Tag: Milwaukee

Business · Milwaukee 'New' Riviera The 'New' Riviera was the final, short-lived location of Tony Machi's gay-friendly Riviera bar, at 952 N. 3rd Street in Milwaukee. Machi relocated the business there after a March 1964 fire destroyed

Organization · Milwaukee - Sue Dietz Photo Album The genesis of this photo album is lost to history (unless someone comes forward to shed more light on it). However it appears to have been a pet project of an early BEST volunteer, Sue Dietz, based o

Business · Milwaukee 1100 Club 1100 Club was a Milwaukee bar that operated from 1994 to 2003 at the corner of First and East Washington Streets. Although it was not a traditional levi/leather venue like the Wreck Room or Boot Camp,

Event · Milwaukee 1993 Cryptosporidium Outbreak Contamination of Milwaukee city water supply with cryptosporidium Early in 1993, there was an outbreak of flu-like symptoms in many people in the Milwaukee area. After some investigation, city inspect

Business · Milwaukee 27th Street Danceteria The 27th Street Danceteria opened in March 1985 under Chuck Cicirello, a prolific Milwaukee gay-bar operator whose earlier ventures included the Neptune Club and the Factory bars. The building had pre

Business · Milwaukee 3B's Kinnickinnic Avenue that operated from May 1991 to May 1995. It was founded by four friends—Bob Schnicker, Bruce Lemke, Bobby Cole, and Patrick Prudlow—after one of them sold her interest in the prede

Publication / Media · Milwaukee A History of Milwaukee Drag: Seven Generations of Glamour This book, published by American Heritage press, documents "The Queens that made Milwaukee famous".

Event · Milwaukee AB70- Wisconsin's Gay Rights Law On February 25, 1982, Wisconsin became the first U.S. state to protect lesbians and gay men from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. One year later, the legislature legal

Business · Milwaukee Ad Lib Nightclub The Ad Lib Nightclub operated at 323 W. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee from 1966 to 1975. It opened as an upscale cabaret and supper club that booked nationally known jazz musicians, then shifted

Person · Milwaukee Adrian Ames Inspired by the Jewel Box Revue and other female impersonator shows, drag made a major comeback in midcentury Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Advent A local guide of the period described it as a large, typical south-side tavern that served food after hours. According to research drawn from a 1975 GPU News notice, the bar was owned by John Clayton,

A Person · Milwaukee Al Berry Al Berry, who had previously run the Rooster bar, opened Milwaukee's legendary River Queen in the Cross Keys Hotel in 1971. He sold the business to James O'Connor in 1973.

A Person · Milwaukee Al Thomas Al Thomas, formerly of Kenosha, bought the Milwaukee lesbian bar D.K.'s in late 1987 and reopened it as the gay bar Triangle in June 1988. He owned the bar until about 1995. Alan Thomas purchased the

A Person · Milwaukee Alan Kettering Alan Kettering bought Woody's Bar in Milwaukee on January 1, 2019, leaving an engineering career to run it. He aimed to make gradual improvements while preserving the bar's laid-back character and its

A Person · Milwaukee Albert Tusa Albert Tusa opened Milwaukee's Tic Toc Club in 1940 and ran it until it was sold at auction in 1955. He afterward operated the Pink Pony, a cocktail lounge that became a longtime gay favorite.

A Person · Milwaukee Alex Korchunoff Alex Korchunoff was the longtime owner of the Empire Lounge, a small piano bar at 716 N. Plankinton Avenue in downtown Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Alex's It is documented in a single national gay bar guide from 1970, which suggests it opened around 1969 and operated for only a year or two. No local references to the bar have been located, and little el

Person · Milwaukee Alexis Winter Alexis Winter is truly one of the up and coming Milwaukee legends. Miss Winter has been active in a variety of causes and participates in whatever venue she will not only have fun at but will also mak

A Person · Milwaukee Allanah Powers Allanah Powers was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Alyn W. Hess Alyn Hess was one of Milwaukee's earliest gay rights activists. He helped to bring about Milwaukee's Gay Rights Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination in employment, housing and public accomodation

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Amazon Multiple formats during its 12-year history. First issue was 2-page 8.5"x11" mimeographed handout. In the late-1970s large newspaper size (11.5"x17.5" with fold, 23x17 sheet size). Final issues were u

Person · Milwaukee Amy Luettgen Bi+ Pride-Milwaukee co-founder Advisory Panel, Wis. LGBTQ History Project Amy Luettgen is a retired civil servant with a passion for fostering inclusive communities.

A Person · Milwaukee Angelo Aiello Angelo "Angel" Aiello owned and managed the Mint Bar, one of Milwaukee's longest-running gay bars, from around 1960 until his death in 1978. His long-term success was widely admired in the local bar s

A Person · Milwaukee Anna Gravelyn Anna Gravelyn (1876-1944), widely known as "Sailor Ann," was the proprietor of the Milwaukee dockside tavern she opened as the Sail & Rail Hotel & Buffet in 1900. Famous as the "Queen of the Marine Di

Person · Milwaukee Annabelle Havlicek Annabelle Havlicek was a business owner in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Antlers Hotel Antlers Hotel was a large downtown Milwaukee hotel that became a well-known cruising destination for gay men. Opened in the 1920s as an eleven-floor, men-oriented establishment with hundreds of rooms

Person · Milwaukee April May More information on this performer is welcomed.

Organization · Milwaukee ARCW- View the Vivent Health web site, the current identity of what was once the ARCW (will open in a separate browser window).

Organization · Milwaukee Argonauts Leather Club Some of the many regular activities of the Club include; �Club Nights� at local bars, joint events held in collaboration with other regional leather/levi clubs, a big anniversary wingdig dinner (Winte

Person · Milwaukee Arnold M. Malmon Community Activist Fundraising HIV and AIDS education Arnie Malmon, an AIDS activist and leader of the LGBT community, was a founder of the Cream City Foundation (CCF) and served on its Board of Direc

Business · Milwaukee Art Bar Art Bar opened in March 2004 in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood, well outside the city's traditional LGBTQ bar district. Founded by partners Don Krause and John Tomlinson, it cultivated an artsy, w

Business · Milwaukee Artony's Keefe Avenue that operated from roughly 1980 to about 1984. It is remembered as a venue frequented mainly by members of Milwaukee's Black LGBTQ community. Little documentation survives. The bar advert

A Business · Kansasville Auctioneers Inn The Colonel was a singer as well as an auctioneer, and entertained weekly in the dining room. The old saloon style restaurant was filled with antiques from the Colonel's auctioneer days (the prefix of

A Business · Elm Grove Auctioneers Inn II / QuickSilver Nightclub Auctioneer's Inn II was owned by George Prentice (who the following year opened the wildly successful LaCage gay dance bar). The Inn had previously been known as the old Left Guard Restaurant.

Person · Milwaukee Audrey Nowakowski NPR Media coverage of LGBTQ community Advisory Panel, Wis. LGBTQ History Project Audrey Nowakowski is a host, producer, and reporter for Lake Effect on WUWM 89.7 FM-- Milwaukee's NPR. She is involved

Business · Milwaukee B's Bar (also known as 3B's) B's Bar, also advertised as 3B's, operated at 1579 S. 2nd Street in Milwaukee from July 1995 to October 1997. Three of the four owners of the earlier 3B's tavern on South Kinnickinnic Avenue relocated

Person · Milwaukee B.J. Daniels Pageant titles include: Miss Gay Wisconsin 1984-85 (1984-85) at Marc Plaza.According to a 'Carte de Reine' "Queen card", "BJ Daniels is an exciting and dynamic performer. She is a professional MC and

Person · Milwaukee Baby Jane Hudson Baby Jane Hudson has been one of Milwaukee's most versatile and in-demand entertainers for some 40 years. Performing at drag shows and many other entertainment venues, Baby Jane's talents include such

Business · Milwaukee Ball Game Ball Game was a long-running Milwaukee gay bar at 196 S. 2nd Street, open from 1974 until 2012. It was founded by Gene O'Brien and Rick Kowal in a building that had previously housed earlier gay bars,

Person · Milwaukee Barbara Gibson Faculty Sponsor for first Gay Rights group at UW-Milwaukee Barbara Ann Gibson volunteered to be faculty advisor for what was then unthinkable: a gay rights organization at UWM. She later recommended t

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Be Seen Michail Takach, Curator of Wisc LGBTQ History Project Inc.and Nate Imig, Director of Content for Radio Milwaukee

Business · Milwaukee Beck's Books& Beck's Books West Beck's Books& Beck's Books West was a retail in Milwaukee at 753 N. Plankinton, operating from 1975? until 1978?.

Person · Milwaukee Becky Furmann Victim of Cryptosporidium outbreak Rebecca Ann Katherine Elizabeth Furmann was the adopted child of one of the men in the gay couple of Larry and Ric Furmann.

B Person · Milwaukee Becky Persin Becky Persin co-owned Walker's Pint with Elizabeth Boenning when the Milwaukee women's bar opened in 2001. She left the business around 2003-2004 and went on to manage the Pumphouse bar.

Business · Milwaukee Belmont Hotel Coffee Shop (As shown below, while the next-door Gaytime Bar was listed in nearly every national Gay Bar Guides only from about 1965 to 1967, the Belmont Hotel Coffee Shop was listed only off and on in national g

B Person · Milwaukee Bettie Aiello Bettie Aiello took over the Mint Bar after the 1978 death of her husband, owner Angelo Aiello, and continued running it through its 1986 relocation to South 2nd Street.

B Person · Milwaukee Bev Nilsson Bev Nilsson, with Pete Nilsson, operated the Leaded Shade bar in the 1970s and went on to own the Milwaukee women's bar Lost & Found.

Organization · Milwaukee Bi Awareness The following is from a 2021 interview with Sarah Wallisch and Amy Luettgen, conducted by LGBT historian and Curator of the Wis LGBTQ History Project, Michail Takach. He wrote the following article as

Organization · Milwaukee Bi Definition Bi Definition formed in 1995 from the merging of two other bisexual support groups that met at the Counseling Center of Milwaukee, BiDesign (a women's group) and an unnamed men's group. Bi Definition

Organization · Milwaukee Bi+ Pride Milwaukee The group Bi+ Pride Milwaukee began when Sarah Wallisch was searching for a way to connect to other bisexuals to discuss issues. "I took to the internet to find bisexual and pansexual groups. At the t

Business · Milwaukee Bill Coerper's 5 O'Clock Club The sole known reference in local gay media is a full-page advertisement in a November 1979 periodical, which listed cocktails, sample menu items, live entertainment, and a party room. The placement o

B Person · Milwaukee Bill Kindt Bill Kindt co-founded the Wreck Room bar in Milwaukee in 1972 with his partner Wayne Bernhagen. He took sole ownership after Bernhagen's death in 1987 and ran the bar until it closed in 1996.

B Person · Milwaukee Bill Lison Bill Lison was a co-founder and co-owner of the Hybrid Lounge on Brady Street in Milwaukee, opened in 2010. He sold his interest in the bar to co-owner Nate Fried in 2014.

B Person · Milwaukee Bill Wardlow Bill Wardlow was a Milwaukee bartender who, with a partner, opened the martini bar Fluid in 1998 after both had worked at the Triangle. He later bought out his partner and became the bar's sole owner

Person · Milwaukee Billie Blaze You can find Billie Blaze along-side her 'CAGE' Sisters in Milwaukee as part of the Jail House Revue every Friday and Sunday nights. Along with Nova D'Vine, Jackie Roberts, Christina Chase & other spe

Person · Milwaukee Billy Herrero aka Billie Herreroaka the Brazilian Gypsy Rose Lee aka the Brazilian Carmen Mirandaaka Senorita Herrero, the Brazilian Sensation "The floor show is on, and it's something unusual for Milwaukee entertainment: female impersonators."

Business · Milwaukee BJ's Mint Bar / BJ's BJ's Mint Bar opened in December 1991 at 819 S. 2nd Street, when the establishment previously known as The Mint came under the management of Bob Dietz and Jim Jones. It was the third Milwaukee bar to

Person · Milwaukee Bjorn Nasset Drag Performer Board member, Wis. LGBTQ History Project Bjorn Nasset, widely known as drag performer B.J. Daniels, has a long history with the LGBTQ community. For over 40 years their name has been sy

Organization · Milwaukee Black & White Men Together Black & White Men Together was a organization in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Black Forest Inn Black Forest Inn was a combined bar and restaurant at 814 S. 2nd Street in Milwaukee, opened in August 1976 and run by a same-sex couple. Its decor evoked an Old World, Black Forest theme, with tree t

Business · Milwaukee Black Nite Black Nite was a downtown Milwaukee tavern that openly welcomed gay and gender-nonconforming patrons after Wally Whetham reopened the former Mary's Tavern under the new name in 1960. It is best rememb

Event · Milwaukee Black Nite Brawl 60th AnniversaryPress Conference and Display In 2021, the Curator of the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project (Michail Takach) had the idea of commemorating the Brawl by holding a press conference on the 60th anniversary of the event. The idea was to

Event · Milwaukee Black Nite Brawl Incidentand Josie Carter The site of that event, which occurred 8 years before the Stonewall Riots in New York City, has now been fully researched and documented by this Project, and has been designated a Landmark by the Milw

B Event · Milwaukee Black Pride Milwaukee Black Pride Milwaukee organizes an annual celebration centering Black LGBTQ+ identity and community in the Milwaukee area. The nonprofit also produces year-round cultural programming, representation i

Person · Milwaukee Bob Much like Chantal, Bob needs no last name. In fact, all you have to mention is "Bob" and you realize that any event with his pipes participating in will be a great one! At the ripe old age of over "24

Person · Milwaukee Bob Adams In 1972, at the age of 20, Adams was the head of the Billie B. Shears Film Society, showing mostly underground films. He was proud of his work with underground and gay films, but planned to move to Sa

B Person · Milwaukee Bob Dietz Bob Dietz co-owned the Milwaukee bar BJ's Mint, later renamed BJ's, with Jim Jones, taking over the former Mint Bar in 1991.

B Person · Milwaukee Bob Minzloff Bob Minzloff was a co-owner of the 1100 Club, a Milwaukee bar that operated from 1994 to 2003 and was popular with the city's leather community.

B Person · Milwaukee Bob Schmidt He bought out his partners by 1985, ran the bar for decades, and sold the business in 2002 while remaining a fixture of the city's LGBTQ community.

B Person · Milwaukee Bob Schnicker Bob Schnicker was one of four friends who opened the Milwaukee bar 3B's in 1991; the bar's name referenced the initials of three of its owners.

B Person · Milwaukee Bobby Bell A locally known fashion designer and nightlife figure, he went on to open the bar Papagaio in December 1981.

B Person · Milwaukee Bobby Cole Bobby Cole was one of four friends who opened the Milwaukee bar 3B's in 1991; the bar's name referenced the initials of three of its owners.

B Person · Milwaukee Bobby Lyons A patron's recollection recounts a property dispute between Lyons and C'est La Vie owner John Clayton.

Person · Milwaukee Bobby Schendel Bobby Schendel was a bartender at the Milwaukee gay bar Finale who purchased the business in 1983 and owned it until it closed following a 1986 fire.Bobb Schendel was active in various Milwaukee commu

Business · Milwaukee Bon Ton Bon Ton was a short-lived Milwaukee tavern that operated around 1932 to 1934 at 206 E. Juneau Avenue. During the city's brief early-1930s "Pansy Craze," it was known for its drag performances and unco

Person · Milwaukee Bonnie Bitch Bonnie Bitch was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Boom / Club Boom & The Room Boom opened in 2000 at 625 S. 2nd Street in the space previously occupied by the gay bar In Between, after a new ownership couple took over the lease. Originally called Club Boom, it soon became known

Business · Milwaukee Boot Camp Saloon Boot Camp Saloon was a Milwaukee levi/leather bar at 209 E. National Avenue, opened in 1984 and operated by Si Smits. Competing at first with the older Wreck Room, it grew into a leading leather bar a

Person · Milwaukee Bouji Bouji was a very popular and well-liked drag queen in the 1980s and 1990s. He died of cancer (approx. 2015).

Business · Milwaukee Bourbon Beat The Bourbon Beat operated at 400 N. Plankinton Avenue in downtown Milwaukee from about 1961 to 1963 and appears in national gay bar guides of the period. It was a renaming of the Black Nite, whose rep

Person · Milwaukee Boyd M. McGranaghan Originally from Philadelphia, Boyd McGranaghan moved to Milwaukee to attend Marquette University in 1972. After attaining a bachelor's degree in political science in 1976, he graduated from Marquette

Business · Milwaukee Boys Town Nite Club Boys Town Nite Club opened on June 11, 1993, when the existing Nitengales bar on West National Avenue was renamed by its owner, Carrie. The short-lived club appears to have closed in 1994.

