But I doubt we'll be able to fully get rid of Boystown. I'm glad anytime we see any kind of activism in younger folks-it's exciting. Tim: Who said it shouldn't be called Boystown anymore?Īrt: Most young activists, gays and a number of nonbinary folks. But some folks thought it sent the wrong message because it didn't include everyone, so now it's officially Northalsted. Pep: Well, it will forever be Boystown for me, Art and others. The subscriber base grows a bit with each new installment, and I hope to have many, many juicy new interviews for you in 2022 (some of them are already in the works!) And I want to thank everyone who’s subscribed to The Caftan Chronicles the past few months. I want to thank Greg McFall for introducing me to Art and Pep. I can’t wait to go back-and when I do, I’ll definitely be heading to Sidetrack and setting up an in-person meetup with Art and Pep! Talking with them reaffirmed why I started The Caftan Chronicles in the first place-because in the past 50 years, we gay men have done incredible things, often against tremendous societal and personal odds, and these stories must be told! But as anyone who’s been to Chicago knows, it’s an extraordinary, stunning, progressive and vibrant city-especially in the summer, where the vast lakefront makes you feel like you’re in Miami. It’s a really beautiful story about what gay life was like just after Stonewall (and beyond) in a city that did not really become known as a gay destination spot for years after NYC, SF and LA. Now, as “Art and Pep,” as they are widely know, prepare to turn over the bar’s reins in coming years (and start a 420-selling business, now that weed is legal in Illinois), they took time from preparing for their staff holiday party to tell me about the past 40 years of their bar and 50 years of their relationship. It’s probably about the closest thing that Chicago has to Stonewall, and the story behind it is remarkable and juicy! In the 40 years to follow, the bar would not only get bigger and bigger, but it would become a crucial anchor for gay Chicago’s social life-and its gay-rights, AIDS, marriage-equality and racial- and trans-equity activism of the next 40 years. And that’s why I’m so delighted to introduce you to Art Johnston and José “Pepe” (or simply “Pep”) Peña, who met in Chicago in 1973 and, a decade later, opened Sidetrack, the city’s first gay video bar, behind an unmarked doorfront. Well, I promised myself that, going forward with my Caftan Chronicles interviews with gay men “of a certain age” who’ve led remarkable lives, I’d get out of the New York City-San Francisco-Los Angeles Triangle. Hey there, folks! Good to be back with you and I hope you’re having a restful and joy-filled holiday season.