Pictures of my Fruitier Chicago Days

After the Army, I hadn't really intended to return to Chicago, but since I had committed myself to studying Lithuanian (at Vilsek, Bayern, 1986), and because Dr. Klimas wrote me in reply to my letter (asking where Lithuanian taught) that UIC was the best place, so here I came. Sean's back !

While I never used the term "fruity" when I first came to UIC, I learned to love it here. To us, it means a celebration of diversity and dates to 1995 or so. Before then, we used to use the term "family" – long before the politicos seized upon it for "family values." Ironic, huh? So, Here's a bunch of the "family" pictures —

First Parade

My first gay parade attended to – And I was a bystander – was in Nashville, Tennessee (the second one in that city, after a year's respite).

Such parades were soon to become part of my life in Chicago.

Miss Knutts, of Clarksville (knew her well by now), is the feature of the float. I loved to go to drag shows in Tennessee. Loved 'em!

PS: The Music City is a Fine, Fine City!

Halloween party

The Pride at UIC crew (plus friends) at a Halloween party at Northwestern University in (probably) 1993.

Annual Chicago Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade

This is one of the very few Pride parades that I did not march in. The previous year I had marched with UIC (don't have pictures of it).

Friends at the Pride Parade

Here are UIC-ers: myself, Rick – Yep, my high school buddy, – and Arnie on Broadway street. I was wearing my Lithuanian shirt, which says Lithuania on the back in Lithuanian, Russian, German, and English. Another year I wore a "Freedom for Lithuania" tee-shirt – the time Mayor Daley rode in the parade; he saw it and waved back   : - )

The Parade

I have been in most of Chicago's gay Pride parades since 1989/90 or so.

Most of the time I've been a GLBT Color Guard member for the GLBT Vets'. (All others were with UIC.)

Here I'm (at right) doing an "on-the-spot" correction to the flag. – Do it right, Do so always.

At one of Jim and Patrick's famous parties

Me on the left; Michelle is on the right. Jim and Pat have enormous parties each summer and winter. Tons of the most interesting people attend, and of the broadest age-range I think I've ever seen.

Vets' Party

Here's me and some other dude at one of Jim Darby's famous parties in Hyde Park, which is not far from the Museum of Science and Industry in Jackson Park.

Rally Site Along the Lakefront

These are many of the GLBT Veterans that I have hung around with since 1992/3 or later. The Junior (i.e: me, and I'm not in the photo) has learned so much from his predecessors that I could not even hope to explain. Want to learn more? Get yourself involved. I already did. Your turn!

The dude seated in the roll-chair – George Busse – is a World War II veteran.