Person · Milwaukee Brad Burdick, a.k.a. Antler "Antler (born 1946, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA) is an American poet who lives in Wisconsin. His work reflects the influences of Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, and the American traditions of transcendent

Person · Milwaukee Brad Schlaikowski andNick Schlaikowski Brad Schlaikowski and Nick Schlaikowski were recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Bradley S. Babush Volunteer Club Bath staffer Bradley S. Babush Bradley was known by many because of his outgoing personality and 'ready to pitch in and help' attitude. He had worked at the Club Milwaukee for a number

Organization · Milwaukee Brady East STD Clinic/ Brady East STD Clinic/ was a organization in Milwaukee.

Event · Milwaukee Brady Street Festival The GPU News reported on both a Spring and Fall Festival in the mid-1970s. The September 1974 issue of GPU News for example reported: "The Fall Brady Street Festival was held this year on Sunday, Sept

Person · Milwaukee Brenda Coley Brenda Coley was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

B Person · Milwaukee Brian Firkus Brian Firkus, known by the drag stage name Trixie Mattel, became a co-owner of the Milwaukee bar This Is It in February 2021, in part to help ensure the historic venue survived the COVID-19 pandemic.

Person · Milwaukee Brittany Morgan Pageant titles include: Miss Gay Milwaukee WI-USA 1990-91 (1990-91).The following information is largely from the former "DairylandDrag website circa 2004 (that site, www.dairylanddrag.net, no longer

Business · Milwaukee Broadway Health Club Broadway Health Club was a gay "bath house", the type of establishment widely accepted as being a place for consenting men to find anonymous sex.

Person · Milwaukee Bruce J. "Jeff" Poniewaz Bruce J. Poniewaz, commonly known as "Jeff Poniewaz�, was born September 28, 1946, in Milwaukee Wisconsin. His obituary read as follows: Bruce J. �Jeff� Poniewaz of Riverwest, passed away December 13

B Person · Milwaukee Bruce Lemke Bruce Lemke was one of four friends who opened the Milwaukee bar 3B's in 1991; the bar's name referenced the initials of three of its owners.

Business · Milwaukee BTW Lounge Billing itself as a one-of-a-kind lounge, it offered events such as drag bingo, karaoke, brunches, body-painting parties, and go-go and swimsuit contests. Despite a prime location near downtown festiv

Business · Milwaukee Buckskin Inn Buckskin Inn was the name adopted for the bar at the former Royal Hotel after financial difficulties prompted a new owner to attempt to rebuild its reputation. It appeared under this name in a handful

Business · Milwaukee Bull Ring Bull Ring was a discreet gay bar at 1250 N. 12th Street, near the former Mount Sinai Hospital, operated by Reginald LeClaire from about 1953 to 1962. The building, at the corner of 12th and McKinley,

Organization · Milwaukee Business Association of Milwaukee Business Association of Milwaukee was formed by several bar owners, and was primarily a vehicle to coordinate purchasing of such common bar operation supplies as napkins, bar stools, bar fixtures, etc

Business · Milwaukee C'est La Vie C'est La Vie was a long-running Milwaukee gay bar founded in December 1974 by Clarence Germershausen, known throughout the community as "John Clayton." Located amid a dense cluster of gay bars on Sout

Business · Milwaukee Cafe Melange Old World Third Street, owned and operated by Larry Krueger from 1987 to 1997. It offered a 1930s-style cabaret atmosphere with live music, and the John Schneider Orchestra served as its house band fo

Business · Milwaukee Cafe Phyllis Very little is known about Cafe Phyllis. We have two flyers (1994) one of which calls it "An Innovative Gathering Place" with "live entertainment Friday and Saturday". That flyer is for "Premiere Show

Person · Milwaukee Candi Stratton Candi Stratton was Miss Gay Continental WIsconsin for 1983-1984, as well as Miss Continental Indiana the following year.

Business · Milwaukee Captain's Cabin The Captain's Cabin operated at 400 N. 2nd Street in Milwaukee from the fall of 1963 to December 1966. Operator Wally Whetham opened it after closing his earlier bar, the Black Nite and Bourbon Beat,

Person · Milwaukee Carl Bogner In addition to being a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Bogner was the Director of the Milwaukee LGBT Film Festival for most of that festival's lifetime (from about 1997 until its d

Person · Milwaukee Carl M. Szatmary Szatmary was an early Director of the Milwaukee LGBT Film Festival (at the time called the Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Film Festival' and sponsored by 'Lavender Commitment' at UWM), until around 1987. In th

Business · Milwaukee Casablanca Disco Its opening was announced in a local calendar in mid-1979, but it had vanished from bar guides by April 1980. The same building later housed a succession of other LGBTQ bars, including Clay's Castaway

Business · Milwaukee Castaways It appears in the earliest national bar guides located by researchers, indicating it operated at least as early as 1961, and a 1969 guide praised it as one of the city's most fashionable spots for dan

Organization · Milwaukee Castaways M.C. (Motorcycle Club) The Castaways has some trouble getting members as solely a motorcycle club, so in 1981 they went leather/ levi to open it up to more members. Over time it became more of a social group, at one point h

Business · Milwaukee Castaways South 2nd Street, opened around late 1970 or early 1971 when the earlier Castaways bar relocated from 424 W. McKinley. It advertised one of the largest dance floors in the Midwest and drew a mostly male cro

C Place · Milwaukee Cathedral Square Park Cathedral Square Park is a downtown Milwaukee public square that has been used for civic events and, in recent years, LGBTQ+ visibility efforts including rainbow crosswalk installations recognized by

Organization · Milwaukee Central Wisconsin Pride Committee Central Wisconsin Pride Committee was a organization in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Charles 'Chuck' F. Brotz Charles F. Brotz (known to most as 'Chuck') is one of those people who you never know where he'll pop up. He was one of the backbones of the community, not drawing too much attention to himself but li

Person · Milwaukee Charles 'Chuckie' Betz Charles Betz, known to everyone as 'Chuckie', was born in 1951 and had an exciting and event filled life. He visited many of the most well-known gay bars in Milwaukee of the 1970s, and was one of the

Person · Milwaukee Charles A. Dix View one Milwaukee gay man's private collection of Charles Dix art. Dix's immense output in artwork ranged from placid, nature-inspired watercolors to flamboyant visions of an inter-galactic future. I

Organization · Milwaukee Charles Daniels Productions Inc. Charles Daniels Productions Inc. was a organization in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Charles M. (Chuck) Poulson Chuck Poulson, also known as "Charlotte Lorraine", was a popular member of Milwaukee's LGBT community, doing entertainment, being involved in such activities as softball league, and may have done some

C Person · Milwaukee Charles Piscuine Charles Piscuine co-owned Milwaukee's Lampost Bar with his brother John. He later managed the Towne Room Bar at the Towne Hotel and died in 1969.

Person · Milwaukee Charlotte Partridge Founder, Layton School of Art Wisconsin state chair for the federal Works Project Administration (WPA) Supervised the Wisconsin Federal Art Project At Downer College, Charlotte sought to liberate, mod

Business · Milwaukee Cheeks Disco Richards Street that appears to have operated for only a few months in 1981. Its existence was largely lost to history until 2022, when researcher Michail Takach located a single advertisement in a 19

Person · Milwaukee Chris Search the Drag Titleholders page for other titles and titleholders.

C Person · Milwaukee Christ Mares Christ Mares opened the Mint Bar on State Street in downtown Milwaukee on New Year's Day, 1949. The bar became one of the city's longest-running gay bars.

Person · Milwaukee Christina Chase Christina Chase has been a fixture of Milwaukee for some time and has made quite and impact! Christina was a regular performer at Club 219 and then moved down the street to headline for "LaCage Presen

Person · Milwaukee Christopher David Fons Christopher Fons was co-founder of the Milwaukee chapter of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). "I think Christopher was the conscience of the AIDS community", said Doug Nelson, Executive Di

Person · Milwaukee Christopher R. Gorski AIDS Activist Christopher R. Gorski ('Chris') was described as "a vital part of the community". Early on he volunteered at the Senior Center, Italian Fest, and made craft projects for local grade scho

C Person · Milwaukee Chuck Cicirello Chuck Cicirello was a Milwaukee bar owner who founded several gay dance venues, including the original Factory, the Factory II (1982–1984), and Factory 3, as well as the 27th Street Danceteria. He lat

Business · Milwaukee Circus (Planet Circus / Club Circus) Circus opened in July 1976 at 219 S. 2nd Street, billed as a disco and dance club, in a space that had recently housed the short-lived bars Gary's Dance Club and Mister Z's. Founded by George Prentice

Person · Milwaukee City of Milwaukee "20 Giving 20" was part of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin's commemoration of its 20th anniversary combating the AIDS epidemic. View all 20 of those honored on the ARCW "20 giving 20" page. City

C Person · Milwaukee Clarence Germershausen Clarence Germershausen, known in the community as "John Clayton," founded the Milwaukee gay bar C'est La Vie in 1974 and operated it for many years. During the 1980s he became a prominent figure in th

C Person · Milwaukee Clark Williams Born and raised in western Wisconsin to a family of beekeepers, Clark A. Williams was a resident of the Milwaukee area from 1991-1995. He lived in Milwaukee during the LGBT community's most tumultous

Business · Milwaukee Clay's Castaways Kinnickinnic Avenue between 1984 and 1986. Described as a relaxed neighborhood bar, it went through a confusing series of names, appearing variously as "Clay's Castaways," "Castaways," briefly "Castaw

Business · Milwaukee Clifton Tap Clifton Tap was one of Milwaukee's earliest known gay bars, operating as the tavern of the Clifton House Hotel at 336 W. Juneau Street through the 1940s and 1950s until about 1965. Run by William Mans

Business · Milwaukee Club 200 East (Jack) Club 200 East opened in June 2008 at 200 E. Washington Avenue, in the building long known as the lesbian bar Fannie's. It was another effort by Sharon Dixon, who had run Fannie's and later Pulse at th

Business · Milwaukee Club 219 The location had earlier housed the dance bars Gary's and Circus Circus, and emerged as Club 219 after a brief stint as a bar called Trash. For much of the 1980s it was the city's leading destination

Business · Milwaukee Club 26 North Avenue that began as a jazz venue drawing nationally known performers and later embraced the 1950s drag floor-show craze. Among its featured acts, the international drag performer Billie Herrero

Business · Milwaukee Club Bath Milwaukee View the Images & Articles Gallery page. View the Club Milwaukee Wall Art Collection.

Business · Milwaukee Club Health Spa Club Health Spa was founded at a time when many gay men's spas, or bath houses, were opening and enjoying success in the U.S. It advertised itself as "the Midwest's most elaborate bath, featuring priv

Person · Milwaukee Cody Barron Pageant titles include: Mr. Gay Wisconsin USofA 2004 (2004).Search the Drag Titleholders page for other titles and titleholders.

Business · Milwaukee Columns Columns was a Roman-themed cocktail lounge that opened on June 16, 1961 in the lobby of the Pfister Hotel at 424 E. Wisconsin Avenue. Inspired by the film Spartacus, it featured toga-clad and shirtles

C Person · Milwaukee Connor Goggans Connor Goggans was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Business · Milwaukee Conversations Vliet Street that first appeared in LGBTQ bar listings in April 2004. Based on its limited advertising and location, it is believed to have catered primarily to Milwaukee's Black LGBTQ community. Its

Person · Milwaukee Corey Search the Drag Titleholders page for other titles and titleholders.

C Person · Milwaukee Corey Grubb Corey Grubb was a co-founder and longtime co-owner of the Milwaukee dance club La Cage, which opened in 1984. The club's basement restaurant, Grubb's Pub, was named for him.

C Person · Milwaukee Cory Bartel Cory Bartel co-opened the Milwaukee bar D.I.X. with his sister Elizabeth Kujawa, moving from New Orleans to help launch the venue in 2010.

Organization · Milwaukee Courage+ Courage+ (formerly Courage MKE) is a Milwaukee nonprofit focused on LGBTQ+ youth who are displaced or in out-of-home care. Its programs include Courage House residential support, C2 Apartments, schola

Organization · Milwaukee Cream City Business Association Address the needs of Professionals and Businesspersons in the community. Newsletter gallery pages from the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project archive are linked as additional sources for Cream City Busin

Organization · Milwaukee Cream City Foundation Cream City Foundation is one of the nation's older LGBTQ+-focused foundations, founded in Milwaukee in 1982. It awards community grants and scholarships, partners with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Organization · Milwaukee Cream City Singers Cream City Singers was a short-lived singing group of men and women formed in cooperation with the Cream City Business Association (CCBA) in 1984. It is not known whether they ever actually performed.

Organization · Milwaukee Cream City Squares Cream City Squares was a organization in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee D's Place Port Washington Road. It opened on August 2, 1997, advertising itself as "a bar for women," and appeared in local LGBT bar guides with daily drink specials. The bar lasted less than a year, with its l

Business · Milwaukee D.I.X. Milwaukee D.I.X. Milwaukee, commonly called DIX, occupies a corner building at 739 S. 1st Street that had long operated as the straight bar Timers. Elizabeth Kujawa first opened the space in October 2007 under

Person · Milwaukee Dan E. Dance Dan E. Dance was a male 'King' performer with various titles.

Person · Milwaukee Dan Gordon In 1988, Dan established AIDS Information Milwaukee (AIM), and educational group for individuals with HIV infection. In spring of 1989 Dan was hired by AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW) as Busi

D Person · Milwaukee Dan Hewett Dan Hewett operated the Milwaukee bar Shadows II- The Top Shelf, which he co-owned with Matthew Gorden from its opening in December 1987 until it closed in 1989.

Business · Milwaukee Dance, Dance, Dance 2nd Street in Milwaukee, opening in late 1987 or early 1988. It hosted shows and pageants and provided a raised platform for go-go dancers at other times. Over time the space was gradually absorbed in

Person · Milwaukee Daniel Cupertino Jr. Daniel Cupertino Jr. was for 24 years a visible and vocal politician known as "Coop" to his south side constituents. While not gay, Cupertino is remembered in the gay and lesbian community as an hones

Person · Milwaukee Daniel Fons HIV and AIDS activist Cable program Producer and Host Dan Fons is a former Milwaukee activist and (with Michael Lisowski) former co-producer / co-host of "The Queer Program", a live cable access LGBT

Person · Milwaukee David E. Clarenbach 26, 1953. Passage of historic 1982 Wisconsin Gay Rights measure In 1982, then Wisconsin State Rep. David Clarenbach along with Milwaukee gay activist Leon Rouse and others were widely credited with he

Person · Milwaukee David Kotke aka David Rogers Waiter, Bartender, Host, Manager Male dance performer David Kotke (aka 'David Rogers') was born in Cudahy Wisconsin, attending Cudahy High School and then studying communications at UW-Parkside, where

Person · Milwaukee David L. Callentine, Reverend Reverend Pastor, New Hope Metropolitan Community Church in Milwaukee Reverend David Luther Callentine was the Pastor of New Hope Metropolitan Community Church of Milwaukee when he died at the age of 3

D Person · Milwaukee David Skwarek David Skwarek co-opened the PumpHouse, an LGBTQ bar in a converted Bay View pumping station, with Michael Murray in 2006. They sold the business in 2007.

Person · Milwaukee David Wiggins "20 Giving 20" was part of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin's commemoration of its 20th anniversary combating the AIDS epidemic. View all 20 of those honored on the ARCW "20 giving 20" page. Davi

Person · Milwaukee Dawn Michaels Search the Drag Titleholders page for other titles and titleholders.

D Person · Milwaukee Dawn Musbach Dawn Musbach co-owned and operated Milwaukee's Nut Hut with her partner Michelle Murphy after they acquired the women's bar in the early 2000s. A customer favorite known for her candor, she helped run

Person · Milwaukee Debi Vance She is best known for working many years at Club 219, and later at the M&M Club for a few years prior to its closing in 2006. Debi was also active in BAM, Business Association of Milwaukee when that o

Business · Milwaukee Decision 2nd Street, documented chiefly by a single advertisement in the April 1976 issue of GPU News. Surviving references suggest it operated for only a month or two in early 1976. By August 1976 the locatio

Person · Milwaukee DeeDee Winters Search the Drag Titleholders page for other titles and titleholders.

