That relationship between Johnston and Peña, who have been partners for more than 40 years, is the subject of “ Art and Pep,” a documentary that chronicles their journey as a couple against the backdrop of Sidetrack’s rise to prominence and the local movement for LGBTQ equality.
LAKEVIEW - When Art Johnston and Pepe Peña opened Sidetrack in 1982, it was a tiny, hole-in-the-wall bar that would be unrecognizable compared to the sprawling gay nightclub it is today.īut behind the bar’s trajectory to becoming one of Chicago’s most well-known gay bars is a love story between two civil rights leaders who helped define the political power of LGBTQ people in Chicago and across the Midwest.
