History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Organizations - Activist & Political - PrideFest

 
Milwaukee LGBT Pride Celebration - 1973
- At A Glance -
Dates:

June 30th, 1973 thru
July 8th, 1973

Location:

Rally Dance, Gay-in demonstrations,
Baseball, and Potluck

Attendance:

unknown

Guide:

format: (none)
pages: (n/a)

Firsts:

unknown

News Articles

 
       
 

 

According to an article in the GPU News, about 30 people met on Saturday, May 5, 1973 to plan a gay pride week for Milwaukee. They decided to schedule the Milwaukee week around the 4th of July time, and after Chicago's gay pride parade on Sunday, June 24th, because many Milwaukee people planned to go down to Chicago to march in that parade.

Events included:

    June 30- Opening Rally Dance
    July 1- Church Community Picnic
    July 2- Workshops
    July 3- Employment Labor Demonstration, and
            Gay-In at Juneau Park fireworks
    July 4- Schlitz Parade watching group
    July 5- Demonstration at a Shopping Center, and
            Film showing
    July 6- Festive demonstration at City Hall
    July 7- Group baseball, and
            Caravan to a drive-in theatre
    July 8- Rally and Workshops, and
            Potluck supper

Each event listed a different person's phone number, depending on who was coordinating that particular event.

The GPU (Gay People's Union) was at the forefront of Pride celebrations in Milwaukee beginning in the late 1970's until about 1981, when a subgroup of the GPU, the Milwaukee Pride Week Committee, began coordinating activities of various organizations and also organized a parade and rally.

 

 

Articles

Gay Pride Week plans, 1973
(GPU News, May-June 1973 pg. 1)
Pride Week Article, 1973
(GPU News, Aug. 1973 pg. 1)
Pride Week Article, 1973
(GPU News, Aug. 1973 pg. 15)

Credits: design and arrangement by Don Schwamb.
Last updated: June-2008.