Business · Milwaukee Deja-Vu 2nd Street in Milwaukee, open from August 1993 to about May 1994. It occupied a corner space that had previously housed the Oregon House and the Phoenix, part of a cluster of gay bars in the South 2nd

Person · Milwaukee Delbert E. Pascavis Delbert E. Pascavis was Milwaukee's representative to national "Black And White Men Together", a past Milwaukee chapter secretary, and editor of BWMT's newsletter. In 1984 the Milwaukee Chapter of BWM

Person · Milwaukee Denise Blu Her nickname "Little Bit" is a little misleading! There is nothing little about the performances of Denise Blu; her small stature leads to the shock of her bigger than life performances! A classy blen

Person · Milwaukee Denise Wandke Denise Wandke was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Dennis K. Wesela He was called "King" by family, serving as Best Man at his brother's wedding and Godfather to a nephew. At one time married and the father of two girls, Dennis also worked as a police officer for 5 ye

Person · Milwaukee Dennis R. Thomas He was reportedly one of the original volunteers who helped form Pridefest, and was also very involved with AIDS activism.

Person · Milwaukee Denny (Chris) Welch Denny (Chris) Welch wasn't born in Milwaukee, but he made it his home. He lived here, worked here, found a lover here and together they bought a home. Chris worked at several bars in the 1980s, includ

Business · Milwaukee Designing Men Designing Men at first occupied just the ground floor, with regular gifts in the front and a smaller room in the back with leather geer. Later also opened the upstairs for additional display room, and

Person · Milwaukee Diane 'Legs' Gregory Female Stage Dancer/ Performer, Bartender, Activist Diane Gregory, known by many simply as 'Legs', was a pioneering and popular member of Milwaukee's women's community: as a stage performer, as a bart

D Organization · Milwaukee Dinettes The Dinettes were an informal gay men�s social dining group founded in 1992 by long-time partners Ted LaPine and Bob Jarvey of DePere. Membership in the group was primarily couples in long-term relati

Business · Milwaukee Diplomat Musical Lounge The Diplomat Musical Lounge opened in August 1958 in a former Pabst tied-house saloon on Milwaukee's West Juneau Avenue. After new operators redecorated the space in vivid colors, it became a flashy,

Business · Milwaukee DISH 2nd Street that operated from October 1997 to January 2003. Billed in its early advertising as a bar "for Women," it was the second lesbian-oriented bar to occupy the space, which over the years hoste

Organization · Milwaukee Diverse & Resilient (Timeline text from Diverse & Resilient website, July 2021.) Diverse & Resilient is a statewide nonprofit founded in 1995 with headquarters in Milwaukee and an office in Appleton. It operates sexu

D Organization · Milwaukee Diverse & Resilient Diverse & Resilient is a statewide nonprofit founded in 1995 with headquarters in Milwaukee and an office in Appleton. It operates sexual-health and STI testing services, the Room to Be Safe anti-viol

Person · Milwaukee Dixie Diamonds Dixie Diamonds was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee DK's Tavern National Avenue, operating from about 1985 to 1988. Run by an owner known as Dotie, it occupied a building that had been home to the popular lesbian bar Sugar Shack since 1976, and for a time it held

Person · Milwaukee Dominique Mahon The performer known as Dominique is remembered by many as doing an Anita Baker impression 'SPOT ON'.

D Person · Milwaukee Don Krause Don Krause co-founded Milwaukee's Art Bar with his partner John Tomlinson in 2004. The couple later expanded their holdings to include the neighboring Two Bar & Lounge and the Wonderland Diner.

D Person · Milwaukee Don Martinson Don Martinson was a co-owner of The TAZZbah Bar & Grille in Milwaukee (2004-2007), where he handled much of the building's rehabilitation.

Person · Milwaukee Don Schwamb Donald F. Schwamb, known to everyone as Don Schwamb, was perhaps a typical 1950s child dealing with coming out as gay. He remembers telling his parents when he was 12, "I don't like girls, I like boys

Person · Milwaukee Don Schwamb — Milwaukee County Board citation (2022) In June 2022, Don Schwamb received recognition from the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors for his work in the LGBT community. The full text of the citation reads as follows: WHEREAS, Don Schwamb b

Person · Milwaukee Donald J. Hebein Bartender Don Hebein was a bartender at C'est La Vie bar in Milwaukee. He passed away of complications due to AIDS.

Person · Milwaukee Donna Burkett 1971). A biographical panel was created by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project about Donna Burkett and Manonia Evans, and was featured in a display first appearing at PrideFest 2011. The text from that

Person · Milwaukee Donna Utke She was one of five founding members of the Gay Peoples Union (GPU) in 1970 and an active member of Grapevine, the Feminist Writer's Guild, and the Milwaukee chapter of the National Organization of Wo

Business · Milwaukee Doubleday's Pub & Restaurant Doubledays was yet another attempt to bring an LGBT restaurant into this space. But it was apparently extremely short-lived.

Person · Milwaukee Doug Nelson Doug Nelson was selected to become the second Executive Director of the ARCW/ AIDS Rescource Center of Wisconsin after the resignation of his predecessor, Sue Dietz, to join the CDC (Centers for Disea

Person · Milwaukee Dr. Andrew Petroll Dr. Andrew Petroll was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Dr. Ian Martin Dr. Ian Martin was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Dr. Karen Lamb Karen Lamb was the wife of long-time mayor of Milwaukee, Henry Maier, but in the LGBT community is best known as a consistent supporter of the community and its causes, primarily in the areas of healt

Person · Milwaukee DuWanna Moore Search the Drag Titleholders page for other titles and titleholders.

E Person · Milwaukee Earl Thalacker Earl Thalacker co-founded the east-side Milwaukee gay bar Finale in 1975 with his partner, Frank Thalacker.

E Person · Milwaukee Eddie Carver Eddie Carver was a co-owner of Milwaukee's Harbor Room and the married partner of founder Gregg Fitzpatrick. He died in June 2021.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Edge Magazine Edge Magazine was a publication based in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Edward Joseph Schicker, Jr. a.k.a. Tiger Rose Drag personality Edward Joseph Schicker, Jr. was best known as drag performer "Tiger Rose". His life is described in the In Memoriam column of In Step magazine by his friend 'Ned':

Person · Milwaukee Eldon Murray Community Activist Gay People's Union GPU STD Clinic Sage After Eldon's death, a biographical panel was created by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project, and was featured in a display first appearing at

Person · Milwaukee Elizabeth (Bet-z) Boenning Elizabeth (Bet-z) Boenning has been best known as owner of one of the country's few remaining lesbian bars, "Walker's Pint". Elizabeth "Bet'z" Boenning opened Walker's Pint, a women's bar in Milwaukee

E Person · Milwaukee Elizabeth Kujawa Elizabeth Kujawa opened the Milwaukee bar that became D.I.X., first launching it in 2007 as The General's before relaunching it as D.I.X. in 2010 with her brother and co-owner Cory Bartel.

Business · Milwaukee Emeralds Bar & Lounge Emeralds Bar and Lounge opened in April 1997 on East Hadley Street and operated as a bar and dance club. It advertised only a few times in the LGBTQ press and, based on its location and the events it

Business · Milwaukee Empire Lounge Empire Lounge was a small corner bar at 716 N. Plankinton Avenue in downtown Milwaukee, opened in 1940 and remodeled into a piano bar during the 1950s. Owned for many years by Alex Korchunoff, it deve

Organization · Milwaukee Entertainers Against AIDS Entertainers Against AIDS was a organization in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Erwin Albert Uecker View the Erv Uecker and Ross Walker Images & Articles Gallery of articles and photos from LGBT media referencing Ross and Erv. Reverend Erwin A. Uecker (known to everyone in Milwaukee as simply "Erv U

Business · Milwaukee Essinger's Essinger's was a West Side Milwaukee tavern that operated as a gay-and-straight bar for under a year, first appearing in bar listings in December 1984 and last listed in September 1985. An older famil

E Person · Milwaukee Ester Flonaze Drag personality 'Ester Flonaze' was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Organization · Milwaukee Etcetera Etcetera was a organization in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Factory "3" Broadway. Set in a downtown warehouse building with 6,000 square feet of space and high ceilings, it was designed as a large dance and show venue echoing Cicirello's original Factory bar. Despite earl

Business · Milwaukee Factory II Factory II was a Milwaukee gay dance bar at 130 E. Juneau Avenue, open from December 1982 to September 1984. It was opened by Chuck Cicirello following the success of his original Factory bar, though

Business · Milwaukee Fannies Washington Street, opened in September 1983 by Sharon Dixon, a former partner in the lesbian bar Sugar Shack. Known for theme parties, drag shows, a fenced outdoor patio and sports leagues, it raised

Person · Milwaukee Father Mike Hammer "20 Giving 20" was part of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin's commemoration of its 20th anniversary combating the AIDS epidemic. View all 20 of those honored on the ARCW "20 giving 20" page. Fath

Organization · Milwaukee Fest City Singers Go to the Fest City Singers' Concert Programs Gallery.

Organization · Milwaukee Fest City Singers- Concert Programs Gallery LGBT History Project and SAGE for PrideFest 2007.

Business · Milwaukee Finalandia Health Spa aka The Finlandia Health Spa is the first men's bath house documented thus far in Milwaukee. Listed in national Gay Guide books as early as 1970, it also advertised throughout the publication of the Milwa

Business · Milwaukee Finale Finale was an east-side Milwaukee gay bar opened in 1975 by partners Earl and Frank Thalacker. Remembered as a friendly neighborhood bar that also drew patrons citywide, it expanded into the rear of i

Business · Milwaukee First Street Tavern First Street Tavern, also known as 1st Street Tavern, opened in late 1981 or early 1982 on South 1st Street and was run by owners Larry Fleege and Leroy Stern, who lived behind the bar. It catered lar

Business · Milwaukee Flame Flame was a Milwaukee gay bar that operated briefly in 1973 at 181 S. 2nd Street. Little documentation of the bar survives. It is reported to have closed after a fire. The building later housed anothe

Event · Milwaukee Flu Vaccinations Free Flu Vaccinations for the LGBT community in Milwaukee Vaccinations are typically offered free of charge (donation requested) over several evenings in October of each year. For many people this is

Business · Milwaukee Fluid Fluid is a Milwaukee martini bar opened on July 26, 1998 by two former bartenders of the Triangle, Bill Wardlow and a partner known as Jimmy. It was popular from the start, drawing customers with an e

Organization · Milwaukee FORGE FORGE is a national transgender anti-violence organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Milwaukee. It reduces the impact of trauma on trans and non-binary communities through direct survivor s

Business · Milwaukee Forum Forum was a Milwaukee gay bar at the northwest corner of 12th and Vine Streets, recalled by contributors as a crowded and lively spot. Locals often referred to it simply as "12th and Vine" so that out

Person · Milwaukee Francis Leon(born Francis Patrick Glassey) aka 'The Famous Leon'aka 'The Only Leon' Francis Leon (born Francis Patrick Glassey in 1844) was billed as "The Leon" or "The Only Leon." On June 7, 1884, he performed what is believed to be the first "drag" show in Milwaukee history, at Nun

F Person · Milwaukee Frank Demling Frank Demling opened the Fox bar on Milwaukee's Plankinton Avenue in 1948 and operated it until his death in 1955.

F Person · Milwaukee Frank Thalacker Frank Thalacker opened Shadows, a gay-owned restaurant and bar in Milwaukee's Walker's Point, in February 1980. The establishment earned a strong reputation for its American food.

Business · Milwaukee Frankie's Cabaret 1st Street that opened in November 1986 with heavy advertising and fanfare. Despite its promotional push, it operated for less than a year, closing at the end of May 1987.

Business · Milwaukee French Quarter French Quarter was a Milwaukee bar at 1634 N. Water Street that opened in 1966 and is believed to have closed around 1969. City directories list Milton Rickun as its owner or licensee. Little is docum

Business · Milwaukee Friendly Bar The Friendly Bar at 819 S. 2nd Street appears to have been the earliest of many LGBTQ-friendly bars to occupy its building. Originally opened by Croatian immigrants Mike and Julia Stjepanovic, it pass

Organization · Milwaukee G/L Community Center Trust Fund G/L Community Center Trust Fund was a organization in Milwaukee.

G Organization · Milwaukee Galano Club of Milwaukee Galano Club of Milwaukee was a organization in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Gallery Lounge Gallery Lounge was a Milwaukee bar on South 2nd Street advertised in 1974 as a "Bar, Lounge, Game Room." Its earliest notices appeared in GPU News that September, with interior photographs published i

Organization · Milwaukee GAMMA GAMMA started as a sports group playing touch football along the lakeshore in the summer of 1978. They had a celebratory dinner that fall, and the following year also took up social and competitive vo

Business · Milwaukee Gargoyles National Avenue, open for roughly two years from 1995 to 1996. It billed itself as a social club and promoted its location between the Wreck Room and the Boot Camp to attract the area's Levi/leather c

Person · Milwaukee Garold (Gary) Dalton Born deaf, Garold Dalton, known as Gary, graduated from Lincoln High School in the late fifties. Up to and during his teen years, Gary, was a state champion skater in singles and pairs. Later in life,

Person · Milwaukee Garrison Fraser Garrison has been involved in music and dancing most of his life. He currently is a music and show designer for over 30 music and touring groups - with 17 winning championships to his credit.

Person · Milwaukee Gary Kampe & David Roberts Gary Kampe and David Roberts were two men who, within a year of the June 26, 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, became married. They had met back in 1978 in the legendary 'Fa

Business · Milwaukee Gary's Dance Club Gary's Dance Club was a short-lived gay disco that opened on South 2nd Street in late June 1975, occupying a space that had recently held the Gallery Lounge. Arriving at the height of the disco era, i

Business · Milwaukee Gay 90's Gay 90's was a Milwaukee bar that operated from 1945 to 1968 across three successive locations, ending at 433 W. Michigan Street next to the Royal Hotel. A contributor remembered the "Old Gay 90s" as

Organization · Milwaukee Gay Liberation Front Gay Liberation Front was a organization in Milwaukee.

Organization · Milwaukee Gay Liberation Organization at UWM (GLO-UWM) Gay Liberation Organization at UWM (GLO-UWM) was a organization in Milwaukee.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Gay Milwaukee G Milwaukee was a publication addressing the need for people "wanting a local paper or magazine to get the news of social events, activities and local news out to the gay community", and welcoming "an

Business · Milwaukee Gay Street Station Gay Street Station opened in mid-1986 at 1637 W. Pierce Street, holding its grand opening on August 1, 1986. Decorated in a turn-of-the-century railway-station style and billed as a beer saloon with a

Business · Milwaukee Gaytime Bar Gaytime Bar was a Milwaukee tavern at 731 N. 4th Street that operated from the mid-1940s until 1968. It opened as a renamed successor to Sally's Cocktail Bar, a venue popular with gay men that had dra

G Person · Milwaukee Gene O'Brien Gene O'Brien co-founded the Ball Game, a Milwaukee gay bar, with Rick Kowal in 1974. He remained a co-owner until his death in March 1985.

G Person · Milwaukee George Bemis George Bemis was a former Milwaukee police sergeant who became a gay bar operator, taking over the Fox bar in 1964. He also owned the nearby New Yorker Lounge until the mid-1970s.

G Person · Milwaukee George Prentice George Prentice was a co-founder and longtime co-owner of the Milwaukee dance club La Cage, which opened in 1984. He and Corey Grubb sold the club in 2005 but later resumed ownership.

Person · Milwaukee George R. 'Bunny' Opper Spirited, sassy, carefree and colorful, "Bunny" began his life as George Opper in rural Grafton, Wisconsin on April 21, 1936. Bored with the country life, the thrill-seeking teen hitchhiked his way do

G Person · Milwaukee George Schneider George Schneider joined the staff of This Is It around 2010, became part owner, and assumed ownership of the Milwaukee bar after Joe Brehm's death in 2016, helping modernize it while preserving its ch

Person · Milwaukee Gertude Ann Ambelang Health care, AIDS prevention Gertude Ann Ambelang, along with her husband, Bob, was a dedicated volunteer at the BESTD Clinic. Affectionately known as Granny & Grandpa Condom, she and Bob assembled th

Business · Milwaukee Ginger 2nd Street in Milwaukee's Walker's Point, open from about 2008 to 2015. Though it placed little advertising in LGBT print media, it was well known in the community and hosted gatherings such as a Guer

Person · Milwaukee Ginger Spice aka Richard J. Wyatt Ginger Spice, born as Richard J. Wyatt but known to friends and thousands of fans as simply 'Ginger', was a pioneering and popular member of Milwaukee's 'drag' scene. In 2022, LGBT historian Michail T

Publication / Media · Milwaukee GLIB GLIB was chosen as the name because it is a combination of the words 'gay' and 'liberation', and the word "glib" has the definition of being 'free and unconstrained', a feeling the publishers wished t

G Business · Milwaukee Glorioso's The August 1976 issue of the local "GLIB Guide" describes Glorioso's as follows: "Gay crowd gathers after bars close."

