art and pep

streaming on peacock

When Art Johnston walked into a Chicago bar in 1972, he had no idea the hot bartender he’d later go home with would change his life forever. It didn’t take long for him to discover that José Pena (widely known as “Pep”), was more than just a popular barkeep in the gay community. A confidante to customers with nowhere else to turn, Pep was known around town as the ultimate cheerleader, ready to fill a customer’s pint – and their soul – when they needed it most. Art couldn’t help but be smitten with the fiery Cuban, so much so that he packed up his life in the East Coast and planted roots in Chicago.

Together, they opened Sidetrack, at first a small bar that’s become a 16,000-foot pillar of Chicago’s gay business district. At Sidetrack, the community sings show tunes on a Sunday and helps elect progressives on a Tuesday. From being on the frontlines of the AIDS crisis to co-founding Equality Illinois, Art and Pep have been leading the fight all along, making Illinois one of the most progressive protectors of LGBTQ+ rights in the country.

 ART AND PEP is a look back at the long struggle for equality and their fight to love freely - and a look ahead at the work being carried on by a new generation of activists.