Molly Each

As employees at local independent booksellers Women and Children First and Unabridged Books, Kathie Bergquist and Robert McDonald noticed a void in the Chicago travel section. "Whenever gay visitors would come to town, they would come to one of the bookstores to find out what there was to do in Chicago in terms of gay restaurants and nightlife," Bergquist says. "I would end up sending them off with five different newspapers and a map--there wasn't a single source that had all that info in one place." They saw that there were gay guides for all other major cities--New York, San Francisco, LA, Seattle and yet Chicago, a city that boasts a 400,000 person turnout at the annual Pride parade and a plethora of diverse communities, didn't have a single book for the gay tourist.

Bergquist and McDonald sat on the idea for a few years, but when Chicago was awarded the Gay Games (to be played here this July), it was clear that Chicago needed this book. Sharon Woodhouse, Lake Claremont Press publisher, agreed. "It's a thrill that they brought it to us and not somewhere else, because many companies should have jumped at the chance to do this book." Knowing that another publisher would quickly snap it up, Woodhouse accepted the book proposal within hours, and Lake Claremont Press is releasing "A Field Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago" this month.

After their proposal was accepted, Bergquist and McDonald set about the daunting task of research. While both had substantial gay Chicago knowledge, they aimed to uncover more than just the typical gay areas. "We wanted to make sure we covered more of Chicago's GLBT life than that reflected on the Halsted strip, and that this book is for the gay man or woman who would rather eat tacks than spend an evening at Sidetrack, as well as for the person in town for a weekend who just wants to know where to go and be comfortable having a drink," McDonald says, although nightlife is far from the focus of the book. "People tend to focus on bar culture as the epicenter of gay culture, which is not true. The pure cultural diversity of Chicago's gay communities are the highlight to living in Chicago," Bergquist says.

Although there is special focus given to four "gayborhoods"--Boystown, Andersonville, Wicker Park and Downtown--the book spans the city from Rogers Park to Midway. The guide begins with a brief history of gay and lesbian Chicago, as well as basic travel information such as accommodations, transportation and safety, then covers daytime activities such as sightseeing, sports, shopping and the lake. Finally, the book tackles nighttime culture, which includes information on dining, bars, clubs, theater and music. "This section also includes info about naughty gay and lesbian Chicago, or where to find a little somethin' somethin'," Bergquist says. The guide ends with a listing of resources, including Web sites, social and political organizations, and a gay Chicago calendar.

While the content alone makes the book unique (it is perhaps the only guidebook out there with special focus given to the Leather Museum and Archives and lesbian softball at Waveland Park), it's the writing style that truly makes "A Field Guide" stand out. The book doesn't just compile the information into one source, but adds the authors' personal experiences and observations, which works especially well, considering that both Bergquist and McDonald write professionally. "Our book is peppered with saucy personal anecdotes about our many years on the queer fringes and homo frontlines of Chicago's gay community," Bergquist says. Woodhouse likens the friendly, amiable guide to another Lake Claremont book, "A Native's Guide to Chicago." "However, 'A Field Guide' takes that to a whole new level. It's way more fun, funny, opinionated, and risqué than the 'Native's Guide'," she says. "We must have dozens of favorite passages in the office."

With a release timed to accommodate both the Pride Parade and the Gay Games, Women and Children First will host a launch party on June 29. Like the book itself, the launch party won't be your typical, run-of-the-mill event, and Bergquist is excited. "We'll be giving away great prizes as well as reading, drinking, signing books and having a hoot and holler. You don't have to be gay to come, but you'll wish you were gay once you see how cool our book is!"

(2006-06-21)

Also by Molly Each

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There is no eye-catching sign, no colorful board boasting nightly specials and no trendy outside decor. In fact, if it weren't for the neon Old Style and Schlitz logos in the dimly lit windows, you would never notice the tiny bar on the corner of Chicago and California
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