Business · Milwaukee Godfrey's 1800 Club Godfrey's 1800 Club appeared in select national gay bar guides from 1965 to 1969, described as a mixed bar with a predominantly Black clientele. It was notably absent from the Bob Damron guides of the

Publication / Media · Milwaukee GPU News The Gay Peoples Union (GPU) was founded in 1971 as a social service agency dedicated to the needs of the gay community, and concurrently dedicated to educating the community at large about gays and le

Organization · Milwaukee GPU: The Gay Peoples Union (or GPU) was founded as a social service agency dedicated to the needs of the gay community, and concurrently dedicated to educating the community at large about gays and lesbian

Business · Milwaukee Grand Avenue Annex Grand Avenue Annex was a Milwaukee bar at 746 N. 7th Street, opened in August 1986 by the owners of the nearby Grand Avenue Pub during a period of uncertainty over the Pub's lease. Both bars were clos

Business · Milwaukee Grand Avenue Pub The Grand Avenue Pub, also known as "The GAP," operated on Milwaukee's West Wisconsin Avenue from June 1982 to July 1988. Functioning equally as a bar and restaurant, it served a busy lunch trade for

Business · Milwaukee Grand Prix The Grand Prix, often listed as the Grand Prix Lounge, was a Milwaukee bar on East Juneau Avenue whose name derived from an earlier racing-themed incarnation. By the late 1960s its interior featured r

Business · Milwaukee Granfalloon Coffee House Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project historian Michail Takach write the following summary of the gathering place for the 'Milwaukee LGBT History' Facebook group in February, 2022:

Organization · Milwaukee Great Lakes Harley Riders Great Lakes Harley Riders was a organization in Milwaukee.

G Person · Milwaukee Gregg Fitzpatrick Gregg Fitzpatrick founded the Harbor Room, a Milwaukee levi and leather bar, in 2000, purchasing and renovating the historic building. He operated it with his partner Eddie Carver until his death in D

Business · Milwaukee Grubb's Pub Grubb's Pub was a pub and grill that operated from 1990 to 1996 in the basement of the La Cage complex, with its own separate entrance on Second Street. Patrons used it variously as a restaurant, a st

G Person · Milwaukee Gus Hosseini Gus Hosseini was a Milwaukee bar owner who operated the Unicorn (1984) in the basement of the Sidney HiH building, which he managed. He had earlier run a gay disco, the Golden Shaft, in the same space

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Hag Rag Hag Rag was "Wisconsin's lesbian-feminist newspaper; a bi-monthly publication which focuses on news, non-fiction, political analysis and commentary of interest to lesbians and radical feminists". They

Business · Milwaukee Harbor Room The Harbor Room opened in July 2000 at 117 E. Greenfield Avenue, founded by Gregg Fitzpatrick as a levi and leather bar a few blocks south of the main bar district. It occupies a 1907 building that ha

H Person · Milwaukee Harry Buettner Harry Buettner was one of the founders of Loose Ends, a Milwaukee bar he opened with Karen and Loren Buettner on Fond du Lac Avenue in February 1986.

Person · Milwaukee Harry Hynesaka Millie Brown We cannot imagine the bravery required to live an authentic transgender life in 1890s Milwaukee. We salute the few known transgender elders who attempted to be their best selves in a cruel world. They

Person · Milwaukee Helen L. Joslin, aka "Dirty Helen" Helen L. Joslin was working for the George Webb Restaurant on 1st and Mitchell in Milwaukee when she had a spat with her boss. At the time, the Ski Glow Cafe needed a waitress for the night shift, and

H Place · Milwaukee Henry W. Maier Festival Park Henry W. Maier Festival Park — the Summerfest grounds on Milwaukee's lakefront — has hosted PrideFest Milwaukee since the festival moved to this format in the mid-1990s. PrideFest is Wisconsin's large

Business · Milwaukee Hideaway Hideaway was a short-lived Milwaukee gay bar at 819 S. 2nd Street, open for roughly six months in 1976. Hosted by two young owners known as Mike and George, it reopened a space that had briefly operat

Organization · Milwaukee Holiday Invitational Tournament Holiday Invitational Tournament was a organization in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Holly Brown Tongue The singer, comedienne, and dancer Holly Brown started out performing at Club 219, then headed up "Holly and Company", a troupe whose shows at La Cage in the 1980s gained for them an enthusiastic foll

Business · Milwaukee Hot Legs Video Nite Club Hot Legs Video Nite Club opened in late 1984 in the former Shadows bar space on South 2nd Street, run by co-owners Kathy and Karen. For a time it was Milwaukee's leading lesbian bar, fielding a softba

Business · Milwaukee Hot Spot Night Club Hot Spot Night Club was a Milwaukee dance club at 2249 N. Humboldt Avenue that operated briefly in 1991. It sought to fill the gap left by earlier disco clubs such as Park Avenue and Papagaio but did

H Organization · Milwaukee HRL The UWM Archives LGBT Collection holds a considerable amount of the Human Rights League's papers. UWM Archives has this description of HRL in their collection description:

Business · Milwaukee Hunter's Club It is documented by a single advertisement in the October 1971 issue of GPU News. No other advertisements or mentions have been located, and how long the bar operated and served gay men is unknown.

Business · Milwaukee Hybrid Lounge Brady Street in Milwaukee, open from March 2010 to February 2017. Co-owners Nate Fried and Bill Lison, who had both worked at the LaCage dance club, designed it as a "hybrid" gay-and-straight neighbor

Person · Milwaukee Ilet 'Tina' Terry Ilet Terry, known to everyone as "Tina", owned a series of LGBT bars catering to the African American (black) community from about 1982 to 1993. All the bars were named "Tina's RTI" which was located

Business · Milwaukee In Between A popular neighborhood watering hole, it featured a small dance floor, a good sound system, and decor that included antique items, some playing on the bar's name and bee motifs. The bar was especially

Publication / Media · Milwaukee In Step Initial: 5.5"w x 8.5"h 'bar rag' Eventual: 10.5"w x 15"h, newspaper

I Business · Milwaukee Intermezzo 2nd Street, in the same building that housed the Q-Life newspaper and the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. It likely grew out of the limited drink service offered during intermissions and after performances

Person · Milwaukee Israel Ramon First Latino Constitutional Officer in Wisconsin Recognitions were made in the categories of "Community Leaders and Activists," "Government Leaders," "Business and Cultural Leaders," and "Health and W

Person · Milwaukee J. Robert Moore(Bob Moore) J. Robert Moore, known to everyone as Bob Moore, was an activist in Milwaukee gay life of the 1970s through the late 1990s. He was active in Gay People's Union and many other organizations, and was a

Person · Milwaukee J.J. Newman Gay WIsconsin at the Pageant in Milwaukee in November, 1989, serving until the crown was transferred in November, 1990. A former Marine sergeant, J.J. was described in contemporary articles as seeming

Person · Milwaukee Jack H. Smith He advertised extensively in local GLBT media, and was generous with his donations and funding worthy causes. Recognitions were made in the categories of "Community Leaders and Activists," "Government

Person · Milwaukee Jackie Christine Jackie is a featured performer at C'est La Vie with the Saturday Night Sirens but has also been on stage at Club 219 during the hey-day of Kyllie West and the Femme Fatales! Watch the stages around to

Person · Milwaukee Jackie Roberts (The following are excerpts from a biography of close friends Jackie Roberts and Rudi D'Angelo by Michail Takach for this website in 2023.) Jackie Roberts was born John Paul Jaccard. While attending M

Person · Milwaukee Jaime Hernandez aka Jamie Gays Best known as an early cross-dressing performer in Milwaukee, Jamie Gays opened the gay bar 'Jamies' in the early 1970s. Jamie Gays (also known as Jaime Gays, legal name: Jaime Hernandez) was intervie

Person · Milwaukee Jamakaya Jamakaya was one of the founders of the Milwaukee LGBT History Project, and conducted some of its first Oral History interviews, also developing interview guidelines. She has also been an active membe

Person · Milwaukee James "Jimmy" Dorn James "Jimmy" Dorn was one of the original owners of the Your Place (YP) gay bar, located at 813 S. 1st Street in Milwaukee from 1965 to 1994. He was a regular at meetings of the Gay People's Union an

Person · Milwaukee James 'Jamie' Taylor Bartender Media: Photographer, Writer Historian 'Jamie' Taylor was born James Taylor, but is known as Jamie to all his friends in Milwaukee. Jamie first became active in the gay community as a bartend

Person · Milwaukee James J. Schnieders James J. Schnieders was manager of the Wreck Room when he passed away in 1987, but worked with many others in the community on various community projects. He was a driving force in the Wreck Room's an

Person · Milwaukee James Mark Skybergaka Jimmy Von Milwaukeeaka Leo Feldman Artist/ Leo Feldman Art Galleries owner James Mark Skyberg (aka 'Jimmy Von Milwaukee') was born in 1954, in Duluth, MN, and raised in an intellectually liberal family. From an early age his Norwegian

J Person · Milwaukee James Marr James Marr, who performed as Lana St. James, owned the Milwaukee gay bar Triangle from 2000 until his sudden death in March 2011, after which ownership passed to a family member.

J Person · Milwaukee James O'Connor James O'Connor purchased the River Queen bar in Milwaukee from Al Berry in 1973 and operated it through the mid-1970s, a period during which the bar drew a major police corruption investigation.

Business · Milwaukee Jamie's 2nd Street in the early 1970s, briefly known at the outset as "The New Seaway." It was owned by Otto Schuler, who relocated the bar portion of his Seaway Inn to this site after that business was force

J Person · Milwaukee Janet Mueller The venue was remembered as one of the city's most evenly mixed gay and lesbian bars.

Person · Milwaukee Janice (Colby) Brown Janice is also one of Milwaukee's legendary entertainers (going by the stage name 'Janice Colby') and has won many titles throughout the state as well as in other states. She has also held several nat

J Person · Milwaukee Jarica Jordan Jarica Jordan was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Jason Rae Jason Rae was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Business · Milwaukee Jazz 2nd Street in Milwaukee, opening in October 1988. Promoted as a calmer adult retreat, it offered wine, imported beer, ice cream and blended drinks, along with weekend appearances by local singer Charl

Business · Milwaukee JC's Pub & Grill It did not market itself as a gay bar and sought a mainstream crowd, though its busiest nights coincided with LGBTQ events such as drag shows and fundraisers. The bar never advertised in the gay press

Business · Milwaukee JC's Rainbow Bar C., and managed by Wade Twamley. It operated for only about five months, closing in May 1991 due to the owner's health problems; many of its staff and patrons moved on to the new Rainbow Revue. A phot

J Person · Milwaukee Jean Stellick Jean Stellick purchased the Milwaukee bar Loose Ends in December 1992, becoming its owner during the later years of its operation.

Person · Milwaukee Jeffrey P. Clark Bartender Bowler, H.I.T. Hall of Fame AIDS Activist Jeffrey P. Clark was born on April 20, 1957 in Shawano, Wisconsin. He attended grade school and Shawano High School, where he graduated in 1975 with

Person · Milwaukee Jen Murray Jen Murray was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

J Person · Milwaukee Jerry Bentley Jerry Bentley was the partner of Jim Dorn and co-opened the Milwaukee gay bar Your Place in 1965, helping run it as a family-operated establishment.

J Person · Milwaukee Jerry Breiling Jerry Breiling was a longtime Milwaukee gay-bar bartender and manager who, with his partner Serge Bellitelli, opened the bar Kruz in 2006. He died unexpectedly in October 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Jerry Johnson Community Activist PrideFest history displays The Wisconsin Light co-founder/publisher Jerry Johnson has become a well-known person in Milwaukee and Wisconsin�s GLBT community.

Business · Milwaukee Jet's Place Kinnickinnic Avenue, open from 1986 to June 1991. Opened by a woman known as Jeanette ("Jet") primarily as a women's bar, it drew a broad following and was known for its Sunday afternoon parties. The

J Person · Milwaukee Jim Balistreri Jim Balistreri was the owner of Partners, a Milwaukee bar at 813 S. 1st Street that operated from 1989 to 1992 in the former Your Place location.

J Person · Milwaukee Jim Dorn Jim Dorn opened Your Place, one of Milwaukee's first openly gay bars, in 1965 with his partner Jerry Bentley. A former Navy sailor, he chose the bar's discreet name so patrons could make plans without

J Person · Milwaukee Jim Jones Jim Jones co-owned the Milwaukee bar BJ's Mint, later renamed BJ's, with Bob Dietz, taking over the former Mint Bar in 1991.

J Person · Milwaukee Jim Melotte Jim Melotte helped form the Milwaukee Pride Parade in 2005. The Parade had in earlier years been part of the Pridefest celebration and event, until Pridefest abandoned parade organization and concentr

J Person · Milwaukee Jim Moes He remained a partner in the business until owner Bob Schmidt bought out the partners by 1985.

J Person · Milwaukee Jim Rodell Jim Rodell is believed to have been the owner of Mama Roux Bar Americain & Grill, a Milwaukee east-side bar and restaurant that operated from 1994 to 1999.

J Person · Milwaukee Jim Schlief Jim Schlief was involved with the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW), and worked on development of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. Denise Wise, who served for some time on the board and as

J Person · Milwaukee Jim Seeboth Jim Seeboth co-founded the Circus dance club in Milwaukee in 1976 with George Prentice, operating it until the business was sold to new managers in 1978.

Person · Milwaukee Jimmy Zingale Jimmy Zingale may be best known as one of the original owners of the Castaways South Bar from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. Jimmy was a cousin of gay bar mogul Chuck Cicirello-- and Jimmy is said

J Person · Milwaukee JoAnn Kilsdonk JoAnn Kilsdonk co-founded the Sugar Shack, Milwaukee's first lesbian-owned bar for women, in 1975 with Sharon Dixon. She ran it until selling the business around 1981 and died in November 2019.

Person · Milwaukee JoCasta Zamarripa Politician- First openly LGBT City of Milw Alderperson JoCasta Zamarripa is the City of Milwaukee's first openly LGBTQ member of Milwaukee's Common Council. As alderwoman for Milwaukee's 8th District,

Person · Milwaukee Joe Brehm It seems as if time has stood still when you walk into the unmarked bar on Wells Street across from Real Chili. The gold-flecked mirrors and the black leather booths that line the red-carpeted walls a

Person · Milwaukee Joe Feldhausen Father Joseph Feldhausen was a native of the Milwaukee area, and attended St. Francis Seminary High School. After spending two years at Marquette University, he transfered to the University of Wiscons

J Person · Milwaukee Joel Castillo Joel Castillo, known as J.C., opened JC's Rainbow Bar on Milwaukee's south side in December 1990. The bar closed about five months later due to his health problems.

Person · Milwaukee Joey Black More information on this performer is welcomed.

J Person · Milwaukee John Clayton In 1975 he opened the south-side bar Advent while also running the bar C'est La Vie.

Person · Milwaukee John D. Vanden Busch Jack died on Saturday, April 8, 1989 in a Milwaukee hospital of complications due to kidney failure.

J Person · Milwaukee John George John George was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee John M. Cowles John was happy and proud to be gay, and was proactive in LGBT issues. He was a founder and first president of GAMMA, a board member of the Cream City Foundation (CCF), and was active in AIDS awareness

J Person · Milwaukee John Piscuine John Piscuine co-owned Milwaukee's Lampost Bar with his brother Charles during its years as an underground gambling and bar venue.

J Person · Milwaukee John Tomlinson John Tomlinson co-founded Milwaukee's Art Bar with his partner Don Krause in 2004. The couple later expanded their holdings to include the neighboring Two Bar & Lounge and the Wonderland Diner.

J Person · Milwaukee Jonathan Cervero Jonathan Cervero opened the downtown Milwaukee pub JC's Pub & Grill in 2009. He had previously been a popular server at Harry's Bar and Grill in Shorewood.

