OM BOYSTOWN. BUT IF YOU WANT TO STAY CLOSE TO THE ACTN, CHECK OUT THE HAWTHORNE TERRACE OR VILLA TOSNA GUTHOE RIGHT BOYSTOWN, OR THE GUTHOE HOTEL, JT SOUTH OF THE HEART OF ANRSONVILLE ON CLARK STREET. \N \NQUEER-OWNED BS
- THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
\NQUEER-FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOODS\NONE THG I LOVE ABOUT QUEER LIFE CHIGO IS HOW SO MANY FAC AND VOIC ARE BEG REGNIZED. IN THE PAST, YOU’D GO TO BOYSTOWN AND SEEMED LIKE WAS MOSTLY JT A PLACE FOR GAY WHE GUYS. TODAY SO MANY MORE PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE A LARGER PRENCE QUEER LIFE CHIGO—PEOPLE OF LOR, FEMM, TRANS MEN AND WOMEN, GENRQUEER AND MORE. AND WHAT’S BETIFUL TO ME IS EVERYWHERE YOU GO CHIGO, QUEERS ARE THERE. EVEN THOUGH MANY OF STILL LIVE GAY-HEAVY ‘HOODS, WE’RE NOT GHETTOIZED ANYMORE AND LIVE EVERYWHERE — AND THE CY, FOR THE MOST PART, IS OPEN AND ACCEPTG. \NBOYSTOWN\NDPE THE NAME, BOYSTOWN IS CHIGO’S LARGT CLIVE LGBTQ+ NEIGHBORHOOD WH BARS, SHOPS, RTRANTS, GYMS, THEATERS, A HISTORIL LEGACY WALK WH RABOW-CLAD MARTNS ALONG HALSTED STREET AND THE CENTER ON HALSTED, THE CY’S LARGE LGBTQ+ CENTER. THE ANNUAL PRI PARA AND FTIVAL TAKE PLACE HERE EACH JUNE AS DO MARKET DAYS, ONE OF THE UNTRY’S LARGT STREET FAIRS. GAYS STARTED MOVG HERE THE 1960S AND ‘70S AND OFFICIALLY BEME A GAY VILLAGE 1997, THE FIRST UNTRY. \NANRSONVILLE\NSET ON THE FAR NORTH SI CENTERED ALONG CLARK STREET BETWEEN WNEMAC AND IRVG PARK, THIS FORMER SWEDISH ENCLAVE STARTED ATTRACTG MORE GAYS AND LBIANS THE LATE 1980S, PECIALLY WH THE OPENG OF WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST BOOKSTORE. TODAY, ANRSONVILLE IS A LIVELY, LORFULLY-MIXED NEIGHBORHOOD WH FANTASTIC RTRANTS AND BARS LIKE ANTEPRIMA, LTLE BAD WOLF, REPLAY AND MARTY’S MARTI BAR. THERE ARE BETIFUL HOM AND EASY ACCS TO HOLLYWOOD BEACH, A.K.A. THE GAY BEACH, JT A FEW BLOCKS TO THE EAST. \NWICKER PARK\NWHILE NOT REALLY NSIRED AN OFFICIAL LGBTQ+ NEIGHBORHOOD, WICKER PARK (AND BUCKTOWN AND LOGAN SQUARE FOR THAT MATTER) IS VERY GAY IENDLY, AS EVINCED BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF QUEER FOLK WHO LIVE THAT PART OF THE CY. THIS AREA IS A HUB OF CREATIVY, EXCELLENT NIGHTLIFE, LIVE MIC BARS, GALLERI, THEATERS, AND SO MUCH MORE. \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3665683574},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":800,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":560,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"THE DRAWG ROOM AT THE CHIGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATN. ","HEIGHT":800,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":800,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20678,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960},{"RETAHEIGHT":800,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":560,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"DRAWG ROOM AT THE CHIGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATN. ","HEIGHT":800,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":800,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20679,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960},{"RETAHEIGHT":800,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":560,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"SOME CHAMPAGNE THE DRAWG ROOM. PHOTO BY CLAYTON HCK. ","HEIGHT":800,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":800,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20680,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":3831971573},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"HOTELS\NIN THIS DAY AND AGE, YOU’D BE HARD PRSED TO FD A HOTEL CHIGO THAT ISN’T GAY IENDLY (NOT TO MENTN GAY WELG), WHETHER THE HIGH-END SPOTS AROUND MICHIGAN AVENUE, HIP HOTELS FULTON MARKET LIKE THE ACE, HOXTON, AND SOHO HOE, UBER-OL ROBEY WICKER PARK, OR THE SIGN-FORWARD HOTEL ZACHARY ACROSS THE STREET OM WRIGLEY FIELD AND JT BLOCKS OM BOYSTOWN. BUT IF YOU WANT TO STAY CLOSE TO THE ACTN, CHECK OUT THE HAWTHORNE TERRACE OR VILLA TOSNA GUTHOE RIGHT BOYSTOWN, OR THE GUTHOE HOTEL, JT SOUTH OF THE HEART OF ANRSONVILLE ON CLARK STREET. \N \NQUEER-OWNED BS
Beg a gay-owned shop, the safety and fort our LGBTQIA+ fay are top prry.
“We uld be as gay as we wanted to be, ” Rodriguez said.
THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
In 2014, a bakery Indiana me unr fire for refg to make a weddg ke for a gay uple.
Whether you’re straight or gay, if you’ve ever been turned away om any type of service bee of your inty, you know how eply that n hurt. In the past, you’d go to Boystown and seemed like was mostly jt a place for gay whe guys.
Even though many of still live gay-heavy ‘hoods, we’re not ghettoized anymore and live everywhere — and the cy, for the most part, is open and acceptg. Gays started movg here the 1960s and ‘70s and officially beme a gay village 1997, the first untry. Set on the Far North Si centered along Clark Street between Wnemac and Irvg Park, this former Swedish enclave started attractg more gays and lbians the late 1980s, pecially wh the openg of Women & Children First Bookstore.