Club LaRay
(Club LaRay Chicago) Club LaRay was a queer Black dance club that was quite popular during the 1980s. The venue was located in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, at 3150 North Halsted, owned and managed by Ray Hill[1]. The club featured a large dance floor, alongside two bars that served the patrons. Its iconic design, with a stair that led to the ceiling—also known as “Stairway to nowhere”—along with its intricate decor, retained some aspects from the building’s previous use as a theater. Club LaRay served as a frontrunner in the rise of House music and drag culture in Chicago. It hosted countless dance competitions and talent shows[2], providing a platform and voice for the queer and Black communities of Chicago. It had a welcoming atmosphere and built a strong sense of community, as seen in the countless videos available in the Mediaburn archives[3]. The club established itself as a crucial landmark for the queer and House music communities of the past. Club LaRay’s building was demolished in 1989 to make way for what is now a parking lot for the neighboring stores.
Chicago, Queer, Black, Drag, Dance
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