Nestled among a large number of storefront churches and non descript businesses sits an unexpected site for some on this stretch of West Armitage Avenue in Chicago's Hermosa neighborhood: a Puerto Rican gay bar.
E.M Lounge—run by partners Tony Velez Jr. and Frank Ochoa—opened as a straight bar in 2008 run by Velez's father ( Tony Velez Sr. ), who named the bar for El Morro, a fort in his native Puerto Rico.
In 2010, Velez convinced his father, a devout Pentecostal, to let him and Frank host a weekly gay night, "Seductive Saturdays," despite the objections of Velez's stepmother. At that time, Frank and Velez had been hosting gay nights at other bars for nearly a dozen years as part of Chi-Town Productions and figured they could use their skills to help out.
Although initially successful, they stopped hosting the gay night after about a year when Velez's father started trying to impose restrictions on the pair. When his father's health began to deteriorate, he asked the two if they would like to run the bar. They had one condition: It would become an exclusively gay bar. Velez's father agreed and turned it over to them.
Running a bar posed new challenges for the pair as they dealt with the new issues such as restocking liquor, buying food, hiring help and day to day operations but they also had to deal with what it meant to be an openly gay presence on this stretch of Armitage. "When I first started they slashed my tires," Velez said matter-of-factly.
But now they say the climate has changed and neighbors who once were against the bar are now supportive of them. "Those people who, like, hated against us actually want to come in now" Velez said with a smile.
Since that initial gay" night, "Seductive Saturday," they have slowly begun the process of making E.M. Lounge a welcoming place for LGBT Latinos/as and are open five nights a week, although they note that straight people are more then welcome at E.M. Lounge. "Just because we're a gay bar doesn't mean that straight people aren't welcome. We need to vbreak down that boundary. We need to let the straight people know we're here for them as well." Velez said.
The lounge is open Wednesday through Sunday with different theme nights such as "Wicked Wednesdays," "Irresistable Thursdays, "4Play Fridays" and "Pump Room Saturdays." They do different things to keep their club different from others on Armitage and to give their customers a unique experience. Said Velez, "We have our bartenders that wear dresses and sometimes put make up on and wear heels."
Velez and Ochoa's goal is to create a space where LGBT Latinos are welcome and can be themselves. They want to also make sure that organizations will also see E.M. Lounge as a place where they can meet and work towards change and equality. Both believe in working for equality for LGBTs and LGBT Latinos in particular." We have the place. We want to help .It starts here. It ( E.M. ) doesn't always have to be a nightclub." Velez said.
They both came out at young ages ( Velez at 19, Ochoa at 18 ) and want to make sure LGBT Latino youth have a space they can be themselves and get important information. Every Thursday, they host free HIV testing and provide free condoms to customers. "We try to give an outlet to our youth," Velez added.
It's that shared sense of community that got the two to become involved in making a change through more than just being bar owners.
Several years ago when Velez said he wanted to get involved politically, Ochoa took to the Internet and settled on the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ). They went to a meeting on the north side that didnt leave them with a good impression. "They blew us off" recalls Ochoa with a laugh. But they were contacted a year later by HRC and decided to give them a second chance. That was 3 years ago and now Velez is active with HRC and often represents them at community events.
He and Ochoa helped organize a HRC contingent several years ago in the Puerto Rican Parade. They had several hundred committed to march on facebook but, on the day of the parade, they had a half a dozen people but were not deterred. They did on-the-spot recruiting and would later discover most of their supporters had lined the parade route to cheer them on.
More recently, the couple met with Illinois state Rep. Luis Arroyo to talk about marriage equality along with a group of about 15 fellow Latino/a activists and leaders. Velez had been contacted by a friend through facebook regarding Arroyo's position on the marriage equality bill, SB10. " Whenever there is an issue like that I am 110 percent in. Whatever I can do; I'm in!" he said. The issue hits home for the couple.
Besides sharing a business, Velez and Ochoa, who have been together 11 years, also share a home on the city's Northwest Side and are in a civil union.
During a shopping excursion downtown the pair decided to use their civil union license and went to City Hall, a little casually they add. "Everyone is dressed up and here come me and Ochoa in basketball shorts." Recalls Velez. Ochoa chimes in with a chuckle, "We didnt have rings but we did it anyway." Their hope is to one day get married here in Illinois. It's a day that both look forward to but have yet to plan out. "I'll let Ochoa take care of it." Velez said but he said that the event will include both their families; biological and the LGBT one they've created. For them the personal is political.
They believe that Latino LGBTs need to start organizing politically and work on their issues and not depend on other organizations to fight for them. "It's time for us [LGBT Latinos] to take our own challenges on. We have a business to have meetings. We have a business to get organized. We have that business we can open 24 hours a day." Velez said.
Velez said he hopes to continue that fight for equality by running for political office one day and is contemplating a run for alderman: "As long as I have his [Ochoa's] support, I will pursue political office. He's the brains of the outfit!" Although novices at running a campaign, they have hosted a fundraiser for Beatriz Santiago in her successful run for Judge and look forward to becoming engaged further in the political process.
In the meantime, you will find them both working nights ( both still maintain full-time jobs ) and continuing to welcome patrons at E.M. Lounge, a name that Velez said will remain as a tribute to his father. "My father wanted to have a Puerto Rican bar and, since I'm his son that's the one thing I can give him; that his dream stays alive," he said. "It may not be the straight bar that he always wanted but his son will continue that legacy."
E.M. Lounge is at 4247 W. Armitage Ave. For hours and information, visit www.em-lounge.com .
