Wis. LGBT History-- Ongoing Education
Ongoing GLBT History Education efforts in Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, we are proud to have been the first state in the country to pass a law which prohibited discrimination by sexual orientation in employment, housing and public accommodations. However, on the flip side, Wisconsin has recently defeated a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, a battle we hated to lose.
As a result, we feel it is important to maintain an ongoing educational effort to ensure all GLBT people, and the citizenship in general, understand the historical context of the battle of gays and lesbians for equal rights.
We consider these efforts an important component in the future development of Wisconsin's LGBT community. After all, as the younger generations come of age, they need to be educated and reminded of where we've been, the battles we have fought, and given an appreciation of what we have gained-- and what we stand to lose if we lose sight of the broad picture. They also can find value in seeing how bars and organizations have changed over the years, to gain an appreciation of how the complex interaction of people and events have led to our ongoing progress.
WEBSITE
Our primary presence is via our website, http://www.mkelgbthist.org, which today includes over 1,400 web (html) pages, with over 15,000 images and over 900 pdf files. We also have a presence on Facebook, which is primarily a link to the website, but does provide an additional presence, and is the source for comments and tidbits of information about Wisconsin LGBT history from people nationwide.
But we are also fortunate to have LGBT media in the state that have taken a great interest in publishing frequent articles about historical matters in the state. They of course cover general interest articles about recent events and give some historical perspective that way. However, our media has also reached out to the Wisconsin LGBT History Project to submit educational articles spotlighting some of the historical background. Some of these in the past several years have been:
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY
Starting in "Queer Life News" newspaper in 2006, monthly articles have featured information on important historical events in Wisconsin's GLBT history 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years ago that month. This information has been researched primarily as a byproduct of the website, from historical media publication articles and advertisements. (These monthly articles were written first by Don Schwamb, and later by Michail Takach.)
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
Articles have been written examining information of wide interest in the development of Wisconsin's GLBT community. Some of these include the following:
- WisLGBT Sidebar: Bars as meeting places
- WisLGBT Sidebar: Bath houses or Spas
- WisLGBT Sidebar: Pageants and Drag scene
- WisLGBT Sidebar: The Leather scene
- WisLGBT Sidebar: Taking Pride in Stereotypes
Other articles have addressed historical timelines. For example, articles were written and printed in Quest magazine in 2009 documenting the progression of gay bars in each of Wisconsin's major cities, documenting when major bars opened and closed, and the changes in bars as communities developed.
LANDMARK DATES
Other special articles mark landmark dates in the community. For example, major bars in Milwaukee recently reached 40 and 25 years old (neighborhood bar 'This Is It', and dance bar 'La Cage', respectively), and contributor Michail Takach wrote special articles for each outlining the bar's histories, which were printed in the major media at the time (Q-Life newspaper in one case, and Quest magazine in the other).
HISTORICAL AD POSTERS
At various special events, the Wisconsin LGBT History Project's webmaster (Don Schwamb) has created series of posters showing the progression of advertising or other images for a certain bar over time. For example, when two landmark bars closed (The M&M Club, and later C'est la Vie), he created sets of posters that showed the advertising and articles for each of the bars printed in media at the time, over their respective 30 year histories. These were posted throughout the bars during their final weeks, allowing customers to re-live old times through the old photographs and event advertisements. Similar presentations were assembled for the recent anniversaries of La Cage dance bar, and the Ballgame, so current customers could see how those bars had changed over time.
PRIDEFEST HISTORY DISPLAY
Wisconsin's largest LGBT Pride celebration each year is PrideFest, held in Milwaukee each June. Many PrideFest events (including every year since 2000) have hosted a History display, always presenting a different aspect of Milwaukee's LGBT history. This includes a regular display of a Wisconsin LGBT Timeline. Green Bay has begun following suit, hosting its own History Display at the annual Pride Alive celebration in Green Bay.
- Return to INTRO page: Wisconsin LGBT History Project- Intro
Explore the full web site documenting GLBT life in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, and all of Wisconsin at: http://www.WisconsinGayHistory.org
(ALL contents of this page copyrighted by Don Schwamb of the Wisconsin LGBT History Project.)
