New Gay Bars in Downtown Chicago - Well, Sort of...

Published April 14, 2009 at 8:45 p.m.

 

It's kind of sad that downtown Chicago has only 1  gay bar! Now that the Gentry has closed, Second Story Bar (157 E. Ohio) is the only gay hangout downtown.

Of course, you have the monthly gatherings of Big Gay Cocktail Club. (Password FABULOUS). The BGCC is a gypsy cocktail party which explores new venues periodically, and occasionally raises small sums of money & awareness for worthwhile Chicago-based GLBT organizations. The group was founded by a group of friends who then began bringing their friends, and so on, and so on...

Now comes the Guerrilla Gay Bar - South Loop movement to downtown Chicago. Started by gay medical students and South Loop  residents  Andy Czysz and Scott Feldman, they started the group out of frustration of having no gay choices downtown and always having to schlep up to Boystown for a night of drinking.

While true Guerrilla Gay Bars have been around about 10 years, "The name is a bit of a misnomer, in a way," says  Czysz. "We just got sick of always going to Boystown." The partners admit that  while some GGB-SL members do in fact participate as a form of social action, most people just want to try something new for a change. In fact, at last months event only 30% of the crowd was from downtown. The other 70% were from Boystown and Uptown who had heard about the event and wanted to do something different!

GGB-SL  does give the bar owners a little notice. They don't want to overwhelm an establishment or be met with an anti-gay slap in the face. "and we don't want to promote it too heavily..."  says  Feldman.""part of the charm is mixing in the regular crowd and exposing people who normally wouldn't be exposed to our community." If it's promoted too much in advance, regulars  might stay away.

Events happen the second weekend of each month.

Visit the Guerrilla Gay Bar - South Loop on Facebook - they are always looking new ideas  and  input!

Queers United recently ran this list of Guerrilla Gay Bars from around the world.

The Best of Gay Chicago

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