Person · Milwaukee Joseph E. Amato a.k.a. Joseph E. Amato was known to many in the gay community as entertainer Josie Blake. Born in Chicago, he moved as a child to Wonder Lake, Illinois, south of Lake Geneva. Amato was a special education te

J Person · Milwaukee Joseph Enea Joseph Enea purchased the Empire Lounge in Milwaukee in 1975, intending to operate it as a gay bar, and briefly reopened it as a small disco. He had previously been associated with the Ad Lib club.

Person · Milwaukee Joseph L. Carter aka 'Josie' Carter Drag personality, Activist Joseph L. 'Josie' Carter was an early Milwaukee LGBTQ drag performer and unsung hero for over five decades.

J Person · Milwaukee June Brehm June Brehm founded This Is It in downtown Milwaukee in 1968, after previously running a supper club in Butler, Wisconsin. She owned the bar for over four decades until her death in January 2010.

Business · Milwaukee Just Us Just Us was a Milwaukee bar open from September 1994 to July 1998, remembered as one of the city's most evenly mixed gay and lesbian venues. Opened by Kenosha attorney Steve Byers and Milwaukee busine

K Person · Milwaukee Karen Buettner Karen Buettner was one of the founders of Loose Ends, a Milwaukee bar she opened with Harry and Loren Buettner on Fond du Lac Avenue in February 1986.

K Person · Milwaukee Karen Gotzler Karen Gotzler was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Karen Snider Karen Snider was the subject of an interview by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project early in 2003, and was featured in a display first appearing at PrideFest 2003. Karen Snider's life raises the import

K Person · Milwaukee Karla Farr Karla Farr managed the Lost & Found, a women's bar and disco on Milwaukee's North 27th Street, from its 1978 opening, and is credited with creating a popular and distinctive space for women.

K Person · Milwaukee Kathy Kau Kathy Kau took over a Milwaukee neighborhood bar and reopened it as Kathy's Nut Hut in the early 1980s, building it into the city's longest-running women's bar. She brought the bar openly into the gay

Person · Milwaukee Kelly Kelly was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Kevin Rotar Over his years of service, he worked at the Wreck Room, Your Place, and Triangle, and Club 219, where he was working at the time of his death. Long time friends and customers recount that Kevin was so

Business · Milwaukee Kisses Its bar and dance floor occupied two levels connected by an open stairway, and the space featured brick walls and small nooks, giving it a lively if somewhat cramped feel when busy. The location later

Business · Milwaukee Knight Owl The Knight Owl Restaurant apparently operated briefly as a gay restaurant. They advertised in the new publication GPU News starting with its first issue in October 1971. That first ad reads:

Business · Milwaukee Kruz Kruz opened in late 2006 on E. National Avenue, founded by longtime gay-bar bartender and manager Jerry Breiling together with his partner Serge Bellitelli. It took over a building that had previously

Person · Milwaukee Krystal Styles Krystal Styles was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Kylie West Pageant titles include: Miss Gay Wis-USofA 2000 (2000).Wisconsin USofA Preliminary Titles Held: Miss Racine - 1992 Miss Fox Valley - 1993 Miss Appleton - 1994 Miss Kenosha - 1995 Miss Emerald City - 1

Business · Milwaukee La Cage La Cage (also styled La Cage Aux Folles and, for a period, simply "Cage") is a Milwaukee dance club at 801 S. 2nd Street that opened in 1984. It quickly became the city's dominant gay dance venue, aid

L Person · Milwaukee Lael Anthony MacLellan Lael Anthony MacLellan was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Organization · Milwaukee LAMM LAMM was a organization in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Lampost Bar The Lampost Bar operated at 440 W. Michigan Street in downtown Milwaukee from about 1946 to 1963. Owned by brothers Charles and John Piscuine, it was a long-standing underground gambling venue that dr

L Person · Milwaukee Lana St. James Lana St. James was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

L Person · Milwaukee Larry Fleege Larry Fleege co-owned the Milwaukee bar First Street Tavern with Leroy Stern, which the couple opened and lived behind in 1982.

L Person · Milwaukee Larry Krueger Larry Krueger owned and operated Cafe Melange, a lounge, cabaret, and restaurant in Milwaukee's Hotel Wisconsin, from 1987 until its closing in 1997.

Person · Milwaukee Laura Sutherland Laura Sutherland has been involved with various organizations over the years. In addition to lesbian groups, she was involved with the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, and was one of the primary force

Event · Milwaukee Lavender Hill Garden Party First Lavender Hill 1984 hosted by Steve Steinhauer in River West neighborhood. Last known Lavender Hill 1993 (The following history of the Lavender Hill Garden Party is based on a newspaper article b

Event · Milwaukee Lavender Hill Timeline Lavender Hill Timeline is recorded in Wisconsin LGBTQ community history.

Business · Milwaukee Leaded Shade The Leaded Shade operated on South 1st Street from late 1973 to late 1977. It opened as a new kind of women's bar, owned and operated by Pete and Bev Nilsson and managed by Sharon Dixon, catering to a

Business · Milwaukee Leaded Shade II Leaded Shade II opened in November 1990 on South 1st Street as a renaming of the bar previously called The Alternative. Its owner revived the name of the original Leaded Shade, a women's bar she had r

Person · Milwaukee Lee Scherz Lee Scherz was active in Milwaukee's leather community in the late 1980s.

Business · Milwaukee Legion Bar The Legion Bar stood at 745 N. 6th Street in Milwaukee and operated through the 1940s, run by Nicholas Marmigas, before closing by 1949. Long known mainly through oral histories, it has been documente

L Person · Milwaukee Leo Peters He remained a partner in the business until owner Bob Schmidt bought out the partners by 1985.

Person · Milwaukee Leon Rouse Passage of historic 1982 Wisconsin Gay Rights measure As of the anniversary of AB70 in 2012, Rouse is still living in his home state of Hawaii, and is said to occasionally visit relatives in Wisconsin

L Person · Milwaukee Leroy Stern Leroy Stern co-owned the Milwaukee bar First Street Tavern with Larry Fleege, which the couple opened and lived behind in 1982.

Person · Milwaukee Lewis Alfred Broyles, Reverend Rev. Lew Broyles died on Tuesday, 16-May-2005 of an apparent heart attack while in Mississippi.

Organization · Milwaukee LGBT Center Advocates LGBT Center Advocates was a organization in Milwaukee.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee LGBT Milwaukee The book received high praise, and Michail was in great demand to give talks about his research and the book at book stores and libraries. There was extensive coverage in the media, including the foll

Person · Milwaukee Liberace Pianist Entertainer known worldwide as "Mr. Showmanship" Liberace was born Wladziu Valentino Liberace at 1649 60th Street, in West Allis, Wisconsin, on May 16, 1919, the survivor of twins.

Person · Milwaukee Lily White She's been performing for 11 years, hosting pageants and emceeing shows. It all began in 1992, she gave her first performance: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, as Marilyn, for a friend's birthday pa

Business · Milwaukee Loop Cafe Loop Cafe was a downtown Milwaukee diner at 5th and Michigan that served as an after-hours gathering spot for gay patrons from roughly 1964 to 1971. Listed in several national gay travel guides betwee

Business · Milwaukee Loose Ends Loose Ends opened in February 1986 on Fond du Lac Avenue on Milwaukee's north-central side, in a space formerly known as Gloria's Place. Opened by Karen, Harry, and Loren Buettner, it drew a steady mi

Person · Milwaukee Loree Cook-Daniels A biographical panel was created by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project about Loree Cook-Daniels, and was featured in a display first appearing at PrideFest 2011. The text from that display is as follo

L Person · Milwaukee Loren Buettner Loren Buettner was one of the founders of Loose Ends, a Milwaukee bar he opened with Karen and Harry Buettner on Fond du Lac Avenue in February 1986.

Business · Milwaukee Lost & Found The Lost & Found opened in late 1978 at 618 N. 27th Street, just south of Wisconsin Avenue, and was promoted as Milwaukee's first women's disco and later as Wisconsin's largest women's bar. Owned by P

L Organization · Milwaukee LRN The UWM Archives LGBT Collection holds a considerable amount of the Lambda Rights Network's papers. UWM Archives has this description of LRN in their collection description:

L Person · Milwaukee Lusinda Andrews Lusinda Andrews was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee M & M Club M & M Club was one of Milwaukee's most beloved LGBTQ destinations, operating for nearly thirty years from its opening on July 4, 1976, by community activist Bob Schmidt with partners Leo Peters and Ji

Business · Milwaukee M's 2nd Street, open from 2007 to early 2010. It was opened by former staff and patrons of the M&M Club after that bar closed, and sought to recreate its predecessor's atmosphere in an L-shaped, wood-trim

Person · Milwaukee Mabel Meyers Leviash Mabel Meyers Leviash was their fiercest supporter and devoted caretaker. Over the span of her lifetime, she ran several hotels and defended the right of gay men to live and play in privacy.

Business · Milwaukee MacArthur Park Disco Lounge Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View, opening in June 1979 with a grand opening on July 10. The same location had previously been known to the gay community as the Red Corvette. The spacious, newly decorat

Event · Milwaukee Make A Promise Dinner "Make-A-Promise" is a fundraising gala and dinner to provide funding to help combat HIV and AIDS. When the Milwaukee AIDS Project was merged into the new organization AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin

Business · Milwaukee Mama Roux Bar Americain & Grill Mama Roux Bar Americain & Grill opened in March 1994 on Milwaukee's near east side, a few blocks south of Brady Street, and was believed to be owned by Jim Rodell. Advertising as 'Your Eastside Altern

Person · Milwaukee Manonia Evans 1971) and died (unknown). A biographical panel was created by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project about Manonia Evans and Donna Burkett, and was featured in a display first appearing at PrideFest 2011.

Organization · Milwaukee MAP- Milwaukee AIDS Project The Milwaukee AIDS Project, commonly known as "MAP", was founded out of necessity to combat the start of the AIDS epidemic.

Event · Milwaukee MAPFest View the MAPFest TimeLine (under development). MAPFest was conceived by George Prentice, owner of the popular LaCage Aux Folles nightclub, as a way for the community to support the fledgling Milwaukee

Organization · Milwaukee MAPFest View the MAPFest TimeLine (under development).

Person · Milwaukee Marc Haupert Marc's partner in the early-mid 1980s was Bobb Schendel, who bought and owned for a time the popular neighborhood gay bar The Finale on Center Street. In 1985, Marc met Kurt Swanson. Early history: Ac

M Person · Milwaukee Margaret Daun Margaret Daun was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Marisabel Cabrera Marisabel Cabrera is a lawyer and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 9th Assembly district since 2019.

Person · Milwaukee Mark Behar In activist politics, Mark served on Governor Tony Earl's Council on Lesbian & Gay Issues in the mid 1980s, and helped guide the State's response to the HIV/AIDS, and gay & lesbian health issues. As a

Person · Milwaukee Mark Hagenaka 'Dear Ruthie' or 'Ruthie Keester' Mark Hagen is best (almost entirely) known to the Wisconsin LGBTQ community as drag persona 'Dear Ruthie'.

Person · Milwaukee Mark Shepard Mark Shepard was active in Milwaukee's leather community in the late 1980s.

Person · Milwaukee Martin C. Baum Martin C. (Marty) Baum was born in the Milwaukee area and spent most of his early years here, attending college here as well. After completing his education he spent a short time living in Atlanta. Up

Business · Milwaukee Martin's Arlington that operated for about a year in 1975-1976. It advertised in the local GPU News and appeared in a national bar guide of the period. Little additional documentation of the bar survives.

M Person · Milwaukee Marvin Klein Marvin Klein was the license holder of the Pink Glove, a short-lived 1958 Milwaukee gay bar that he and Harold Klein opened in a remodeled Broadway cocktail lounge.

Person · Milwaukee Mary Richards More information on this performer is welcomed.

Business · Milwaukee Mary's Tap Mary's Tap, also called Mary's Tavern, was an early Milwaukee tavern at 400 N. Plankinton Avenue that counted gay patrons as a significant part of its clientele in the late 1950s. Previously known as

Business · Milwaukee Matisse The only known record is a single advertisement in a June 1996 issue of In Step magazine promoting a "SUNdays Synergy" event.

M Person · Milwaukee Matthew Gorden Matthew Gorden owned the South 2nd Street building that housed several Milwaukee gay bars and was co-owner of Shadows II- The Top Shelf, which opened there in 1987.

Business · Milwaukee Medical College of Wisconsin "20 Giving 20" was part of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin's commemoration of its 20th anniversary combating the AIDS epidemic. View all 20 of those honored on the ARCW "20 giving 20" page.

M Person · Milwaukee Megin McDonell Megin McDonell was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Mel Powelland partner Jerry Frelke (Powell) Mel Powelland partner Jerry Frelke (Powell) was a performer in Milwaukee.

Organization · Milwaukee Men's Voices Milwaukee Men's Voices Milwaukee (Affinity Performing Arts) was formed in June 2001 and performs three to four times a year in addition to benefit appearances. A tennant of the Milwaukee LGBT Center, they bring

Organization · Milwaukee Metro Milwaukee Friendship Group The Metro Milwaukee Friendship Group (MMFG) was organized in March 1987 by a group of gay men interested in forming a social club outside the usual bar scene and not sports-related. Key players includ

Organization · Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church of Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church of Milwaukee was a organization in Milwaukee.

Organization · Milwaukee MGLPC- Milw. Gay/Lesbian Pride Committee MGLPC- Milw.View the Milwaukee Pride Celebration TimeLine.

Person · Milwaukee Miami Richards Congratulations are in order for Miami, she is newly crowned Miss Rainbow Over Wisconsin USofA and 1st Alternate for Miss Gay Wisconsin USofA 2004. Congratulations!

Person · Milwaukee Michael James Hinderer AIDS Prevention Activist Deaf community educator Michael Hinderer was a pioneer in AIDS prevention education in Wisconsin's Deaf community.

Person · Milwaukee Michael Johnston a.k.a. 'Karen Valentine' Drag Performer Social columnist Bartender View the Images & Articles Gallery of Michael.

Person · Milwaukee Michael Lisowski Community Activist Cable program Producer and Host Michael Lisowski is an best known for producing and hosting "The Queer Program", a cable access program in Milwaukee which held live news, interview

Person · Milwaukee michael munson A biographical panel was created by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project about michael munson, and was featured in a display first appearing at PrideFest 2011. The text from that display is as follows:

M Person · Milwaukee Michael Murray Michael Murray co-opened the PumpHouse, an LGBTQ bar in a converted Bay View pumping station, with David Skwarek in 2006. They sold the business in 2007.

Person · Milwaukee Michail Takach Historian Activist Social Media management Photographer, Writer As a contributing writer to QLife News, QUEST and other publications, Michail is also an active producer for the Wisconsin LGBT History

M Person · Milwaukee Michelle Murphy Michelle Murphy, a former bartender at Kathy's Nut Hut, purchased the Milwaukee bar around 2002 and ran it with her partner Dawn Musbach, shortening its name to the Nut Hut. They operated the women's

Business · Milwaukee Michelle's Club 546 Located in the Royal Hotel at 5th and Michigan in downtown Milwaukee, this bar was a gathering place for gay and lesbian patrons from about the mid-1930s. Known first as the Royal Hotel Bar, it later

Business · Milwaukee Mickey's Cove 1st Street that appears in a single national gay bar guide in 1972, suggesting it operated only briefly. No local documentation of the business is known to survive.

Business · Milwaukee Mickey's Dynasty 7th Street for less than a month in early 1987. The space had previously been a gay bar called the Grand Avenue Annex. Its main draw was proximity to the established Grand Avenue Pub and a nearby bath

Business · Milwaukee Midtowne Spa Midtowne Spa was a spa / bathhouse / health club in Milwaukee at 315 S. Water Street, operating from approx 2000 until approx 2018.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Midwest Times Page design and arrangement by Don Schwamb.

M Person · Milwaukee Mike Petri Mike Petri was a co-owner of the 1100 Club, a Milwaukee bar that operated from 1994 to 2003 and was popular with the city's leather community.

Business · Milwaukee Miller Brewing Company "20 Giving 20" was part of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin's commemoration of its 20th anniversary combating the AIDS epidemic. View all 20 of those honored on the ARCW "20 giving 20" page.

M Person · Milwaukee Milton Rickun Milton Rickun is listed in Milwaukee city directories as the owner or licensee of the French Quarter bar in the late 1960s.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Milwaukee Calendar Milwaukee Calendar was a publication based in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Milwaukee Eagle The Milwaukee Eagle opened on November 22, 1997, in the basement of the Sidney Hih building, a space that had previously held the gay bars Golden Shaft and the Unicorn. A leather and Levi bar with a l

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Milwaukee Gay Guide Milwaukee Gay Guide was published by Fantastic Voyages, Inc., "a full service organization serving the gay community" (travel services, catering, dancers, disco systems, escorts/ models). The Guide wa

Organization · Milwaukee Milwaukee Guerrilla Gay Bar View the Full List of Takeovers of Milw GGB.

