Dugan’s Bistro and the Legend of the Bearded Lady

Dugan’s Bistro was the hottest gay disco in Chicago. From 1973-1982, the sign above the door and on the club’s matchbooks read: Dugan’s Bistro, the Home of the Bearded Lady. A Chicago nightlife phenomenon, the Bearded Lady was a unique celebrity who, for over a decade, was covered regularly in gay newspapers and magazines, gossip columns of the Chicago Tribune and Sun Times, and several national and international publications. Despite his fame, much of BL’s life has remained a mystery, until now.

Dugan’s Bistro and the Legend of the Bearded Lady is a folklore-bio of the Disco Era - a time and place that were key in the evolution of Chicago’s LGBT community. The Bearded Lady’s story is a gateway to the decadent nightlife and exuberance of a lost generation - and what happened after the party ended.