Gold Coast was a leather bar for gay men in Chicago that operated from 1958 to 1988. [1] It was one of the first bars created by and for the gay leather community in the United States. [2] [3] [4]
| Gold Coast | |
|---|---|
 Logo designed by Etienne | |
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Gay bar, Leather bar |
| Address | 501 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL |
| Coordinates | 41°53′28″N87°37′51″W / 41.891011°N 87.630811°W |
| Opened | 1958 |
| Relocated | 1984 |
| Closed | 1988 |
| Owner | Chuck Renslow |
Established in 1958, it was one of the first openly gay bars in the United States. [5] The bar was originally located at 501 N Clark Street adjacent to Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. [6] It was one of several gay businesses owned and operated by Chuck Renslow. [3] The bar's founding led to the establishment of other gay businesses nearby, creating a kind of "gay district" in the area. [7]
The bar had a "2 am" liquor license which permitted it to serve alcohol but required it to close by 2 am. [8] It was known for its "hardcore" leather culture, [9] and did not pay for a dancing license because the owners felt their clientele would not be interested in dancing. [7] Renslow paid bribes to police to prevent the bar from being raided, although this still occurred occasionally. [8]
Dom Orejudos (widely known by his alias "Etienne"), who was Renslow's partner, [7] created numerous posters and artworks for the Gold Coast. [10] Renslow donated much of this art to the Leather Archives & Museum, some of which is on display in the museum's auditorium. [11] [12]
The bar hosted an annual "Mr. Gold Coast" pageant; in 1979, the contest was rebranded as International Mr. Leather, which continues to this day. [1] [13] In 1984, the bar relocated to 5025 N Clark Street in Andersonville. [14] The bar closed permanently on February 10, 1988, after its liquor license was revoked. Prior to this, it had declined in popularity due in part to the relocation and to changes in management. [7] [14]
On May 25, 2018, the Chicago City Council voted to designate the eastern stretch of Clark Street between Winnemac Ave and Ainslie Ave—the historic location of the Gold Coast, Man's Country, and other businesses owned by Renslow—as "CHUCK RENSLOW WAY." [15] [16]
Leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities that involve leather garments, such as leather jackets, vests, boots, chaps, harnesses, or other items. Wearing leather garments is one way that participants in this culture self-consciously distinguish themselves from mainstream sexual cultures. Many participants associate leather culture with BDSM practices and its many subcultures. For some, black leather clothing is an erotic fashion that expresses heightened masculinity or the appropriation of sexual power; love of motorcycles, motorcycle clubs and independence; and/or engagement in sexual kink or leather fetishism.
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The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) is a community archives, library, and museum located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase in 1991, its mission is "making leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish accessible through research, preservation, education and community engagement." The LA&M is a leading conservator of queer erotic art. Its permanent collection features some of the most iconic LGBT artists of the twentieth century, including most artwork by Bill Schmeling and many works by Dom Orejudos.
International Mr. Leather(IML) is a multi-day conference and competition celebrating the leather, kink, fetish, and BDSM communities. Established in 1979, IML is held annually in Chicago over the Memorial Day weekend, drawing thousands of contestants and spectators from around the world. As of 2024, 23 countries spanning six continents have competed.
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Domingo Francisco Juan Esteban "Dom" Orejudos, Secundo, also widely known by the pen names Etienne and Stephen, was an openly gay artist, ballet dancer, and choreographer, best known for his ground-breaking masculine gay male erotica beginning in the 1950s. Along with artists George Quaintance and Touko Laaksonen – with whom he became friends – Orejudos' leather-themed art promoted an image of gay men as strong and masculine, as an alternative to the then-dominant stereotype as weak and effeminate. With his first lover and business partner Chuck Renslow, Orejudos established many landmarks of late-20th-century gay male culture, including the Gold Coast bar, Man's Country bathhouse, the International Mr. Leather competition, Chicago's August White Party, and the magazines Triumph, Rawhide, and Mars. He was also active and influential in the Chicago ballet community.
Charles "Chuck" Renslow was an American businessperson, known for pioneering homoerotic male photography in the mid-20th-century US, and establishing many landmarks of late-20th-century gay male culture, especially in the Chicago area. His accomplishments included the cofounding with Tony DeBlase of the Leather Archives and Museum, the cofounding with Dom Orejudos of the Gold Coast bar, Man's Country bathhouse, and the International Mr. Leather competition, and the founding by himself alone of Chicago's August White Party, and the magazines Triumph, Rawhide, and Mars. He was the romantic partner of Dom Orejudos and later Ron Ehemann.
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