![]() ![]() "In the gay world, I think it was starting to go away a while ago." Burleigh St., in Riverwest, said he thought "there were enough gay bars" in Milwaukee. When Don Krause, who is gay, wanted to open a bar eight years ago, he said, "the plan from the beginning was to capture the gay audience as well as the typical straight bar audience." That mainstreaming is reflected in local night life. Last month President Barack Obama gave his support to gay marriage. PrideFest marks its 25th anniversary this weekend. Thirty years ago, Wisconsin became the first state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. ![]() Mainstreamed nightlifeįor the gay community, it's been a slow and steady march into the mainstream. The scene is changing in other ways, too. The only vestige of dance spot Club 219 is the name on the awnings still attached to the building's façade. The 35-year-old Boot Camp burned down, and C'est La Vie, once a landing place for those who wanted to see drag shows or stripper revues, is now Zak's Café. The owner of the Triangle died last year, and the bar closed recently. Another Walker's Point building that houses the Ball Game sports a for-sale sign. The three-floor nightclub La Cage in Walker's Point narrowly avoided foreclosure a few weeks ago. Many of Milwaukee's longtime gay bars have closed or are struggling to stay in business. ![]() Gay bars that once had an automatic audience must now compete for customers. Younger gay people who've come of age in a more enlightened time often feel comfortable going to what are considered "straight" bars. Gay bars no longer have to serve as fortresses for men and women concerned about taking their private lives public. That was the bloodline of the community."Ī generation later, things have changed. Gay bars, he said, were "our community center, our meet and greet, our place for organizing. Gunkel, the current president of PrideFest, came out when he was 19 years old. He might get "hassled." Certainly, his presence would provoke. When he was young, Scott Gunkel, 52, rarely thought about going to straight bars. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |