The latest newsletter arrived in the mail today with a huge announcement across the top of the page, indicating that all Cullom House events are now cancelled. Apparently on March 19, the City of Chicago served the owner of Cullom House with 3 cease and desist orders for "licensing and code" issues. The March party didn't happen. My partner and I tried to attend; but the lights of the Cullom House were out on the night of the party and there was simply a tiny note on the door saying "party cancelled." We didn't get a phone call with an explanation as to why the party was cancelled. We didn't hear from anyone else what actually happened.

The BNC website is currently down. The hotline does not have a current recording (or really any additional information about what went down on March 19th). The newsletter confusingly indicates that whatever violations occurred will only affect the Cullom House parties; and that the Touche & Jackhammer parties will continue without interruption. Supposedly, "the business and liquor" licenses of Jackhammer and Touche's will cover future parties. That just doesn't make sense. Unless these are trumped up alcohol service charges, I don't see how a change of venue will "cover" whatever violations supposedly occurred. To be perfectly honest, I always felt much more exposed and vulnerable at a bar event than I ever did at Cullom House - especially with a police station less than a block away from the Touches/Jackhammer complex. (And actually, if you look at the events pages of both Touche's and Jackhammer's, you'll notice that the BNC parties are no longer listed for the next few months.)

There is a line in the newsletter about the crackdown on BNC being a "part of a larger altercation in the neighborhood over a proposed methadone clinic." Again, I can't see the connection. I always suspected that the unusual amount of foot traffic on Cullom on the nights of the parties was not merely a coincidence. Especially since last fall, there were entirely too many "loiterers" just standing around on the porches and in the driveways of the houses across the street from Cullom. The guys sitting in cars near the end of the street, smoking and watching, always unnerved me. They obviously weren't partygoers. Most times, they would still be present, sitting in the same vehicles, still smoking, when we would exit the parties.

So what really happened? Did someone in the neighborhood get pissed and post a complaint? How was the BNC party affecting anyone in the neighborhood? Would 40-50 men walking down your street, carrying duffle bags be disruptive or threatening? The party was never loud. It never spilled out into the street. From all outward appearances it was a fairly sedate affair. You wouldn't know what was happening in the basement of the building unless you actually paid your money and went inside. So did some undercover cop do so? Or, I suspect more likely, did some jilted queen get rejected at the party and blow the whistle to ruin everyone's fun? Honestly, WHAT THE FUCK?!? Since Man's World closed, BNC was literally the only decent big men's group sex party around. Man's Country is a disgusting pit that will never change or get adequately updated; and Steamworks is way too expensive for the attitude and lack of bearish men.

Does anyone have the real story? Does anyone know what rules or regulations were supposedly violated? Where do we go from here?

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Having never attended a BNC party I cannot say what happened, BUT, I was a regular member of the Barejacks parties out in Elk Grove Village before they were shut down. What happened there was a participant complained to the police about what was going on, so the cops showed up and threatened the hosts with a few possible charges if they continued hosting their parties. Mainly, running a house of prostitution because they charged a fee to attend. They also ratted out the hosts to their landlord who in turn threatened to toss them out, These and other threats were enough for the hosts to cancel future events. Barejacks ran 4 parties a month for SEVEN years without incident until some FUCK ruined it for everyone. I personally think if you own the house and don't charge a fee there isn't anything the law can do ,but I could be wrong.

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I don't know why the Cullom parties were closed down, and I never got around to going to one, but it is true that there's a controversy on the street about a gay-identified drug recovery residential center that a group is trying to open in one of the houses.

Maybe the neighborhood paranoids who were "afraid" of the gay recovery house decided to get rid of the Cullom House parties as a ploy to show how pristine their street is. Or maybe they're just anti-gay, period, though some of them (who may or may not be gay) claim they're fine with the gay people who live in the area.

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People think if you don't have anything happening outside the building, nobody in the neighborhood will know what is going on. Unfortunately, guests arriving and leaving may not share the host's desire to remain unnoticed. Litter, loud noises, sex in the bushes, etc. all happen and draw the attention of "civic" minded vigilantes and the police. It is also not uncommon for a dissatisfied quest to turn everybody in. Customers or guests, the people coming in do not care about the continuation of the business/event. They will enjoy what they can, and go someplace else when the place gets closed down.

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Yes, Cullom is gone, but the group is alive and well, and the website seems to be fine. Have gone to several parties at Jackhammer and Touche----lots of fun. Had only been at Cullom a couple of times years ago, so cannot compare too well.

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