On the evening of July 27—a mere one hour after torrential rains left all of Chicago in a sopping heap—Jim Flint opened the doors to the Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave., to celebrate his 85th birthday and “retirement.”
After the sale of his world-renowned Baton Show Lounge to HV Entertainment last year, the July 27 event served as a reunion, tribute and acknowledgement to Flint’s accomplishments. Yes, there was a cake and heaps of love for the man who meant so much to so many, but the evening also featured a talented line-up of performers from throughout Flint’s past, all the way back to 1969 when he opened the lounge several months after the Stonewall Uprising.
Flint, looking spry and acting slightly naughty, welcomed friends from his youth in Peoria, his job at The Drake Hotel, Chicago’s queer-activist community and the many performers who he debuted and fostered at his club.
Speakers included Windy City Times owner Tracy Baim; author Owen Keehnen; composer/singer/film critic Richard Knight, jr.; Legacy Project CEO Victor Salvo; and longtime queer activist Gary Chichester; Chicago’s Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs Antonio King, who has been involved with the pageant system; and Nazeem Southgate, who is known for producing pageants in Africa.
Among the performers in the show were Tiffany Hunter (who also served as emcee), Tommie Ross, Joey Young, Angel Saez, Kirby Kolby, Mimi Marks, Maya Douglas, Tasha Long, Shantel D’Marco, Sunny Dee Lite, Alexandrea Diamond, Serenity Lopez, Joshuan Aponte, Jessie Charbonier, Flame Monroe, Lila Starr, Jackie Couture, Leeann Feathers, Candi Stratton, Sassy Devine, Antonio Edwards, Adrian Ruiz, Kourtney Devereaux, Isaiah Sanchez Hilton, Gadfrie Arbulu, Eddie Waters, Jessie Charbonier and Dinah Jacobs.
During the show, Hunter said to Flint from the stage, “We wanted to be safe, we wanted to be seen, we wanted to be loved… You have made so many people’s dreams come true.”
Flint is considered the godmother and creator of Miss Continental, which he started in 1980. He also operated The Baton as well as the Annex 2, the Annex 3, Redoubt, Redoubt Atlanta, and River North Travel. Working within the Windy City Athletic Association, he sponsored over 70 sports teams and was also involved in the early stages of what is now Chicago House, among numerous other civic contributions.
At the close of the evening Flint said, “After all the nightlife…, the leather, the family, the baseball…It was a hell of a time.”
All photos by Vern Hester