Meet the Patrons

Petie started bartending at Logan's Off Broadway in 1971. As she tells it, when the word got out that young lesbian was behind the bar, scores of other women flocked to the bar. 

Chi-Chi's life took a turn one night at the bar when she was recruited to play professional women's football with the Columbus Pacesetters. 

Mark was a Catholic school gym teacher by day and a drag king by night. All of her costumes were hand sewn by her partner Jean. Some of her favorites were Elvis and Elton John.

Shani developed their drag persona Maxwell on the Summit Station stage, going on to perform all over North America. 

Suzie was a founder of the Women's Music Union, a feminist collective focused on empowering women musicians.

When Teri questioned her sexuality, her husband Fred sent her out to Jack's, knowing she could learn about the lesbian community.  

Tropi Critchet first entered the doors of Jack's Summit Station in the 90s. Having moved from Cleveland, Ohio, Tropi was not just a patron. She worked the door, bussed tables and often found herself helping out with housekeeping to keep the venue looking its best-- at least with the lights down low! She remarks that Summit Station / Jack's was more than just a bar, it was a home. It was a safe place where people could find all kinds of opportunities to better affirm their lives. She can't even imagine her life and that of many others without there being JACK's A-Go-Go.

Carmen is a Dyke who moved to Columbus in the early 1980s to attend college. She became a regular at Jack’s, eventually graduated from OSU and remained in Columbus since then. Eventually she got to retire and is still in Columbus.

 Mary has always loved women ever since falling in love with her gym teacher in kindergarten. It was that love of women and a suggestion from a co-worker that caused Mary to become active with the Women’s Action Collective and its member groups in the 1970s and 80s. Mary worked with Lesbian Peer Support, Women Against Rape and the Rape Crisis Center. She participated in a small Gay Pride event at the statehouse in 1976 which she believes is really the first “Gay Pride” event to occur Columbus. She helped organize the first “Take Back the Night” march and countless other planned and impromptu gay and women’s rights actions and protests.

Mary attended the very first Michigan Women’s Music Festival on “The Land” in Mt. Pleasant Michigan. Later Mary joined and worked with others in the Women’s Music Union to produce and publicize Women’s Music Concerts with Holly Near, Meg Christian, Chris Williamson, Teresa Trull, Barbara Higbie, June Millington, Linda Tillery, Sweet Honey in the Rock and many, many others. And in 1984, Mary was one of the last members of the Women’s Action Collective when it went out of existence.

Throughout this time, although Mary was never much of a bar goer, she knew about and supported Jacks and the critical role it played as a “woman only space”. She spent more than a few nights there drinking Little Kings, watching and trying to woo or being wooed by some very beautiful women.

Mary is honored and pleased to support the development of the “Free Beer Tomorrow” documentary.