Last Call Chicago

Last Call Chicago: A History of 1,001 LGBTQ-Friendly Taverns, Haunts & Hangouts could not have been written by anyone but authors Rick Karlin and St Sukie de la Croix. Both are journalists with a keen eye for history, who reported on the events and comings and goings of Chicago's LGBTQ-friendly bars and clubs. Last Call Chicago is a walk back in time-from the Speakeasies of the 1920s to the latest hot spots, and all done without looking at a single app.

Last Call Chicago: A History of 1,001 LGBTQ-Friendly Taverns, Haunts & Hangouts is a history of LGBTQ venues in Chicago going back in time as far as records of such venues exist. Both before and after Stonewall, LGBTQ bars and hangouts served the purpose of bringing the LGBTQ together and served as informal community centers. They were and are part of the vibrant fabric of the LGBTQ community. Opening Last Call Chicago is like stepping into a time machine that transports us across the years to bear witness to the triumphs, challenges, and sometimes heartaches of the LGBTQ community in Chicago.

As Terri Phoenix, director of the LGBTQ Center at UNC-Chapel Hill said recently at a vigil for the victims of the Orlando Pulse shooting, "It is important for people to understand that for LGBTQ communities, a gay bar is often a home for members of a community that may not feel safe ... anyplace else in their lives ... the club is a sanctuary, a community center, a home."

Last Call Chicago is like a trip home.

About the AuthorsRick Karlin is a Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inductee. He is a freelance journalist (Chicago Free Press, Bay Area Reporter, Windy City Times, Chicago Tribune's Metromix, and OutTraveler.com) and was the Entertainment Editor for Gay Chicago Magazine for 10 years. Rick is the author of Paper Cuts: My Life in Chicago's Volatile LGBTQ Press.St Sukie de la Croix is an award-winning journalist and author. For over 30 years, St Sukie has been documenting Chicago's rich LGBTQ+ history. He is the author of the seminal works, Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago before Stonewall and Chicago After Stonewall: A History of LGBTQ Chicago From Gay Lib to Gay Life. St Sukie is a Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inductee.