Organization · Milwaukee Milwaukee Knights Leather Club A statement from the group approx. 2004 reads: "The Milwaukee Knights purpose is to promote brotherhood in the leather community. We understand and appreciate that the leather lifestyle embraces a div

Organization · Milwaukee Milwaukee LGBT Community Center The Milwaukee LGBT Community Center has served southeastern Wisconsin since 1997, offering tangible resources including a food pantry, a gender-affirming clothing boutique, personal-care items, and me

Organization · Milwaukee Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival Visit the official Festival website at UWM.

Organization · Milwaukee Milwaukee Pride Inc. Milwaukee Pride Inc. was a organization in Milwaukee.

Event · Milwaukee Milwaukee Pride Parade The Milwaukee Pride Parade is an annual march through Walker's Point, Milwaukee's historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood. The parade steps off on South 2nd Street each June, typically the Sunday after PrideFest

Business · Milwaukee Mint Bar The Mint Bar had one of the longest histories of any Milwaukee gay bar. Opened by Christ Mares on New Year's Day 1949 at 422 W. State Street, two decades before Stonewall, the small, cozy tavern was a

Person · Milwaukee Miriam Frink Miriam Frink was born in Elkhart, Indiana, where her father was a local physician. Her mother was liberal beyond her time – and inspired Miriam to be an open-minded, progressive, and critical thinker.

M Person · Milwaukee Miss M. Pageant titles include: Miss Gay Wisconsin 1987-88 (1987-88) at Marc Plaza.

Business · Milwaukee Mister Z's Mister Z's opened around December 1975 on South 2nd Street, the third gay bar to occupy the location in less than 18 months, following the Gallery Lounge and Gary's Dance Club. Its sole known advertis

Business · Milwaukee Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge was another attempt to bring an LGBT restaurant into this space. But it was apparently extremely short-lived.

Business · Milwaukee Mr. Ric's Mr. Ric's was a restaurant in Milwaukee at 714 N. Broadway, operating from approx. 1980? until unknown.

Business · Milwaukee Music Box Music Box opened in October 1984 on North 27th Street in the former site of the Lost & Found bar, advertising itself as being under new management. The bar offered dancing, a video system, and a mix o

Person · Milwaukee Natasha Marques She has a busy and hectic schedule with her regular life so we don't get to enjoy her talent and company nearly as much as we'd like. When she does arrive however, she pulls out all the stops!

Person · Milwaukee Natasha Simms Natasha Simms - Now here's an interesting study! Originally from the Dairyland state...then off to Texas and back to Wisconsin! Natasha doesn't do the pageant circuit on stage - she prefers of late to

N Person · Milwaukee Nate Fried Nate Fried was a co-founder and owner of the Hybrid Lounge on Brady Street in Milwaukee, which he opened in 2010 with Bill Lison and owned solely after 2014.

Person · Milwaukee Nate Koch Nate Koch was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Organization · Milwaukee NCGSTDS The organization's driving force was long-time Milwaukee activist and health professional Mark Behar. NCGSTDS dissolved in 1988.

Person · Milwaukee Neil Albrecht Community Activist Milwaukee LGBT Community Center AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin Neil Albrecht came out in 1983, and has been a driving force in Milwaukee LGBT life for most of the time since.

Business · Milwaukee Neptune Club The Neptune Club opened in May 1972 at 1100 E. Kane Place in Milwaukee, in a building that had previously been Fish's Harbor Tavern. It served food and was popular for drag shows and dancing. The Nept

Business · Milwaukee New Yorker Lounge The New Yorker Lounge operated at the northwest corner of 5th and Michigan in downtown Milwaukee from 1952 until July 1975. Originally run by former Milwaukee police officer George Bemis, it appeared

N Person · Milwaukee Nicholas Marmigas Nicholas Marmigas operated the Legion Bar at 745 N. 6th Street in Milwaukee through the 1940s, an early and discreet gathering place for gay men.

Person · Milwaukee Nicole More information about this performer is welcomed.

N Person · Milwaukee Niko Stathis Niko Stathis owned Niko's, a short-lived bar on Milwaukee's south side in the early 1980s, and was a longtime part of the city's gay community.

Business · Milwaukee Niko's 2nd Street opened around 1982 by owner Niko Stathis. Accounts of it vary widely, with patrons remembering it as a blue-collar neighborhood bar, a punk club, or a restaurant; it is most often recalled

Person · Milwaukee Nile Sandeen "20 Giving 20" was part of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin's commemoration of its 20th anniversary combating the AIDS epidemic. View all 20 of those honored on the ARCW "20 giving 20" page. Nile

Business · Milwaukee Nite Beat Nite Beat was an early Milwaukee lesbian bar, considered the first such bar on the city's south side. Over roughly twelve years it occupied three locations—on West National Avenue and then two sites o

Business · Milwaukee Nitengales National Avenue in Milwaukee, opened in September 1989 by co-owners Linda and Carrie following a series of teaser advertisements. Billed as the city's newest women's bar, it became popular for its rec

Business · Milwaukee Nitro Nitro was a large tri-level discotheque on North Water Street, reopened in 1992 after a major renovation of the Sunday-only gay bar previously known as Park Avenue. It billed itself as 'Milwaukee's Pr

N Business · Milwaukee Non-Sequitur It appears in the bar directories of several Wisconsin LGBTQ periodicals between October 1981 and May 1983. No advertisement or other mention of the bar beyond these listings has been located.

N Person · Milwaukee Norman J. Komassa Norman J. Komassa was listed as the owner of the Forum, a Milwaukee gay bar at 12th and Vine Streets, in a mid-1960s city directory.

N Person · Milwaukee Norman Ver Bruggen Norman Ver Bruggen owned the Wildwood, a Milwaukee lesbian bar, from 1959 until he sold it in early 1963. He held interests in several inner-city taverns and was later convicted in a 1963 robbery spre

Person · Milwaukee Nova D'Vine Nova D'Vine - She's been around a while and is still one of the top acts in the Cream City! A while back, Miss D'Vine was the State Title Holder for Miss EOY (Entertainer of the Year) and Miss Wiscons

Business · Milwaukee Nut House Nut House was a downtown Milwaukee venue at 623 N. 6th Street, operating around 1933 to 1935 and known for its female-impersonator revues during a flourishing era of drag entertainment in the city. Th

Business · Milwaukee Nut Hut The Nut Hut, long known as Kathy's Nut Hut, was a Milwaukee tavern on West Scott Street that became the city's longest-running women's bar. It grew out of a neighborhood bar that Sharon Dixon opened i

O Organization · Milwaukee Oberons Leather Club Formed in 1987, their objective was "to promote brotherhood/ sisterhood between its members, similar clubs, and others interested in the Levi/leather lifestyle". In addition to these social activities

Business · Milwaukee Off The Tracks Grant Street, taking over a space that had previously housed the lesbian bar Station 2. Little is known about its ownership, and it appears to have had a minimal advertising budget, with only a single

Person · Milwaukee One Milwaukee gay man's collection of Charles Dix art One Milwaukee gay man's collection of Charles Dix artTM Artwork Charles Dix Themes: Spacecraft Desert Sentinel Lily pads Peonies Wall strips Watercolor High-texture Acrylic Miscellaneous paintings Don

Business · Milwaukee Oregon House Oregon House was a Milwaukee gay bar at 235 S. 2nd Street, open from 1976 to 1978. Opened by Sam Mazur, it was the first of many LGBTQ businesses to occupy this Fifth Ward address and helped establish

O Person · Milwaukee Otto Schuler After that building was demolished, he relocated the business, opening a new Seaway restaurant and the bar Jamie's on South 2nd Street. He died in November 1973.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Our Horizons In May 1981, a succession of small LGBT news magazines, nicknamed "bar rags", ceased publishing when the last issue of "Gay Milwaukee" was issued. Our Horizons was meant to fill that gap in coverage o

Business · Milwaukee Out 'N About Out 'N About opened on South 1st Street in August 2003, in a building that had long held a popular straight bar and near the leather bar Harbor Room. It featured a sizable dance floor, a long bar, an

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Outbound magazine Outbound magazine was a publication based in Milwaukee.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee OutBound News The first issue of Outbound News appeared on Dec. 15, 2004. OutBound News was founded to give Milwaukee and Wisconsin a true newspaper for the first time in several years, since the demise of both In

Business · Milwaukee OutWords Books, Gifts & Coffee previously AfterWords Bookstore & Espresso Bar Outwords Books, Gifts & Coffee was opened on July 9, 1993 by Carl M. Szatmary. It was a natural for Szatmary, who had been writing book reviews for both In Step magazine and Wisconsin Light newspaper

Business · Milwaukee Papagaio Papagaio was a Milwaukee dance club opened on North Broadway in December 1981 by Bobby Bell, who had previously run the Red Baron disco. Inspired by Rio nightlife, it became known for booking groundbr

Business · Milwaukee Park Avenue With a multistory dance floor, towering light displays, and an opulent interior, it catered to a mostly straight crowd except on Sunday nights, when it operated as a gay night under the name "Sundays.

Business · Milwaukee Park Hotel / Hiawatha Bar The Park Hotel and its Hiawatha Bar stood at 549 N. 4th Street in Milwaukee, across from the Union Depot train station. Little is documented about it, but it was recalled as a cruising hotel whose cir

Business · Milwaukee Partners Partners operated from 1989 to 1992 at 813 S. 1st Street, in a space that had long housed the popular Your Place bar. After Your Place was sold in June 1989, it reopened in July 1989 as Partners under

Business · Milwaukee Passion Washington Street, the third such venue in the building best known as the lesbian bar Fannie's. It operated from roughly December 2004 to about November 2005. The bar left little trace beyond listings

Person · Milwaukee Patrick Batt He was heavily involved in the Gay Peoples' Union (GPU), including serving for a time as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of GPU. He was also a friend of Robert Uyvari, Milwaukee's premier artist

Person · Milwaukee Patrick Johnson Advocate of LGBTQ representation in Journalism Advisory Panel, Wis. LGBTQ History Project

P Person · Milwaukee Patrick Prudlow Patrick Prudlow was one of four friends who opened the Milwaukee bar 3B's in 1991.

Person · Milwaukee Paul DeMarco He moved to Milwaukee to manage the local Club Bath from the time it opened in July 1974. Once in Milwaukee, Paul became very active in the community. He served as President of the Gay Peoples Union (

P Person · Milwaukee Pete Nilsson Pete Nilsson, with Bev Nilsson, operated the Leaded Shade bar in the 1970s and went on to own the Milwaukee women's bar Lost & Found.

P Person · Milwaukee Peter Antross Peter Antross operated Sally's Cocktail Bar in Milwaukee and, after being required to rename it as a condition of a 1944 tavern license, ran it as the Gaytime Bar with his brother George. He died in 1

Person · Milwaukee Peter Burgelis Politician- First openly LGBT Milw County Supervisor Mortgage Professional Peter Burgelis is the first openly LGBT person elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, elected to represent Mil

Person · Milwaukee Peter Case Hair Designer Dancer, Club 219 Volunteer, BESTD Clinic Peter Case Peter lived in Milwaukee from 1982 to 1990, where he worked as a hair designer and as a dancer at Club 219. He also volunteered at the

Person · Milwaukee Peter Neubert Peter Neubert was active in Milwaukee's leather community in the late 1980s.

Business · Milwaukee Peter's On 4th Peter's On 4th was a restaurant in Milwaukee at 748 N. 4th Street, operating from c1984? until c1985?.

Organization · Milwaukee PFLAG PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends thru: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-

P Organization · Milwaukee PFLAG- Door County They also have a Facebook page at this link (will open in a separate browser window).

P Person · Milwaukee Phillip Bailey Phillip Bailey was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Business · Milwaukee Phoenix Phoenix was a Milwaukee gay bar at 235 S. 2nd Street that operated from 1978 to 1993, occupying the remodeled space of the former Oregon House. For years it served as the southern anchor of a cluster

Business · Milwaukee Pink Glove Pink Glove was an exceptionally short-lived Milwaukee gay bar at 631 N. Broadway, open for just 67 days in 1958. Opened by Marvin and Harold Klein in a remodeled former cocktail lounge, it is believed

Business · Milwaukee Pink Pony Pink Pony was a men's cocktail lounge on West North Avenue, remembered as a gay-friendly bar from the mid-1950s into the early 1970s. Opened in 1953 in a former delicatessen, it was taken over by Albe

Business · Milwaukee Pirate's Den Contributors recalled it as a crowded, lively spot, and locals often referred to it simply as "12th and Vine" to keep outsiders from recognizing the reference. National gay guides listed it as "Pirate

Business · Milwaukee Plains Hotel Bar The Plains Hotel Bar appears in a single national gay bar guide from 1964, suggesting it was either only briefly in business or not especially welcoming to gay patrons. No local documentation of the b

Organization · Milwaukee Pride Celebrations Pride Celebrations was a organization in Milwaukee.

Event · Milwaukee Pride Month Display in Milwaukee County Courthouse June, 2023 In May 2023, the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project was approached by the staff of the County Board of Supervisors about creating an historical diplay in the main rotunda of the Milwaukee County Courthou

Organization · Milwaukee PrideFest PrideFest Inc.Read the entire history of Wisconsin Pride celebrations, or View the Milwaukee Pride Celebration TimeLine.

P Event · Milwaukee PrideFest Milwaukee PrideFest Milwaukee is Wisconsin's largest LGBTQ+ festival, held annually at Henry W. Maier Festival Park on Milwaukee's lakefront. Community Pride celebrations in Milwaukee date to 1988; the festival

Business · Milwaukee Prologue A single 1970 national gay guide listed two locations, a "Prologue" at 2690 S. 9th Street and a "Prologue East" at 1962 N. Prospect Avenue, both noted as restaurants, making the precise arrangement di

Business · Appleton Pulse Pulse nightclub in Appleton may be one of the shortest-lasting clubs with the biggest start-up media splash. First appearing in the Bar Guide listings of Quest magazine in January 2008 (vol.15-01), th

Business · Milwaukee PUMP! PUMP! was a Milwaukee promotional venture in the 2000s that ran weekly one-night gay club events hosted at various non-LGBTQ venues, typically on nights when the host bar was otherwise slow. It advert

Business · Milwaukee PumpHouse 1st Street in Milwaukee's Bay View, opened in fall 2006 by Michael Murray and David Skwarek in a converted 1931 water pumping station. Aiming to recreate a Chicago-style video bar, it offered a marina

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Q Life Cover Gallery: Volumes 1 & 2 (Dec. 2004-Dec. 2006) Volumes 3 & 4 (Jan. 2007-Dec. 2008)

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Q Voice In April 1996, just prior to Q-Voice's one-year anniversary, Attewell and Cabal bought the long-running In-Step magazine (then in its 13th year). They began to direct some of their efforts to redesign

Person · Milwaukee Queerscout Dennis LeRoy Bunch was active in various aspects of the community. We have thus far located articles mentioning his work to help with a phone fundraising drive for the PrideFest group, and he is liste

Publication / Media · Milwaukee RAGG magazine Cover Galleries: Volume 1 known issues (May 1983 - Sept. 1983)

Business · Milwaukee Rainbow Grille Rainbow Grille opened shortly after the closing of another gay restaurant/ bar in the same location, the Black Forest Inn. We are not aware whether it was run by the same owners or how the change occu

Organization · Milwaukee Rainbow Over Wisconsin Rainbow Over Wisconsin was a organization in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Rainbow Revue The Rainbow Revue opened on South 1st Street in September 1991, operated by Wade Twamley, and directly succeeded the Leaded Shade II in the same space. Its grand-opening weekend featured drag entertai

Business · Wisconsin Dells Rainbow Valley Resort Captain Dix Bar Artist Glen Restaurant This Wisconsin Dells resort and bar opened in March 2003 and closed in 2016. While it was offically called the 'Rainbow Valley Resort', with the bar being dubbed 'Captain Dix' and the restraurant 'Art

R Person · Milwaukee Ralph F. Navarro Ralph Navarro was an outspoken activist in Milwaukee gay life of the 1970s through the late 1990s. He was active in Gay People's Union, the Cream City Business Association (CCBA), a founding member of

Person · Milwaukee Ralph Kerwineo Ralph Kerwineo was arrested by Milwaukee police. The official charge was disorderly conduct, but the accusation was that he was biologically, in fact, a she.

