Chicago To Get First US Gay Airport Bar?

Chicago To Get First US Gay Airport Bar?

Better get out the pink suitcase and load it up with Speedos, the US could get its first gay airport bar! It's time to fly! Sidetrack, an iconic bar and part of Chicago's gay history, has put in a bid to be a specialty bar in Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. This would make O'Hare the first US airport to have any gay presence in terms of bars or restaurants.

Chicago's O'Hare is in the process of updating its concessions, and the Sidetrack team submitted a bid just this month, perfect for Pride Month. If accepted, the bar would have a prominent presence in Terminal 1. O'Hare airport ranks among the top busiest airports in the US, coming in at #5 with 35.8 million passengers each year. (Atlanta, LA, Dallas, and Denver preceded Chicago). This kind of visibility in such a busy market is huge and no doubt will ruffle some feathers. Knowing the hot Chicago men and all the traffic this airport gets, we'd book a flight just to have a loooooong layover at O'Hare.

It is fitting that Sidetrack would take the lead on this. The bar originally opened in 1982 on North Halsted Street in Chicago, among other gay owned businesses. The area has quickly become known as Boystown and has been a thriving part of queer city life, nationally recognized. The popularity of Sidetrack quickly grew, due to its designation as one of the first music video bars with in-house editing. Soon, crowds lined the street to get in, bolstering the surrounding queer community. After just two years of being in business, the venue had to expand to double its size. Over the years, the bar has renovated and created new spaces to reflect its thriving clientele. Sidetrack has not just been a bar; it has become a center for activism, supporting many different causes, and has welcomed political and celebrity figures.

 

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Chicago's Boystown is the oldest LGBTQ neighborhood in the US. It celebrates Pride year-round and has many notable events, including Market Days, Pridefest, Halsted Halloween, the Chicago Pride Parade, and more. The area has celebrated Chicago’s annual Pride Parade since 1971. The area also includes Legacy Walk, the world’s only outdoor LGBTQ history museum, which commemorates LGBTQ+ heroes and historical events with colorful monuments. In addition to bars and nightlife, there are coffee shops, stores, hotels, and even a Steamworks.

Chicago should be on the bucket list for any gay traveler, and now, with hopes of the US's first airport gay bar, you will want to arrive to the airport early and leave late. Who says the Mile High Club can't be at the terminal?

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