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Rise Bar, or simply Rise, is a gay bar in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 2015, it is a small establishment surrounded by a number of larger LGBTQ nightlife venues. The bar is most popular among gay men and some women. It features pop music and hosts weekly entertainment including drag shows, open-mic nights and karaoke. Though Rise's owners invested in soundproofing before it opened, noise concerns from nearby residents initially led the local community board and state liquor authority to require the venue to close at an earlier hour than its competitors. Following a contentious series of applications to modify Rise's operating schedule and liquor license, this requirement was overturned for weekend nights. The establishment has received praise for its welcoming, diverse atmosphere.
Ortez Alderson was an American AIDS, gay rights, and anti-war activist and actor. A member of LGBT community, he was a leader of the Black Caucus of the Chicago Gay Liberation Front, which later became the Third World Gay Revolution, and served a federal prison sentence for destroying files related to the draft for the Vietnam War. In 1987, he was one of the founding members of ACT UP in New York City, and helped to establish its Majority Action Committee representing people of color with HIV and AIDS. Regarded as a "radical elder" within ACT UP, he was involved in organizing numerous demonstrations in the fight for access to healthcare and treatments for people with AIDS, and participated in the group's meetings with NYC Health Commissioner Stephen Joseph as well as the FDA. In 1989, he moved back to Chicago and helped to organize the People of Color and AIDS Conference the following year. He died of complications from AIDS in 1990, and was inducted posthumously into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.
Gold Coast was a leather bar for gay men in Chicago that operated from 1960 to 1988. It was one of the first bars created by and for the gay leather community in the United States. For most of its 28 year history, between 1967 and 1984, the bar was located at 501 North Clark Street adjacent to Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. This was also the period of its legendary basement, called The Pit. It was one of several gay businesses owned and operated by Chuck Renslow. The bar's founding led to the establishment of other gay businesses nearby, creating a kind of "gay district" in the area.
Baton Show Lounge is a Chicago drag club since 1969. It is famous as the venue for the Miss Continental pageant.
References
- ↑ "Chicago drag icon Jim Flint celebrates 80 with a few hundred of his closest friends". Chicago Tribune . July 29, 2021.
- 1 2 "Legendary Baton owner Jim Flint looks ahead at 75 - Windy City Times News". Windy City Times . July 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Generation Stonewall, the courage of generations". Windy City Times . June 26, 2019.
- ↑ Hammond, Gretchen Rachel (2016-07-17). "Legendary Baton owner Jim Flint looks ahead at 75 - Windy City Times News". Windy City Times. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ↑ Syska, Justyna (2021-06-26). "Chicago drag show celebrates Pride Month". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- 1 2 3 4 "JAMES W. FLINT – Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame".
- ↑ "Chicago Gay History". www.chicagogayhistory.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.