Person · Milwaukee Ralph Navarro- death notice: InStep, June 14, 2001 Milwaukee � Ralph F. Navarro, a prominent gay activist in Milwaukee and Wisconsin over the past 20 years, passed away on June 1 at the age of 51. Navarro died in his Milwaukee home after a battle with

Person · Milwaukee Ralph-Paul Gernhardt Ralph-Paul Gernhardt (publishing mostly under the name "Ralph Paul"), was the founder and publisher of many gay-oriented periodicals in the Midwest. Ralph's career is probably best summarized by the f

Business · Milwaukee Ramie's Adult Books and Novelties Ramie's Adult Books and Novelties advertised the first several years that the 'GPU News' was published. They wrote a "Feedback" letter to the magazine at that magazine's 1-year anniversary thanking th

Person · Milwaukee Randy Rosploch Randy Rosploch was well known in Milwaukee's gay community, where he was socially active for over 10 years, having worked at various gay oriented business including Club Baths Milwaukee.

R Person · Milwaukee Ray Arce Ray Arce co-founded Woody's Bar in Milwaukee in 1997 with Steve Behl, and was interviewed about the bar's plans in the gay press ahead of its opening.

Person · Milwaukee Raymond Vahey Ray Vahey and Richard Taylor were a gay couple, partners from 1956 until 2006, when Taylor passed away at the age of 81, of cancer. Vahey spent most of his career in communications; by the age of 30 h

Business · Milwaukee Red Corvette Nightclub The Red Corvette was a straight bar on South Kinnickinnic Avenue that, from about 1976 to 1979, welcomed gay and lesbian patrons on Sunday "gay nights." As disco grew, the downtown Park Avenue bar ove

Business · Milwaukee Red Room Bar The Red Room Bar operated in the Plankinton Arcade at 161 W. Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee from about 1935 into the 1950s, and is remembered by many older gay men as a longtime hangout. It was earlier

Business · Milwaukee Regency East Regency East was a Milwaukee bar that operated from 1965 to 1970, remembered as a semi-elegant venue in a rough neighborhood along North Water Street. Its address appears inconsistently across the sca

R Person · Milwaukee Reginald LeClaire Reginald LeClaire operated the Bull Ring, a discreet gay bar near Milwaukee's Mount Sinai Hospital, from about 1953 to 1962.

Organization · Milwaukee Renaissance of Madison The organization provided a community center and health testing center, and published a newsletter for some years (although the Renaissance newsletter was smaller and less widely circulated than the '

Business · Milwaukee Rhubarb Bookstore Rhubarb Bookstore advertised briefly in the 'GPU News' in the early 1970s.

Person · Milwaukee Ric Sullivan Ric Sullivan's hometown was South Bend, Indiana (IN), he originally grew up in Cleveland, Ohio area. He loved Green Bay and Milwaukee, and was elected Mr. Northwoods 1999-2000 by Argonauts leather clu

Person · Milwaukee Ricardo (Ric) Correa Ricardo (Ric) Correa worked as a waiter most of his adult life, but was a gifted artist, avid reader, and a very creative home interior designer. He was also a business owner (part owner of Grand Aven

Person · Milwaukee Richard Allen Kowal Richard Allen Kowal is best known by members of the LGBT community in Milwaukee as the owner of the 'Ballgame' bar for over 30 years. Michail Takach wrote the following summary of Rick's career as a b

Person · Milwaukee Richard Beaudoin Richard Beaudoin was recalled as a bridge-builder and advocate for Gays and Lesbians. His colleague Gary Hollander told the Milwaukee Journal: "At a large medical center, it might be easy to assume th

Person · Milwaukee Richard K. Bjurstrom Milwaukean Richard Bjurstrom joined Bill Mole in his 25,000 mile walk around the world to raise money for AIDS. Bjorstrum served as advance publicity agent in 1990, setting up interviews in advance of

R Person · Milwaukee Richard Shannon Richard (Dick) Shannon operated the Regency East Lounge, a Milwaukee gay bar on North Water Street, from 1965 through the end of the decade.

Person · Milwaukee Richard Taylor Richard Taylor and Ray Vahey were a gay couple, partners from 1956 until 2006, when Richard passed away at the age of 81. According to partner Vahey's recollections, recounted in an article in the Mil

R Person · Milwaukee Rick Banks Rick Banks was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Rick Chris Shortly afterward, Rick started his own gay publication: GLIB. Rick recalls the experience: "I was a pioneering gay publisher back in the mid-70s. Bad idea on my part and the paper only lasted a few i

R Person · Milwaukee Rick Kowal Rick Kowal (Richard Kowal) co-founded the Ball Game, a Milwaukee gay bar, with Gene O'Brien in 1974. After O'Brien's death in 1985, Kowal continued to operate the bar on his own for nearly three decad

Person · Milwaukee Rick Stevens Richard D. Stevens, known to his friends as Rick, was born January 18,1953 in Sheboygan. He died in the early hours of Sunday, March 30, 2008 in Sarasota, Florida. Rick spent most of his early adult l

Business · Milwaukee Riviera Riviera was a Milwaukee cocktail lounge and restaurant at 401 N. Plankinton Avenue, occupying a pre-Civil War warehouse that had earlier housed a gay-friendly tavern called the Anchor Inn. Reopened as

Business · Milwaukee Riviera Show Lounge The Riviera Show Lounge, located on South 2nd Street in the former Nite Beat space, held its grand opening on June 30, 1972 with a female-impersonator revue called 'The Dolly Review.' The lounge promi

R Person · Milwaukee Rob Bruckner Rob Bruckner owned the Milwaukee gay bar Triangle from about 1995 to 2000, succeeding founder Al Thomas.

Person · Milwaukee Robert Anthony Uyvari Robert A. Uyvari was a well known gay lifestyle artist in the midwest and San Francisco, and became internationally known by the cover art displayed in "Places of Interest Map Guide Book" for three ye

Person · Milwaukee Robert Bennett Rivers Jr. aka Bobby Rivers Robert Bennett Rivers Jr., widely known as Bobby Rivers, was born in Los Angeles on September 20, 1953, coming to Milwaukee in 1972 to attend Marquette University. His life and career are well summari

Person · Milwaukee Robert D. Arnold Cartoon artist, Poet Robert D. Arnold's popular "Life's a Drag" cartoon was published in In Step for over ten years.

Person · Milwaukee Robert R. Panasuk Robert R. (Randy) Panasuck was born in Connecticut, and moved to Milwaukee in 1975. For over seven years, Randy (a.k.a. Ruth Ann) had been a bartender/ waiter at the M&M Club/ Glass Menagerie restaura

Person · Milwaukee Robert Starshak, M.D. Dr. Robert Starshak and Ross Draegert are two names that Milwaukee will likely never forget. Their community involvement spans decades, and includes both extensive community service roles, and signifi

R Person · Milwaukee Robert Wisler Dr. Robert Wisler was a native of Milwaukee and attended medical school at the Medical School of Wisconsin. He was a highly regarded anesthesiologist in Milwaukee. As a physician practicing in Brookfi

Person · Milwaukee Ron Thate, aka 'Rona' Bartender Drag Performer View the Images & Articles Gallery of Rona.

R Person · Milwaukee Rona 'Miss Rona' Pageant titles include: Miss Gay Wisconsin 1981-82 (1981-82) at Marc Plaza.

Person · Milwaukee Ronald F. Geiman Newspaper/ media publisher and contributor Ron Geiman was the subject of an interview by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project early in 2003, and was featured in a display first appearing at PrideFest 20

Person · Milwaukee Ronnie Grace Ronnie Grace was a significant leader in the BIPOC, transgender and HIV/AIDS care communities in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Ronnie Rivera Ronnie Rivera was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Business · Milwaukee Rooster Rooster was a men's bar on South 2nd Street in Milwaukee, listed in a few national gay guides between 1971 and 1973 and advertised in GPU News in December 1971. Its advertising of that period named pr

Person · Milwaukee Ross Draegert Ross Draegert and Dr. Robert Starshak are two names that Milwaukee will likely never forget. Their community involvement spans decades, and includes both extensive community service roles, and signifi

Person · Milwaukee Ross Walker View the Erv Uecker and Ross Walker Images & Articles Gallery of articles and photos from LGBT media referencing Ross and Erv. Ross Walker was half of the couple known around Milwaukee as "Erv and Ros

Person · Milwaukee Rudolpho Rogelio Jr. transitioning and performing as Rudi D'Angelo (The following are excerpts from a biography of close friends Jackie Roberts and Rudi D'Angelo by Michail Takach for this website in 2023.) Rudi D'Angelo was born Rudolpho Rogelio Jr. She became close

Person · Milwaukee Rudy More information about this performer is welcomed.

S Organization · Milwaukee SAGE SAGE was a organization in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Sailor Ann's Sailor Ann's, originally the Sail & Rail Hotel & Buffet, was a Milwaukee dockside tavern opened in 1900 by Anna Gravelyn near the Reed Street Yards in Walker's Point. Serving Great Lakes sailors, dock

S Business · Milwaukee Sally's Cocktail Bar Sally's Cocktail Bar operated from 1941 to 1944 at 731 N. 4th Street in Milwaukee, directly across from the USO office. Owned by Peter Antross, it was popular with gay men and others the press labeled

S Person · Milwaukee Sam Mazur Sam Mazur opened the Oregon House at 235 S. 2nd Street in 1976, the first of many LGBTQ businesses to occupy that Milwaukee address.

Person · Milwaukee Samantha Stevens (Sam Saglin) Personality: Pageant Queen Drag Show Producer Born 'Sam Saglin' in 1950, he became widely known as 'Samantha Stevens', entering drag queen pageants in Milwaukee, Ohio and San Francisco, and eventually

Person · Milwaukee Sarah Wallish After growing up in small-town central Wisconsin, Sarah Wallisch came to Milwaukee to attend UWM. As a young adult, Sarah felt pretty disconnected from the local LGBT community, but also felt hungry f

Person · Milwaukee Sasha Mitchell Sasha Mitchell has done it all! One of our very first Miss Gay Wisconsin USofA winners and numerous other titles, she continues to be a sought after performer in the Milwaukee area. She has performed

Organization · Milwaukee Saturday Softball League (SSBL) View the SSBL on Facebook at this link (will open in a separate browser window).

Person · Milwaukee Savannah She doesn't get out much! This long reigning Miss LaCage wows them on stage and has a legion of supporters that follows her where ever she might wind up! Love the crown, girl!

Business · Milwaukee Seaway (Restaurant and Bar) The Seaway opened in July 1972 at 173 S. 2nd Street, in a space formerly occupied by the Knight Owl Restaurant, after the earlier Seaway Inn was evicted from its Jefferson Street location. Owner Otto

Business · Milwaukee Seaway Inn Seaway Inn was a popular Milwaukee gay bar and restaurant at the corner of Jefferson and Wells Streets, near the Pfister Hotel. Otto Schuler opened it in 1959 in a former vegetarian restaurant buildin

S Business · Milwaukee Seaway Restaurant Seaway Restaurant was opened by owner Otto Schuler in July 1972, after the Seaway Inn was evicted from its Jefferson Street location. This space had formerly been occupied by the Knight Owl Restaurant

S Person · Milwaukee Serge Bellitelli Serge Bellitelli co-founded the Milwaukee bar Kruz in 2006 with his partner Jerry Breiling, and continued to operate it after Breiling's death in 2023.

Business · Milwaukee Shadows 2nd Street in Milwaukee, opened by Frank Thalacker in February 1980. The 45-seat establishment served old-fashioned American food and quickly earned a strong reputation among locals and traveling gay

Business · Milwaukee Shadows II- The Top Shelf Shadows II- The Top Shelf opened on December 11, 1987 in the former Hot Legs space on South 2nd Street, operated by Dan Hewett and co-owned with Matthew Gorden, who owned the building. A news account

Person · Milwaukee Shannon DuPree The following information is largely from the former "DairylandDrag website circa 2004 (that site, www.dairylanddrag.net, no longer exists).

Person · Milwaukee Sharon Bumps Who would have guessed that Sharon Bumps would be the hottest ticket in town? Her adoring fans, that's who! Sharon has made quite a splash for herself as one of the biggest acts at Club219. Sharon's b

S Person · Milwaukee Sharon Dixon Washington Street in the early 1980s and operated a succession of venues at that address, the last of which was Studio 200 (2011–2018).

S Organization · Milwaukee Sherman Park Rainbow Association The UWM Archives LGBT Collection holds a considerable amount of the Sherman Park Rainbow Association's papers. UWM Archives has this description of their collection of SPRA materials:

Person · Milwaukee Shirley A. Fitzpatrick (Shirley Fitzpatrick was the subject of an interview by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project early in 2003, and was featured in a display first appearing at PrideFest 2003.) Fitzpatrick created, and rel

Organization · Milwaukee Shoreline- Milwaukee (Country Dancers) Visit the Shoreline web site at this link (will open in a separate browser window). Newsletter gallery pages from the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project archive are linked as additional sources for Shore

Organization · Milwaukee Shoreline- Milwaukee: Newsletter Gallery Shoreline- Milwaukee: Newsletter Gallery was a organization in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Short Circuit Lounge Short Circuit Lounge was a Milwaukee bar on West National Avenue that opened in September 1988, advertising a comfortable atmosphere and neighborhood-bar prices. Little else is documented about the bu

S Person · Milwaukee Si Smits Si Smits was the owner and operator of the Boot Camp Saloon, a Milwaukee levi/leather bar he ran from 1984 until the building was destroyed by fire in 2011. He was known for hosting frequent community

Organization · Milwaukee Silver Star Motorcycle Club Silver Stars Motorcycle/ Leather Club was formed in June 1973 as a motorcycle club, and was largely associated with the Wreck Room bar.

Business · Milwaukee SisterMoonFeminist Bookstore& Art Gallery Sister Moon Feminist Bookstore & Art Gallery in 1977 had one store, at 1625 E. Irving, later advertising (approx. 1978) listed a second location at 2128 E. Locust in Milwaukee. At that time, their ad

Business · Milwaukee Ski Glow Cafe and Laundry Ski Glow Cafe and Laundry is an unusual name and combination of businesses, gay or straight. It advertised "Good Food & Prices 24 hours", saying "Do your wash while you have lunch".

S Business · Milwaukee Something Different bar Something Different was a bar on North Teutonia Avenue in Milwaukee that became a mixed gay and lesbian establishment in December 1987, when ownership passed to the previous owner's daughter, Kim, who

S Person · Milwaukee Sophie Uzelac After the city shut the bar down, she was barred from operating a business in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee South Water Street Docks National Avenue, situated between the Wreck Room and the Boot Camp. Operating from about 1997 to 2003, it sought to attract the levi, leather, and biker crowd that frequented those neighboring venues.

Business · Milwaukee Station 2 - The Eastern Connection Station 2 - The Eastern Connection opened in late October 1987 at 1534 W. Grant Street, established by owners Lois and Sheri as a larger and more successful follow-up to their first bar, Gay Street St

Person · Milwaukee Stephanie Hume Organizational Leadership Police liaison Advocate Advisory Panel, Wis. LGBTQ History Project Stephanie joined the Advisory Panel of the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project in November 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Stephen Andre Walther 14, 1977. Stephen Andre Walther graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point in 1971, and attended Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse before moving to Milwaukee. Walther became one of the e

S Person · Milwaukee Steve Behl Steve Behl co-founded Woody's Bar in Milwaukee in 1997 with Ray Arce. He championed the idea of a gay sports bar, installing a large-screen television to draw crowds for Packers games.

S Person · Milwaukee Steve Byers Steve Byers was a business owner in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Steve Schaffer Historian/ Archivist Advisory Panel, Wis. LGBTQ History Project Steve Schaffer is the lead archivist at the Milwaukee County Historical Society. Steve received his Master of Library and Information Sc

Person · Milwaukee Steve Steinhauer Steve Steinhauer was the founder of an annual garden party to benefit AIDS causes, called the Lavender Hill garden party. The first such party was held in 1984, and the last party was held in the earl

Person · Milwaukee Steven B. Campbell Steven B. Campbell passed away on September 28, 1990. He was survived by his mother, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces and many friends in Sparta, La Crosse and Milwaukee. A memorial service was held

Business · Milwaukee Studio 200 Washington Street, open from about 2011 to 2018. It was the last in a long line of LGBTQ bars at the address run or originated by Sharon Dixon, who first opened the space in the early 1980s as the les

Person · Milwaukee Sue Black Sue Black gained the spotlight as an open lesbian figure with her appointment first as State Parks Director, and then as Director of the Milwaukee County Park System.

