Chicago’s Legendary Club LaRay
One of the city’s most exciting, most creative Black queer dance clubs in the 1980s. Opened in 1986, Club LaRay was located at 3150 North Halsted in Chicago. The club, […]
Tag: 1980s
Reviews About THING the Book
These magazines are over the top about the release of THING magazine as a book. See for yourself!
Chinese Ballroom Copycats
How China’s Queer Youth Built an Underground Ballroom Scene. Shanghai Voguing Ball Voguing, and the ballroom scene that gave rise to the dance genre, were started in New York City […]
Interview with Stephanie Coleman
Stephanie Coleman, a seasoned videographer and realtor in Chicago, has a unique and inspiring background in the arts. Her film, Having A Ball! With the House of Avant Garde, was […]
Home of House at Navy Pier
Exhibition closes October 31, 2024 Chicago is the birthplace of House music. House evolved through the early 1980s and brought together Chicagoans of different races, ages, cultures, and orientations like […]
The House of Avant-Garde
Thanks to Media Burn, footage of the House of Avant-Garde’s Unity Ball (1991) and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Ball (1992), can now be viewed online! Commentary and footage from […]
Patric McCoy: Take My Picture
On display April 14 through July 15, 2023 at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago. Purchase your tickets today for this powerful portrayal of Black gay men from the 1980s by Chicago […]
How House Music Was Born
House music was created to uplift and celebrate marginalized communities. This documentary film shows how social unrest and Chicago’s underground gay clubs led to a global dance movement. 2017 Music […]
Joey Arias Channels Billie Holiday
Drag artist, cabaret singer, performance artist. Joey Arias was involved in New York’s performance art scene in the 1980s, appearing regularly at Club 57 and other downtown venues. During these […]
THING Magazine
Thing magazine was founded as a platform for black LGBTQ+ life in November 1989. Robert Ford described his zine as a “black gay and lesbian underground arts journal and magazine […]