She was among those who picketed Evergreen Foods, educating its owners and other “mainstream” businesspersons that gays and lesbians are among their regular customers and are deserving of common courtesy and respect. Along with gay businessman Frank Kellas, Summit pioneered the “Gay $ Project”, creating an ink stamp to mark paper currency as coming from gays and lesbians, demonstrating our economic impact on everyday commerce. She was a member of Mattachine Midwest, as well as active in the formation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
Chaffin, Summit later co-produced “Crimes of Hate,” a documentary film about anti-gay and anti-lesbian occurrences in Chicago. Along with QED Productions, Gary Chichester and R.J. She appeared in the film “Before Stonewall,” which chronicled pre-1968 activities of the national gay and lesbian community.
Summit produced a record album “Gay and Straight Together,” featuring performers who appeared at His ‘n Hers. His ‘n Hers became well known for its “open mike,” and was considered by many to have the “best burgers” in Chicago. Summit closed her business in mid-November of 1993.ĭuring the 1970s and early 1980s, Summit’s establishment was among the first to offer live entertainment, and she promoted the careers of numerous young gay and lesbian artists, including Diana Straight-as-an-Arrow, Chris Clason and Wacker Drive. There she was the object of ongoing harassment.
She is best known as the owner of His ‘n Hers, a popular bar and restaurant that was located for many years beneath the Addison L stop forced out of this location by the Chicago Transit Authority, Summit moved her business to North Broadway in the 48th Ward. Marge Summit has been a vocal and visible member of Chicago’s gay and lesbian community for many years. She was a founder of the Chicago chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), appeared in several video projects, and initiated the “Gay$” project. Also take a look at the Chicago Gay Bathhouse and Sex Club Guide, which has plenty of advice on where to meet guys looking to hookup around Chicago.Photo by: Tracy Baim/Outline & Nightlines INDIVIDUAL | Inducted 1993Īs a successful businesswoman, she has contributed time, energy, and resources to numerous community organizations. Here's a more in-depth look at these Downtown and South Side Chicago gay social establishments. It's also a bit of a distance to reach these bars, but they're both legendary nightspots that are well-worth checking out, especially given that many of the nation's gay African-American hangouts have steadily disappeared over the years. Additionally, on the city's South Side, you'll find a pair of gay bars that cater predominantly to African-American patrons, Club Escape and Jeffery Pub. You can find extensive lists of establishments in the Chicago Lakeview Gay Nightlife Guide and the Chicago Andersonville Gay Nightlife Guide. These neighborhoods are a lot of fun, but they're also a bit of a haul - by cab or public transit - from downtown Chicago, which is where most of the city's hotels are.įortunately, there are a couple of very fun gay nightspots right in the heart of downtown, not to mention an almost endless supply of terrific restaurants, many of them with mixed gay/straight followings. Although Chicago has among the greatest selection of gay nightspots in the country, the majority of these hangouts - from bars and discos to LGBT-popular restaurants - are in popular mixed residential-commercial neighborhoods on the north side of the city.