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This Month in the History of Gay and Lesbian life in Wisconsin-- This Month in Wisconsin LGBT History: June 2007 35 years ago-- 1972-- June 30-July 1st, GPU sponsored gay pride celebration at Estabrook Park. Follow-up "Gay-In" events held at July fireworks and July 12 Brewers game. NGU (New Gay Underground) pickets the popular gay bar The River Queen, alleging racism and sexism (against blacks and women) in the bar. The Stud Club is popular for leather men. 30 years ago-- 1977-- AGC Theatre group in Milwaukee gets off to a good start with a show titled "An Evening of Imagination and Impersonation" at the Crystal Palace. Milwaukee's Wreck Room hosts a Mr. Wreck Room contest. Saugatuck Lodges in Michigan kicks off full month of activities, including a Motorcycle Club weekend, a Leather weekend, and a Movie Festival weekend. In Chicago, June 26 sees the city's 8th annual Pride Parade. Madison's Integrity/ Dignity gay ministry group is founded. 25 years ago-- 1982-- (Wisconsin's LGBT publications from late 1981 to early 1984 are not held in any library, leaving very little historical record for this period. We continue to seek any and all copies of issues of OUT!, Escape, and RAGG magazine.) 20 years ago-- 1987-- With no local Pride celebration planned, bars and media organize bus trips to Pride Parade in Chicago and MAGIC Picnic in Madison. Milwaukee hosts 7th annual National Assn. of BWMT convention. Milw. Gay/ Lesbian Cable Network produces a one hour program "A Quesion of Justice" examining the Rawhide Boys Ranch challenge to the 5-year-old Wisconsin anti-discrimination law. Madison's Tod Ziebert, early AIDS activist, dies of AIDS complications at the age of 29. Broom Street Theatre and ARK Repertory Theatre, both in Madison, presents two plays about forgotten subjects of gay history. 15 years ago-- 1992-- Milw. Gay/Lesbian Cable Network wins several awards at national Gay and Lesbian Press Association's Awards Program in Los Angeles, including "Best Overall Gay programming" and "Best Special Project". UW- Stevens Point presents "Student Organization of the Year" to UW-SP's Ten Percent Society. The first actual "PrideFest" was held Sunday June 14 in Juneau Park, with 7,000 people attending (by contrast, 2006's PrideFest drew almost 24,000 people). (This is the first year the word "PrideFest" was used; in prior years the celebration was referred to as a Pride Parade and Rally.) Queer Nation protests opening of first Cracker Barrel in the state (which had anti-gay/lesbian policies). Bill Edwards shot and killed inside Loose Ends gay bar while celebrating his 28th birthday; his 25yo friend was also shot and injured. 10 years ago-- 1997-- Wisconsin Light newspaper prints the largest issue in the history of Wisconsin LGBT publication, at 48 pages with a distribution of 13,000 copies- and starts a web site. PrideFest is held on Summerfest grounds, and the Pride Parade ends at the park's main gate; attendance was 12,300. Study group/ steering committee selects two finalist locations for a Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. Gay activist/ attorney Tom Martin commits suicide by jumping off the Hoan bridge. The ARCW offices are flooded, destroying the MAP Food Pantry and other storage.
Note: The issues appearing above are some of those dated in the featured month. However, relevant news may appear in issues previous to or after that pictured and linked above: earlier issues may have ads or announcements of upcoming events, and later issues may carry actual photos or more extensive coverage of events that occurred after publication deadlines. |
Credits: "This Month in History" concept by Kate Sherry of Q-Life, and Don Schwamb;
Page design and arrangement by Don Schwamb.
Last updated: July-2007.
