Popular Lesbian Bar closes as more opportunities for women open

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Mamie Lake was away from her Andersonville bar and social hub for Chicago's lesbian community for a total of only 14 days from the day it opened in 1998 to last call in the wee hours of this new year.

"I opened the bar knowing there was a need for it," said Lake, 62. "It went big time. We had people moving into the neighborhood because of the bar. It was like a gay Mayberry."

For more than a decade, the bar — Star Gaze — had been an icon in the gay community, so much so that many gay women still can't believe it's gone. It was, by many accounts, the last full-time lesbian bar in Chicago.

The economy contributed mightily to Lake's decision to close, but so did shifts in the way gay women socialize. As public acceptance of homosexuality has grown, women feel more at ease gathering in places besides bars.

"There are lesbian book groups and other kinds of social spaces now where people can find each other," said Jennifer Brier, associate professor of history and gender and women's studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Amy Maggio, a longtime Chicago gay and lesbian activist, agreed that there are other options.

"Maybe 20 years ago, when people were not as out and about, there were a number of lesbian bars in Chicago," she said. "It was one of the only ways to gather. I think now there are so many different opportunities and so much more openness in society that the bars aren't as necessary as they once were."

Still, some feel the loss of Star Gaze will leave a significant void, particularly for women new to the city or those just embracing their sexuality.

"For a young queer woman coming out or just arriving here, someone looking for community where they feel comfortable, I don't know where that place is going to be anymore or where that one bar is," said Christina Santiago, manager of programming for the Lesbian Community Care Project at the Howard Brown Health Center in Lakeview. "This is a really big loss for Chicago's lesbian community."

Read full story at Chicago Tribune