Man's Country Chicago's oldest gay bathhouse closing after 44 years
Ron Ehemann
This private club has been open 24 hours a day  seven days a week  364 days a year  closing only on Christmas Eve  according to  owner Ron Ehemann . It has served as a backdrop to some of the enormous achievements and challenges faced by Chicago’s LGBTQ community over the decades.
The property on which Man’s Country sits at 5015 N. Clark St. is being sold.  Ehemann  said much of the complex will be demolished to make way for condominiums in a new building to be called The Renslow  a reference to Chuck Renslow  the LGBTQ businessman and gay rights pioneer who started the bathhouse in a former fraternal lodge. ( Ehemann  said one part of the complex will remain: Full Kit Gear at 5021 N. Clark St.)
 Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune Ron Ehemann  owner of Man's Country  talks about the club's history on Dec. 26  2017 .  Ehemann  was founder Chuck Renslow's business and life partner.  Ron Ehemann   owner of Man's Country  talks about the club's history on Dec. 26  2017.  Ehemann  was founder Chuck Renslow's business and life partner. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Renslow and Ehemann responded to the changing business climate by converting some of the space into Bistro Too in 1987. This dance club  named for the famed Dugan’s Bistro of the 1970s  drew upward of a thousand people on weekend nights to watch such stars as Boy George  the Village People and Divine  in what would be his last performance. “All the disco divas ” including Thelma Houston and Pamala Stanley  performed as well   Ehemann  added. But after six years  the business started to slip.
“Bistro was a really large bar. If we didn’t get 300 people  it looked empty. So  it’s hard to keep the numbers up ”  Ehemann  said. So  the decision was made to open the Chicago Eagle in one area of the complex as Bistro Too was closed   he  said. Man’s Country took over the space again in 1993; male strippers and porn stars were the entertainment until about four years ago.
This private club has been open 24 hours a day  seven days a week  364 days a year  closing only on Christmas Eve  according to [TGT] . It has served as a backdrop to some of the enormous achievements and challenges faced by Chicago’s LGBTQ community over the decades.
The property on which Man’s Country sits at 5015 N. Clark St. is being sold.  [TGT]said much of the complex will be demolished to make way for condominiums in a new building to be called The Renslow  a reference to Chuck Renslow  the LGBTQ businessman and gay rights pioneer who started the bathhouse in a former fraternal lodge. ( [TGT]said one part of the complex will remain: Full Kit Gear at 5021 N. Clark St.)
 [TGT]talks about the club's history on Dec. 26  2017 .  [TGT]was founder Chuck Renslow's business and life partner.  [TGT]   owner of Man's Country  talks about the club's history on Dec. 26  2017.  [TGT]was founder Chuck Renslow's business and life partner. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Renslow and [TGT] responded to the changing business climate by converting some of the space into Bistro Too in 1987. This dance club  named for the famed Dugan’s Bistro of the 1970s  drew upward of a thousand people on weekend nights to watch such stars as Boy George  the Village People and Divine  in what would be his last performance. “All the disco divas ” including Thelma Houston and Pamala Stanley  performed as well   [TGT]added. But after six years  the business started to slip.
“Bistro was a really large bar. If we didn’t get 300 people  it looked empty. So  it’s hard to keep the numbers up ”  [TGT]said. So  the decision was made to open the Chicago Eagle in one area of the complex as Bistro Too was closed   [TGT]said. Man’s Country took over the space again in 1993; male strippers and porn stars were the entertainment until about four years ago.