Person · Milwaukee Sue Cook (Susan Cook was the subject of an interview by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project early in 2003, and was featured in a display first appearing at PrideFest 2003, excerpts of which appear below.) She g

Business · Milwaukee Sugar Shack The Sugar Shack, at 135 E. National Avenue in Milwaukee, was the city's first lesbian bar owned by and for women. Opened in May 1975 by JoAnn Kilsdonk with business partner Sharon Dixon, it advertised

Person · Milwaukee Susan Dietz Susan Dietz (known while in Milwaukee as 'Sue') was a groundbreaking worker at the 'Brady East STD Clinic' (BESTD Clinic), helping to form and then running the 'Milwaukee AIDS Project' (MAP) and then

Business · Milwaukee Switch Switch opened in May 1999 on West National Avenue, converted from a straight bar by its owner, Craig. It was known for large west-facing windows overlooking the Walker's Point bar district, a sizable

S Person · Milwaukee Symone Symone was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Person · Milwaukee Taylor Roberts Taylor has made quite a name for herself in the short time that she's been involved in the circuit. A native of Chicago she performs at Charlie's, Hydrate and various other establishments. All this is

Business · Milwaukee Teddy's Teddy's was a Milwaukee bar and discotheque on North Farwell Avenue run by Tony Machi, who opened the venue as The Barn in the late 1960s and renamed it Teddy's in 1973. After a substantial 1975 inves

Business · Milwaukee Telephone House 1986. The Telephone House was a telephone business owned and run by Jimmy O'Conner. It was located on the north-east corner of 2nd and National (diagonal from the LaCage Aux Folles gay dance bar), and

Person · Milwaukee Tempest Heat aka Jonathan Carthell Hughlett Drag performer Advocate, Black Queer inclusion Advisory Panel, Wis. LGBTQ History Project Tempest Heat has been a staple in the Wisconsin Drag community for over 20 years. Tempest was an advocate and

Business · Milwaukee TempT Mason Street, next door to Karl Ratzsch's restaurant. Promoted as combining the intimacy of a lounge with the energy of a nightclub, it was well appointed and advertised heavily, frequently taking the

Business · Milwaukee Ten Hundred East The earliest located advertising dates to January 1973, but patrons recalled it being open several years earlier. Before the 1973 arrival of the city's first large gay disco, the Factory, it was widel

Person · Milwaukee Terry Boughner Author Historian Editor, 'Wisconsin Light' newspaper Dr. Terry Boughner was editor and co-owner of the Wisconsin Light newspaper from its founding in 1987 until 1998. Boughner also authored a book, "O

Business · Milwaukee The Alternative 1st Street that opened in July 1988 under co-owners known as Pete (also called Pat) and Beverly. Marketed as an Art Deco-styled venue, it served a mixed crowd of women and men and later added a disco

Business · Milwaukee The Beer Garden Widely regarded as a lesbian bar, it also drew a strong male crowd and was known for dances, contests, softball teams and food, including a popular Sunday brunch. The original owners, Roger and Sally,

Business · Milwaukee The Cove 1st Street in the early 1970s. It first advertised in early 1972 as "Mickey's Cove," was soon shortened to "The Cove," and briefly operated as "The Backroom" before reverting to "The Cove." Promoted a

Business · Milwaukee The Factory Bar The Factory was a landmark Milwaukee dance bar at 158 N. Broadway, opened by Chuck Cicirello (also known as Chuck Balestreri) in March 1973 shortly after he closed his earlier venture, the Neptune Clu

Business · Milwaukee The Fox (Fox Bar) The Fox opened in December 1948 at 455 N. Plankinton Avenue, at Clybourn, in an old saloon formerly known as the Clybourn Inn. Long and exceptionally narrow, it was sometimes nicknamed "the Skinny Fox

Organization · Milwaukee The History of BESTD Located initially in rented quarters on East St. Paul, in what is now the Third Ward Cafe, and then on Farwell Avenue, the Brady East STD Clinic, Inc., moved to its present facility in 1981. In 1990,

Business · Milwaukee The Lib Bookstore The same building had previously held two other LGBT landmarks: the The Loop Cafe from 1963 to 1970, and next door in the same building the New Yorker Lounge from about 1952 to 1975.

Business · Milwaukee The Next Stop Chambers Street about which little is documented. Known records consist of a single 1991 advertisement in In Step magazine promoting a Halloween party and a photo from its grand opening celebration he

Business · Milwaukee The Orbit The Orbit operated from February 1999 to August 2003 at 739 S. 2nd Street, in an early-1900s building that had previously been a pharmacy and later an organ-piper nightclub with hand-painted murals. T

T Business · Milwaukee The Other Place Greenfield Avenue, operating around 1991 to 1992. According to a contributor's recollection, two men ran it as a gay bar with a white-tablecloth restaurant, adding a kitchen and updated interior befor

Publication / Media · Milwaukee The Queer Program The Queer Program was a publication based in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee The Red Baron Bar The Red Baron, also called "The Baron," was a Milwaukee disco that opened in June 1977 with three main-floor bars, a central dance floor, elaborate disco lighting, and a lower-level lounge. Shortly af

Business · Milwaukee The River Queen (also Side Door and Jocks) The River Queen was one of Milwaukee's most legendary gay and drag bars, operating from 1971 at 402 N. Water Street in the historic Cross Keys Hotel, a building dating to 1853. Opened by Al Berry, who

Business · Milwaukee The Sidedoor St. Paul Avenue that opened in June 1976 in the remodeled space of the former River Queen. It featured a wood parquet dance floor, a large-screen television, and a disco. The bar appears to have close

Business · Milwaukee The TAZZbah Bar & Grille The TAZZbah Bar & Grille operated at 1712 W. Pierce Street in Milwaukee from December 2004 to September 2007. Its principal owners included a former Boot Camp Saloon bartender known as Steve and Don M

Business · Milwaukee The Wreck Room Bar The Wreck Room was Milwaukee's first cowboy and Levi/leather bar, opened in July 1972 at 266 E. Erie Street by Wayne Bernhagen and his partner Bill Kindt. Known for its rustic decor, including the fro

Business · Milwaukee Thinking of You Thinking of You, On Broadway occupied the building just north of the Wreck Room bar. The corner presence with large windows featured miscellaneous gifts (candles, cards, etc.)

Business · Milwaukee This Is It This Is It opened in 1968 at 418 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee, founded by June Brehm, who reportedly named the bar on first seeing the location. It became Wisconsin's longest-running LGBTQ ba

Business · Milwaukee Tic Toc Club Tic Toc Club was a Milwaukee nightclub at 634 N. 5th Street, opened in 1940 by Albert Tusa. One of the city's first air-conditioned nightclubs, it was nationally noted for its Gardenia Room dinner the

Person · Milwaukee Tiffany Thomas Founding member of 'The Hive' Advisory Panel, Wis. LGBTQ History Project Tiffany Thomas is a Milwaukee native who currently serves the City of Milwaukee's Department of Employee Relations. Tiffany is

Person · Milwaukee Tim Baack Tim Baack was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Person · Milwaukee Tim Carpenter, "20 Giving 20" was part of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin's commemoration of its 20th anniversary combating the AIDS epidemic. View all 20 of those honored on the ARCW "20 giving 20" page. Tim

Person · Milwaukee Timothy E. Mande aka 'Mandi McCall' Drag performer Mandi McCall Timothy Mande was best known as drag performer 'Mandi McCall'.

Person · Milwaukee Tina Renea Tina is also the most sought after source for gals going to competition. Her unique gowns are designed and created by her - her hair is more sought after than gold bullion, and her advice and comments

T Business · Milwaukee Tina's / Tina's RTI Tina's was a series of Milwaukee bars run by Ilet "Tina" Terry that served the city's African American LGBTQ community for well over a decade. Operating from a succession of north side locations, the

Business · Milwaukee Tiny's Waterfront Disco A single advertisement promoting its upcoming opening has been found. The plans were cut short by the April 1979 disappearance and presumed murder of the proprietor known as Tiny, and the bar appears

Person · Milwaukee Tom Boll In addition to helping create the "Make A Promise" fundraising dinner for ARCW, he also served for a time on the Lavender Hill party planning committee. Tom was also active in other community organiza

Person · Milwaukee Tom Butenhoff Tom (aka Thom) Butenhoff was part of Milwaukee's gay social scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He moved away from Wisconsin in 1974, but has fond memories of his time here. He contributes the fo

Person · Milwaukee Tom Martin Thomas E. Martin was a native of Milwaukee, generally known as a brilliant man. He attended the University School of Miwlaukee before going on to graduate Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University, and the

Person · Milwaukee Tom Theis Tom was a sportsman for all seasons, actively supporting the Packers, Brewers, Badgers and Warriors. But softball was his first love. Tom was co-founder of the Saturday Softball Beer League (SSBL) in

Person · Milwaukee Tony Aiello Disc Jockey (DJ) Business (bar) management Visit Tony's personal web site at this link (will open in a separate browser window).

T Person · Milwaukee Tony Machi Tony Machi took over Milwaukee's Riviera cocktail lounge around 1951, operating it as "Tony's Riviera," regarded as the city's premier gay bar of the 1950s, until a fire destroyed it in 1964. He later

T Person · Milwaukee Tony Snell Rodriguez Tony Snell Rodriguez was recognized by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in June 2023.

Business · Milwaukee Tool Shed Tool Shed was a retail in Milwaukee at 804 E. Center Street, operating from 2004.

T Person · Milwaukee Tracy Michaels Tracy Michaels was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Business · Milwaukee Triangle Triangle was a Milwaukee bar on East National Avenue that opened in June 1988 after Al Thomas bought the former lesbian bar D.K.'s and reopened it as a gay bar. Situated amid a growing concentration o

Person · Milwaukee Tuna More information about this performer is welcomed.

Person · Milwaukee Tyrone King Organization Advocate DJ at LGBTQ events Advisory Panel, Wis. LGBTQ History Project 'Ty' King came out at age 14 and became a DJ at age 17. He's been involved with multiple LGBTQ community organizatio

Business · Milwaukee Unicorn Unicorn was a short-lived Milwaukee gay bar that opened in early 1984 in the basement of the Sidney HiH building at 300 W. Juneau Avenue. It was owned by Gus Hosseini, who also managed the building an

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Uptown Downtown Uptown, Downtown was "A Community Based Alternative Lifestyle Publication". Published by Dear Myrna Productions, it contained news, letters to the editor, advice column, shoppers mall, directory, and

Publication / Media · Milwaukee UWM Post The UWM Post is not an LGBT Publication. However, it was an early voice for the Gay movement in the 1970s and 1980s, largely because gay student organizations at UWM (University of Wisconsin- Milwauke

Person · Milwaukee Vanessa More information about this performer is welcomed.

Person · Milwaukee Vincent C. Heflin Vincent was a volunteer for MLGPC (Milwaukee Lesbian/Gay Pride Committee, the precursor to PrideFest) in 1990-1991, and also was a Mass Pageant Productions Committee member.

Business · Milwaukee Visions Video Night Club First advertised in August 1991, it opened only after several delays on November 23, 1991, and even then was reportedly still unfinished. It appears to have closed within a week or two, as it received

Business · Milwaukee Vuk's Place / Vuk's II Vuk's Place was a friendly neighborhood bar on Milwaukee's near south side, run by an owner named Tom. It held its grand opening in December 1992 and drew a loyal but relatively small following. The b

W Person · Milwaukee Wade Twamley Wade Twamley managed JC's Rainbow Bar and went on to open and operate the Rainbow Revue in 1991. He later donated photo albums documenting both bars to the UWM Archives' LGBT Collection.

Business · Milwaukee Walker's Pint Walker's Pint opened on July 12, 2001, at 818 S. 2nd Street in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood, founded as a women's bar by Elizabeth "Bet'z" Boenning with co-owner Becky Persin. Boenning, who

W Place · Milwaukee Walker's Point Walker's Point is Milwaukee's historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood on the city's near south side. From the mid-twentieth century onward, South 2nd Street and surrounding blocks became the densest concentratio

Business · Milwaukee Walker's Point Cafe The business briefly (in 1991) advertised it as "Walkers Point Cabaret.. and Cafe".

W Person · Milwaukee Wally Whetham Wally Whetham operated several early Milwaukee gay-friendly taverns, including the Black Nite, its renamed successor the Bourbon Beat, and the Captain's Cabin. His run of bar businesses ended with a b

W Person · Milwaukee Warren O'Connor After Warren's death (around 1990), his mansion was sold by the family, which was largely in denial of his sexual preference. Any additional information about this person is welcome.

W Person · Milwaukee Wayne Bernhagen Wayne Bernhagen co-founded Milwaukee's Wreck Room bar in 1972 and was active in the city's leather community and gay softball, helping organize the Wreck Room Classic tournament. He died of AIDS in 19

Publication / Media · Milwaukee We Will Always Be Here The book shines a light on powerful and often untold stories, featuring individuals across a wide spectrum of identities and from all corners of the state. Featured LGBTQ+ people, allies, and activist

W Business · Milwaukee White Horse Inn White Horse Inn was a Milwaukee bar near the intersection of McKinley, 11th, and Winnebago Streets, documented in city directories from roughly the mid-1950s. It is chiefly remembered through oral his

W Person · Milwaukee Wilbert German Wilbert German bought the Wildwood in early 1963 and ran it as German's Wildwood, a butch lesbian bar, until it closed in 1964.

Business · Milwaukee Wildwood The Wildwood, also known as German's Wildwood, was a women's bar at 1430 W. Walnut Avenue on Milwaukee's near north side, operating from October 1959 to 1964. Remembered as a hangout for very butch le

W Person · Milwaukee William Mansfield William Mansfield operated the Clifton Tap, a small tavern in Milwaukee's Clifton House Hotel and one of the city's earliest known gay bars.

W Person · Milwaukee Wilma Fingerdoo Wilma Fingerdoo was a drag performer in Milwaukee.

Organization · Milwaukee Wisconsin Cream City Chorus Light collection' courtesy of Jerry Johnson.Visit the Cream City Chorus Facebook page.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Wisconsin Gazette View the Wisconsin Gazette web site has been reactivated for the 2020 COVID-19 crisis (opens in a separate browser window).

Organization · Milwaukee Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce is a Milwaukee-headquartered 501(c)(6) business association founded in 2012. It connects LGBTQ+-owned and allied businesses statewide through networking, advocac

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Wisconsin Light 11"w x 14.5"h, newspaper (other times 10.5"w x 17"h, other variations)

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Wisconsin Light — end of publication Milwaukee -- The Wisconsin Light, one of most long-lived gay and lesbian newspapers in the history of the state, ceased publication after the distribution of its final issue on March 29.

Organization · Milwaukee Wisconsin Outdoor Women (WOW) Any further information about this organization is most welcome.

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Wisconsin Pride Wisconsin Pride is a two-part special created by PBS Wisconsin and released in June 2023. After a preview showing in Madison and another in Milwaukee's landmark Oriental Theatre, it aired on PBS on Ju

Organization · Milwaukee Wisconsin Rainbow Families Wisconsin Rainbow Families was a organization in Milwaukee.

Organization · Milwaukee Wisconsin Womyn's Land Co-op (The following is derived from a brochure and other information about this group:)

Publication / Media · Milwaukee Wisconsin's Escape Initial: 5.5"w x 8.5"h 'bar rag' Eventual: 10.5"w x 15"h, newspaper

Business · Milwaukee Wizard's Pub It was notable as one of the farthest-west gay bars in the Milwaukee area, and little else about it has been documented.

Organization · Milwaukee Women's Voices Milwaukee Women's Voices Milwaukee began to be organized in October 2005 by Affinity Performing Arts to compliment the highly successful "Men's Voices Milwaukee" men's chorus. The October 2005 concert of the Me

Business · Milwaukee Woody's Bar Woody's Bar opened on November 14, 1997, on South 2nd Street, in a building that had previously housed the gay bar B's. Founded by Steve Behl and Ray Arce, it quickly became a hit and established itse

Business · Milwaukee Your Place Your Place, widely known as "The Y.P.," was a highly popular Milwaukee gay bar from May 1965 to July 1994, and was the first gay bar in what became the city's primary gayborhood. Opened by Jim Dorn an

Business · Milwaukee Zippers 2nd Street, part of a long line of LGBT establishments to occupy the location. It operated from 1993 to the late 1990s, following the earlier BJ's Mint Bar in the space. The location's LGBT history re