A Place for Us: LGBTQ Life at the Belmont Rocks is a project for remembering LGBTQ Life at the Belmont Rocks. We were claiming a public space.
A Place For Us: LGBTQ Life at the Belmont Rocks
An anthology in the works...
Starting with the early days of gay movement, The Belmont Rocks were a place to call our own. It was a political statement tied to our liberation. The Rocks were about our right to be here, our right to exist, our right to gather outside and to be ourselves in the daylight, out of the shadows and the closet. At the Rocks
04/24/2026
Signed copies of A Place for Us: Gay Life at Chicago’s Belmont Rocks available at Unabridged Bookstore.
Check out your local indie bookstore, online sources, & Four Sided for copies!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
03/31/2026
Coming April 7th.
To preorder your copy from the publisher, check out my link in the comments. Also ready to preorder via online sources, and at selected bookstores.
07/03/2025
Hurrah I am allowed to post on Instagram again. Just in time to post this 90s shot by Lee Newell. This is the northern portion of the Belmont Rocks.
The book is coming so soon A PLACE FOR US: LGBTQ LIFE AT THE BELMONT ROCKS from ***rspace
04/16/2025
1988. Jeffrey Pool at the Belmont Rocks.
11/02/2024
Lee Newell’s terrific shot of Chicago’s Belmont Rocks from 30+ years ago.
It’s on the way…
The Belmont Rocks book is coming from Rattling Good Yarns Press In the autumn of 2025!!
Even before Stonewall or the rise of the modern rights movement, the Belmont Rocks in Chicago were a place to call our own. From the 1950s thru their demolition in 2003, the Rocks were a symbol of our right to be here, our right to exist, & our right to meet in the sunlight at a time when our bars still had blackened windows.
The Rocks were a political statement tied to our liberation, a place of empowerment, a revolution of being out among our peers. This was a birthplace of community.
Q***r art & carvings covered many of the stones, turning the place into an open-air gallery as well. The Rocks were our tablets, our altars, our backrooms – a platform and a stage for a big part of Chicago’s unfolding q***r story.
The Belmont Rocks were bulldozed in 2003 as part of the shoreline revetment program. I’m currently working to document the history & importance of this q***r space in the evolution of Chicago’s LGBTQ community. The Belmont Rocks need to be remembered for its place in the story of Chicago’s LGBTQ life.
08/28/2024
Hey Radical Faeries!!
If you were part of a group that met at the Belmont Rocks I would love to set up a 20 minute phone chat. Please message me.
RFD began in 1974 when some q***rs tried to place an ad in Mother Earth News but the mag did not run “gay ads.” It began as a q***r country lifestyle zine. Lotsa reader content. Long associated with the Radical Faeries, RFD actually predates that q***r cultural movement, but the earth based rural content aligned closely w/ the radical faeries. Originally, the name RFD was simply in reference to the country mail delivery abbreviation, Rural Free Delivery.
Does anyone recall a gay men's drumming group that met at the Belmont Rocks?
08/02/2024
1990, the Rocks.
The Belmont Rocks book is finally happening… please email me at [email protected] to set up an interview.
Even before Stonewall or the rise of the modern rights movement, the Belmont Rocks in Chicago were a place to call our own. From the 1950s thru their demolition in 2003, the Rocks were a symbol of our right to be here, our right to exist, & our right to meet in the sunlight at a time when our bars still had blackened windows.
The Rocks were a political statement tied to our liberation, a place of empowerment, a revolution of just being ***r. This was a birthplace of community.
Q***r art & carvings covered many of the stones, turning the place into an open-air gallery as well. The Rocks were our tablets, our altars, our backrooms – a platform and a stage for a big part of Chicago’s unfolding q***r story.
The Belmont Rocks were bulldozed in 2003 as part of the shoreline revetment program. I’m currently working to document the history & importance of this q***r space in the evolution of Chicago’s LGBTQ community. The Belmont Rocks need to be remembered for its place in the story of Chicago’s LGBTQ community.
Email [email protected] or IM to set up a 20-30 minute phone interview.
07/23/2024
1980, the Belmont Rocks.
Pic: S. Lisuzzo
The Belmont Rocks book is finally happening… please email me at [email protected] to set up an interview.
Even before Stonewall or the rise of the modern rights movement, the Belmont Rocks in Chicago were a place to call our own. From the 1950s thru their demolition in 2003, the Rocks were a symbol of our right to be here, our right to exist, & our right to meet in the sunlight at a time when our bars still had blackened windows.
The Rocks were a political statement tied to our liberation, a place of empowerment, a revolution of just being ***r. This was a birthplace of community.
Q***r art & carvings covered many of the stones, turning the place into an open-air gallery as well. The Rocks were our tablets, our altars, our backrooms – a platform and a stage for a big part of Chicago’s unfolding q***r story.
The Belmont Rocks were bulldozed in 2003 as part of the shoreline revetment program. I’m currently working to document the history & importance of this q***r space in the evolution of Chicago’s LGBTQ community. The Belmont Rocks need to be remembered for its place in the story of Chicago’s LGBTQ community.
The site that was formerly the Belmont Rocks is now officially open as AIDS Garden Chicago!
07/23/2024
1987. At the Belmont Rocks.
Photo: Peter Reid.
The Belmont Rocks book is finally happening… please email me at [email protected] to set up an interview.
Even before Stonewall or the rise of the modern rights movement, the Belmont Rocks in Chicago were a place to call our own. From the 1950s thru their demolition in 2003, the Rocks were a symbol of our right to be here, our right to exist, & our right to meet in the sunlight at a time when our bars still had blackened windows.
The Rocks were a political statement tied to our liberation, a place of empowerment, a revolution of just being ***r. This was a birthplace of community.
Q***r art & carvings covered many of the stones, turning the place into an open-air gallery as well. The Rocks were our tablets, our altars, our backrooms – a platform and a stage for a big part of Chicago’s unfolding q***r story.
The Belmont Rocks were bulldozed in 2003 as part of the shoreline revetment program. I’m currently working to document the history & importance of this q***r space in the evolution of Chicago’s LGBTQ community. The Belmont Rocks need to be remembered for its place in the story of Chicago’s LGBTQ community.
The site that was formerly the Belmont Rocks is now officially open as AIDS Garden Chicago!
06/25/2024
My new book is going to be about the Belmont Rocks— it’s finally happening please email me at [email protected] to set up an interview.
Even before Stonewall or the rise of the modern rights movement, the Belmont Rocks in Chicago were a place to call our own. From the 1950s thru their demolition in 2003, the Rocks were a symbol of our right to be here, our right to exist, & our right to meet in the sunlight at a time when our bars still had blackened windows.
The Rocks were a political statement tied to our liberation, a place of empowerment, a revolution of just being ***r. This was a birthplace of community.
Q***r art & carvings covered many of the stones, turning the place into an open-air gallery as well. The Rocks were our tablets, our altars, our backrooms – a platform and a stage for a big part of Chicago’s unfolding q***r story.
The Belmont Rocks were bulldozed in 2003 as part of the shoreline revetment program. I’m currently working to document the history & importance of this q***r space in the evolution of Chicago’s LGBTQ community. The Belmont Rocks need to be remembered for its place in the story of Chicago’s LGBTQ community.
The site that was formerly the Belmont Rocks is now officially open as AIDS Garden Chicago!
06/09/2024
Happy Pride Month, Everyone! Good news, I am moving forward with the BELMONT ROCKS book.
Please message me or email [email protected] to set up an interview for inclusion in the book.
Photo: BullmanX