Gay bar in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Sidetrack is a gay bar on
Halsted Street in
Chicago , in the U.S. state of
Illinois .
[1]
Description
Sidetrack is a two-story, 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2 ) bar that spans eight storefronts.
[2] It has six rooms and a rooftop deck.
[3] Sidetrack hosts themed video nights.
[4]
[5]
History
Sidetrack representation at Chicago's 2013 pride parade
Established in 1982,
[6] Sidetrack is owned by Art Johnston and Jose "Pepe" Peña,
[7]
[8]
In 2013, Sidetrack boycotted
Stoli Vodka over Russia's anti-gay laws.
[9] In 2023, the business announced stopped selling
Anheuser-Busch products as part of the
Bud Light boycott .
[10]
Reception
The
Chicago Sun-Times has called Sidetrack "one of the world's top gay bars".
[11] Sidetrack ranked first in
Time Out Chicago 's 2023 list of the city's best LGBTQ+ bars.
[3] Sidetrack has been called the "most popular bar in Illinois" by
BuzzFeed and "one of the 50 top gay bars in the US" by
Yelp .
[12]
See also
References
^ Bergquist, Kathie; McDonald, Robert (2006).
A Field Guide to Gay & Lesbian Chicago . Lake Claremont Press.
ISBN
978-1-893121-03-4 .
^ Alderton, Matt (June 25, 2022).
" 'In finding each other we started developing power': A look at Midwest's largest gay bar" .
USA Today . Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^
a
b Vire, Kris; Eanet, Lindsay (May 23, 2023).
"The 30 best LGBTQ+ bars in Chicago" . Time Out Chicago .
Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ Ring, Trudy.
"A Love Story That Birthed an Iconic Gay Bar and a Lifetime of Activism" .
The Advocate .
Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ Tiebert, Laura (July 8, 2005).
Chicago For Dummies . John Wiley & Sons.
ISBN
978-0-7645-9996-5 .
^ Jackson, Steven; Nargis, Jason.
"Making Chicago's Boystown" . Curious City.
WBEZ .
Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ Trotter, LeeAnn (June 27, 2023).
" 'Art and Pep' documentary tells story of gay couple who owns Chicago's LGBTQ bar Sidetrack" . NBC Chicago .
Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ Alpasan, Eunice (June 22, 2023).
" 'Art and Pep' Tells the Story Behind Iconic Gay Bar Sidetrack, Documents the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights in Chicago" . WTTW News .
Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ Saviano, Anne Marie (July 27, 2013).
"Chicago gay bar 'Sidetrack' boycotts Russian Vodka" . WGN-TV .
Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^
"Popular Chicago Bars Won't Sell Anheuser-Busch Beer Over Response to Mulvaney Ad Controversy" . NBC Chicago . May 5, 2023.
Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ O’Donnell, Maureen (May 19, 2017).
"Chuck Hyde, dead at 55, helped Sidetrack bar become a Boystown standby" .
Chicago Sun-Times .
Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ Balof, Brad (July 20, 2021).
"The Dog Days of Summer at Chicago's Sidetrack" . The Advocate .
Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
External links