A reflection on how LGBTQ+ issues, subjects, and writers have appeared on the paper’s pages over the last five decades. | byadamrhodes ReaderArchives (2021)
oung Hyde Park male seeks other young males to get it on with.” A phone number followed, along with the young man’s availability: days, as well as Friday and Saturday.’s first explicitly gay content came not in a blistering exposé, music feature, or show review, but in, the backpages before there was a Backpage.com.
In its earliest issues, queer coverage was admittedly scant, usually relegated to arts and theater coverage. In 1972, there was a blistering critique of a theater production with the headline “Nay Love for Gay Love,” featuring the word homophilia as an early descriptor for queerness. And in 1973, a surprisingly thorough and positive review of a gay pornographic film,Theater remained queer writings’ most common domain until LGBTQ+ issues became actual news, and not just fodder for the arts.
Even when LGBTQ+ issues reached the feature pages—or even more rare, the front page—queerness itself was the focus of the investigations or critique, not how the state and city came to bear on these populations. One such cover story ran under the simple headline: “Transsexuality’’ in 1977 and served to interrogate the trans experience. And like coverage that persists across media to this day, the queer community was treated as a monolith of singular ideas, desires, and struggles.
And even when more marginalized people earned a spot among the features, the writing was often dismissive or disrespectful. An article from 1973 discussing anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in City Hall features a paper doll-esque illustration of a burly, bearded man, with outfits for you to choose from including a sundress, wide-brim hat, or, strangely, a literal ball and chain. As a mustachioed person who favors a sundress, I’m the last one to comment on folk’s preferred style of dress.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
What the first Reader theater review got wrong - Chicago Reader'When I recently reread Homstad’s review of Whores (which ran in the inaugural issue), I was disappointed and frustrated—not because the review was negative, but because it never set forth basic information about the show.' ReaderArchives (2021)
Read more »
Elvis - Chicago Reader'It’s a loosely focused biopic of one of America’s greatest musical creations that jumps & shimmies through the early infatuation of the young Presley w/ the Black gospel music of his downtrodden youth, to the stardom of his 20s and 30s. . .' | acmkhatib
Read more »
Rethinking concert safety - Chicago Reader'Do police and hired security have a place in live music? Or is the community of fans, artists, venues, and presenters better able to keep itself safe?' | LeadholmKira
Read more »
The celluloid closet - Chicago ReaderA closeted actor on the verge of winning an Oscar faces outing in a PrideArts farce that raises questions about identity and authenticity.
Read more »
22 months - Chicago ReaderICYMI Jeremey Johnson has chronicled nearly two years of pretrial house arrest. What follows are Johnson’s words, which have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Read more »
A note from an editor - Chicago Reader'You can read about some theater and dance programs that specialize in bringing performances to public parks, or, if you prefer indoor immersive experiences, there’s always Prince. (May there always be Prince!)' ✒️ an editor's note from kerryreid
Read more »