Last week we heard LA’s Normandie Room was forced to shut its doors for good despite its status as the only lesbian bar in West Hollywood. Now it looks like Chicago refuge Star Gaze will face the same fate. New blog Chicago Now reports that while public opinion of the Star Gaze is a bit cloudy, for some women it offers the only option for lesbian-catered nightlife in a male saturated gay scene. Is this a coincidence or something indicative of a broader shift in the ladies’ partying habits these days? Or just another result of the great American recession?

Photo by Nate & Friends Big Gay Photo Stream

Sami Grisafe is quarterback for the 2008 Eastern Conference Champion Chicago Force (of the professional Independent Women’s Football League). Unlike many of the more than 10,000 women who play the full-contact sport–mostly on boys’ youth and small-school teams, but increasingly on all-women’s squads like the IWFL’s–Sami is a veteran, having played for 15 years. Her Force teammates are diverse — ex-paratroopers, rugby converts, a surprising (or maybe not) number of attorneys — playing what the Tribune’s John Kass called “smash-mouth football” for almost no money yet with a far better record than, say, the Bears.

On June 13, the Force advanced to another postseason with a 26-6 win over Detroit Demolition. Sami carried for two touchdowns, including 37 yards on a fake handoff for the final score of the game. This will be Sami’s last year with the Force, however. With a degree in acting, bit parts in films like “Lords of Dogtown” and playwriting and directing credits under her belt, Sami plans to try her fortunes in Hollywood. But she’ll stick around for long enough to enjoy the June 28 Chicago Pride, where she will ride on the Force’s float, as she has for several years. GayCities contributor Barbara Wilcox caught up with her on the even of Chicago Pride.

What was your first Pride like?

A very good friend of mine worked for Howard Brown Clinic in Chicago and so I walked in the parade with him and passed out fliers for free HIV testing. It felt good to contribute.

How do you celebrate Pride?

I enjoy the company of my friends and celebrate all of the LGBT people from the past who endured so much and fought hard for us to be that much closer to equality. For the last couple of years, I’ve been on the Chicago Force float in the Pride Parade and then headed over to the the Backlot Bash in Andersonville

Sami, far right, with pals at pride

Where does the team eat/drink/hang out?

After the games we go to our sponsor bar Paddy O’Splaines. We also frequent T’s, The Closet and Hamburger Mary’s. The food at T’s could be described as upper-end bar food with some healthier options. The best nights to catch the ladies at T’s is on Friday and Saturdays. Hamburger Mary’s is a fun kitschy place. They are a restaurant by day, and then upstairs a club opens called Mary’s Attic where plays, karaoke and comedy routines can be seen on various nights.The Closet is a tiny neighborhood bar with a lot of character — you never know what you will get as far as the atmosphere, but the drink prices are always reasonable and it is open til 4 a.m., 5 a.m. on Saturdays.

What don’t out-of-towners know about Chicago that they should know?

Not only do we have a fabulous Pride in June, but we have a fantastic street festival in the beginning of August called Halsted’s Market Days. This event is an entire weekend full of music, art, booze and sexy people. It is also the largest street festival in the Midwest and it is homo-tastic!

What’s your biggest moment in football?

Playing in the 2008 World Championship.

You played on JV and varsity men’s teams in high school. Is playing on a women’s team different?

On the men’s teams, there were a lot more political concerns for me, added to the challenge that one already faces when playing the game of football. When I began playing on the women’s team, it was nice to just be a football player and not a woman playing football. Another big difference is in the level of desire. I think a lot of the boys I played with never understood what an honor it was to play football, because it was never out of reach; it was always attainable. With the women, the team is made up of a variety of different ages and women from different generations who are playing a sport they never thought they would be allowed to play.

You’ve achieved a lot already — writing and directing a play, playing a range of theatrical roles in college, quarterbacking a conference championship team and lettering in three high school sports (including football).

I would like to begin doing stunt work. I have an extensive athletic resume and my bachelor’s degree in acting; I think stunt work is the perfect hybrid of the two. Eventually when my body has had enough of the insanity (at the age of 36, heh heh) I would like to really get back into acting. I love dissecting characters and using the resources of my own experiences in life to enhance and understand other people, even if they are fictional.

What advice would you give a young woman who wants to play football? How can she find a good coach and a good program?

I would say make sure it is a sport that you love and are playing for the right reasons. Football is a game that requires a lot of physical and emotional discipline and if the sport is being played for anyone besides yourself, you will be unsuccessful and miserable. I’ve seen many people — male and female — pretend to love it, and it doesn’t work. You need heart! As far as a good program, I would say to try and start in a local youth/Pop Warner league or look online for local clinics and camps that may be happening in your hometown. Redlands High School, my alma mater, held a free technique camp when I was a kid, and that’s when I fell in love with football.

Check out the GayCities Chicago Pride Guide

photos by scott renshaw

Chicago

What’s your take? Should women be allowed to celebrate their coming nuptials in an environment where those around them do not enjoy the same legal rights? or is Cocktail’s stance a step backwards in the fight for equality? We’d love to hear what you think!

Photo by carolyn_in_oregon

Have fun, safe travels, and have a happy new year…

• Atlanta: Navigator 2k9
• Boston: Manny Lehman’s Caligula
• Chicago: Sidetrack, benefitting Equality Illinois
• Los Angeles: MasterBeat LA with DJs Ralphi Rosario and Brett Henrichsen
• Miami: Suzanne Bartsch’s Burlesque
• New York City: Daniel Nardicio’s Masked Ball
• San Diego / Tijuana, Mexico Club Papi @ Club Extasis
• San Francisco: Studio 54 @ Mecca
• Washington, D.C.: DJ Randy White @ Apex

Rod in his own words
Writer-television producer-gym rat-blogger.

What does pride mean to you?
Someone told me long ago that “every day should be gay pride” and the Pride season is simply the time that we demonstrate our year-round commitment. It’s a wonderful time of the year, full of joy, celebration, friends and thanksgiving to honor the gay, lesbian and transgender people who were role models for the modern queer movement. Oh, and it helps that Pride always features the hottest men and an opportunity to allow many people to experience a weekend unlike any other.

What are you doing for pride this year?
I’m a New Yorker and absolutely love the Pride parade and celebration in Manhattan. But this year different plans. I’ll be home in Chicago with friends and family. My birthday falls on the same weekend as Pride and this will be an opportunity to spend time with some longtime friends and family. I’ll be on Halsted Street at the parade and at a few barbecues. It will be relaxing and a nice change of pace from the mega parties back in New York.

What does pride mean to you?
Pride is about celebrating who we are and what we have acheived. It
is also about trashy people wearing visors and eating fried chicken in a lawn
chairs while drag queens or a muscle studs shake their stuff on a hot summer day parade.

What are you doing for pride this year?
We’ll be hosting Milwaukee Pridefest on June 7, 2008. We’ll also be
moderating a live forum about sex and the Internet at the Center on
Halsted in Chicago on June 12th. We’ll be going out a lot and of course attending the Pride Parade here in Chicago on June 29th. We usually do something very wacky and last year we passed out mashed potatoes. What should we do this year? Any ideas, please let us know.

Chicago is hosting the once-every-four-years Gay Games celebration from July 15th through the 22nd. Over 12,000 athletes are expected to attend and there is more than just sporting events going on. You’ll find live music, parties, theater and all sorts of things all around the city.

Go To: GayCities Chicago Guide »