Junior, a longtime businessman, took over Jeffery Pub fifteen years ago after the previous owner of the pub asked if he’d like to add another business project to his repertoire. Now, I would say it’s still the same thing.” Credit: Maia McDonald/Block Club Chicago Jeffery Pub. So, back then, this was their place to come, where they felt safe in the neighborhood. “This area here was filled with, like, doctors and lawyers and a lot of other professionals,” Junior said. Jeffery Blvd, are especially notable as Black-owned LGBTQ bars vanish across the country.īy filling a much-needed cultural void, the bar cemented its place in Chicago history, owner Jamal Junior said.
It quickly became a safe haven for Black and Brown queer people, particularly on the South Side, and it’s maintained its notoriety in large part because there are no other establishments like it.
Sitting across from a former bank, Jeffery Pub has been a neighborhood stalwart since the 1960s. For me, the gay bar is part of all that, so I don’t think it is dying, but in evolution, and between Berwyn, Oak Park and Forest Park, there is a large population of individuals who would love to see one open again.SOUTH SHORE - For Black and Brown LGBTQ Chicagoans, finding belonging on the North Halsted strip formerly known as Boystown long has been a struggle.īut they’ve long found a home and fellowship inside an unassuming bar in South Shore - one of the only Black-owned LGBTQ bars in Chicago. “I think there is a huge need for a gay bar out here, for a sense of community things become more open, we are starting to lose a part of our identity the remembrance of how we got here. Yet, what Jimenez and Monterosso are hoping is that a new gay bar will emerge beyond the rumors that are circulating now. “I do think it would be a good thing, as yet another offering in the community for something to do on a weekend at night that doesn’t involve driving into the city.” “I would not be disappointed to see a new gay bar open in the Hideaway’s space,” says Yingling, who recently legally “re-married” his long-time partner in June.
He acknowledges that among most gay people, including himself, there is still an internalized fear and mistrust toward others regarding how a gay person may be perceived in public, especially if a couple chooses to hold hands, or publicly display affection. What Yingling, a nurse practitioner says is that he often would gather at the bar to unwind after work with straight female coworkers. “I think there is a lot of truth to the reality that gay couples and gay people no longer feel that they exclusively need to patronize gay bars, but the Hideaway will be somewhat missed,” says Charlie Yingling, 36. in Forest Park, and patronizing Poor Phil’s in Oak Park for their Friday night get-togethers to watch sports, or relax on the patio.Įven so, he would prefer going to a gay bar to meet new friends. You really have to have some kind of niche.”ĭavid Monterosso, 54, a former Hideaway patron, says since its closing, he and his gay friends have been enjoying Wednesday night Karaoke at Carole’s, 7307 Roosevelt Rd. There have been a lot of gay bars that have opened and closed in the suburbs. But, just opening up a dive and calling it a gay bar is not reason enough for people to come. Going into the city is far, and not drinking and driving is a factor, and Boys Town has gotten more dangerous lately.
“Hideaway and Nutbush were pretty much the only bars in Forest Park that didn’t have any windows, so as time went on the crowd there was getting older. “A big reason many of the local gay bars are gone is that they did not keep up with the times to continue drawing people in,” says Jimenez, who has bartended at the two former gay bars in Forest Park, and Cell Block in Chicago.