Our Mission & Secret Origin

Our Mission

The BGCC is a gypsy cocktail party which explores new venues periodically, and occasionally raises small sums of money & awareness for worthwhile Chicago-based GLBT organizations. The group was founded by a group of friends who then began bringing their friends, and so on, and so on...

How It All Began

BGCC stands for Big Gay Cocktail Club.

The concept was born in an underheated apartment on a frigid January day of 1999. A small group of shivering friends were brainstorming ways to fight the depressing, immobilizing Chicago winters.

"Let's gather a group of people together for the museums once a month," Cocoa said with enthusiasm.

"Museums. Sounds great," Smiley replied, rolling his eyes and making a big L with his fingers. He slapped it against his forehead. "LOSER!"

"How about getting folks together for cocktails," Drew suggested.

"At the museums?" Cocoa asked.

"No, at some swanky Chicago bar," Drew replied.

"How about meeting someplace different every month," Smiley said.

"Hmmm, I'm liking this," Cocoa said. "It could be big. Very big. What do we call it?"

"Well," Drew said, "It will be big. And certainly gay. And, of course, involve cocktails..."

The three of them looked at each other and said in one perfectly connected psychic moment,
"Yes! The Big Gay Cocktail Club!"

Unfortunately, they were too depressed and immobilized to actually organize it that winter, so they waited until the following Fall. But, oh, what a great kick-off event it was...

Inspirations

We're often asked if there's one person in this world who has been the greatest inspiration to the BGCC. Well, thankth for athkin'!!! Yes, it's Big Gay Al, who created a haven for all those trying to find their way in this world. With his Big Gay Animal Sanctuary, he has given shelter to beautiful birds like us who need a place to fly to when we're hungry (or thirsty) and fly away from when we're strong.

Thankth Big Gay Al. If you're ever in Chicago, we'd like to buy you a drink!

Subscribe to the email list

What does it mean to subscribe to the email list and join?
Well, we're really just a bunch of fun guys who get together for a drink occasionally at a new, exciting location. We don't have membership fees, secret handshakes, or bizarre initiation rituals. Joining means that you periodically receive our fun-filled email newsletter, promise never to make fun of us, and agree to the terms of the BGCC (in a nutshell, you won't try suing anyone's pretty little butt).

Click here to subscribe to the email newsletter

IMPORTANT TIP for getting the email newsletter!!!
If you use a spam filter or receive your email through an Internet Service Provider like Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo or Earthlink, please be sure to add the following sender's address to your address book or approved sender list: chicago@thebgcc.com

If not, future issues could be accidentally filtered by your service provider in their efforts to block spam! Learn more...

Contact Us

You can contact us by email

To keep up to date on the latest BGCC news and events, subcribe to our email list.

Terms

We're actually just a casual group of people just trying to have fun and occasionally raise money for non-profit organizations we believe in. At the same time, we also want to make certain we have no legal or financial liabilities. So here goes...

Our terms may be updated by us from time to time without notice to you. You can review the most current version of the terms at any time on the website.

In addition, you shall be subject to any posted guidelines or rules applicable to you. All such guidelines or rules are hereby incorporated by reference into the terms.

BGCC participants agree by attending events, browsing our website, and/or receiving our email newsletter that they agree to indemnify and hold the BGCC, its affiliates, officers, agents and other partners and volunteers, harmless from any claim or liability.

Please be aware that certain areas of the BGCC site may contain adult or mature content. You must be at least 18 years of age to access the site.

Site visitors have the opportunity to post comments on the site. You acknowledge that we do not pre-screen comments, and that we have the right to remove comments perceived as objectionable.

We often take photos at events. These photos may be posted on our site, and occasionally distributed to affiliated organizations or the press. You agree that these photos can be used as we see fit.

We occasionally satirize situations and place fictionalized or partially fictionalized accounts of events on the site.

We reserve the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, any service (or any part thereof) with or without notice. You agree that we shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of a service.