#milwaukee pride

1980 Milwaukee Pride March

The black and white photographs above showcase the 1980 Pride March here in Milwaukee.  If you look closely, you can recognize signage from local LGBTQ+ organizations like the Gay Peoples Union as well as downtown Milwaukee landmarks such as the State Street bridge and the Wisconsin District State Office Building. 

These photographs were taken to be used in the LGBTQ+ news-magazine Milwaukee Calendar, later called Gay Milwaukee, which ran from 1978-1981.  Milwaukee Calendar featured a calendar of local events and bar specials, brief news articles, and a handful of photographs from local events in their biweekly issues.  You can view more photographs here at the UWM Archives, and you can find complete issues of Milwaukee CalendarandGay Milwaukee in our sibling department, @uwmspeccoll 

These black and white photographs can all be found in box 1 of the Milwaukee Calendar Photographs, call number UWM Mss 312, at the UWM Archives.

Pride Month: Making the ‘B’ Visible

Bi Definition formed in 1996 when two other bisexual support groups that met at the Counseling Center of Milwaukee merged, BiDesign (a women’s group), and an unnamed men’s group. Bi Definition sought to provide their members with a sense of belonging not always found in the gay or straight communities. The 2003 “Bi All Means” newsletter shown here outlines some of Bi Definition’s activism around bisexual visibility within the LGBTQ+ community. In response to declining attendance at business meetings and dwindling financial resources, Bi Definition voted to discontinue its print newsletter and regular meetings in 2004.

This issue of “Bi All Means” can be found in box 1 of the  Bi Definition Records, call number UWM Manuscript Collection 219, at the UWM Archives.

Pride History: Black and White Men Together

The Milwaukee chapter of Black and White Men Together (BWMT) formed in November 1980, shortly after the formation of the original chapter in San Francisco. BWMT-Milwaukee provided a safe environment for gay males, interracial couples, and individuals interested in interracial dating. It also raised awareness about and combated racism within Milwaukee’s gay community and homophobia within its black community.  BWMT-Milwaukee remained active throughout the 1980s, eventually changing its name to Men of All Colors Together in 1993, and to People of All Colors in 1995 before becoming inactive by 1997.

The July 1985 newsletter and undated photographs shown above can be found in boxes 1 and 2 of the Black and White Men Together-Milwaukee Records here at the UWM Archives.

June is Pride Month!

While early LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations, protests, and marches were held in Milwaukee, WI as early as 1971, Milwaukee’s first Pride parade happened on June 17th, 1989.  This article comes from a 1989 issue of The Advocate, a prominent LGBTQ magazine that began in Los Angeles, CA in 1967 and continues to represent an important public voice for the LGBTQ+ community today.  The excerpt and photographs shown above highlight the preparation that went into Milwaukee’s first Pride parade and the importance it held for members of Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ community.

The full copy of “After the Parade Passed By” featured here can be found in the Miriam Ben-Shalom Papers, call number UWM Mss 237, here at the UWM Archives.