History Project launches three initiatives to amplify LGBTQ voice and visibility
Pride Month may be over, but the real work has just begun
Milwaukee, WI – Throughout Pride Month 2025, the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project traveled over 3,000 miles in 30 days to deliver nearly two dozen outreach events.
We visited hometown prides on our statewide Summer to Be Seen Tour, hosted our first BeSeen Awards Reception (honoring Mark Mariucci,) celebrated community organizer Montell Infiniti Ross and Madison icon Cass Marie, elevated Wisconsin’s Two-Spirit heritage at multiple pride events across Wisconsin, researched the history and heritage of Ballroom House culture in Milwaukee, launched a six-month fundraiser with NEW Dancing With Our Stars, hosted a local history exhibit at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, honored the legacy of Jim Dorn (founder of Walker’s Point‘s first legacy gay bar,) reclaimed a 40-year-old photo collection from the Golden Age of Milwaukee Drag, and much, much more.
We were honored to attend Governor Tony Evers‘ Pride Reception, Mayor Cavalier Johnson‘s LGBTQ Roundtable, and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors‘ Pride Month Celebration, where the History Project received official recognition for our 30+ years of community service.
We are thankful for our unpaid, all-volunteer team, who made these events possible, as well as our partner organizations statewide, who created incredible hometown experiences that are more important than ever before.
Pride Month may be over. But our work has only just begun.
We face a world where LGBTQ history is literally being erased from federal websites, monuments, and parks — and where the Supreme Court of the United States has legally enabled students to “opt out” of learning about our historical existence.
This is no time to vanish until next June.
Now is the time for action.
Today, the History Project announces three new initiatives that will extend LGBTQ history, heritage, voice and visibility year-round:
- We have officially submitted an initial application to install rainbow crosswalks at the intersection of 2nd and National in Walker’s Point. Partnering with renowned street artist Jeremy Novy, we will honor the pioneers and changemakers who have been creating safe spaces for our community for over 80 years. Once approved by the City of Milwaukee, the crosswalks will be stewarded by the History Project in partnership with Walker’s Point business owners.
- We have officially submitted an initial application for a historic marker honoring This Is It (418 E. Wells) and the 57-year legacy of June Brehm. Already open on the night of the Stonewall Uprising, This Is It was the longest-running queer space in Wisconsin history and one of the ten oldest queer spaces in the nation when it closed in March 2025. Once approved by the Wisconsin Historical Society, the historic marker will be stewarded by the History Project as part of our Landmarks Program.
- We have become founding members of the new LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance, a national network of historians fighting for the preservation, interpretation, and advocacy of LGBTQ heritage, with a special focus on the places that created and influenced our culture. In partnership with the Alliance, we will elevate and celebrate Wisconsin’s LGBTQ historical spaces beyond the Black Nite Brawl to increase cultural awareness, appreciation, and ownership for LGBTQ landmarks nationwide.
These initiatives are privately funded through grants, donations, and self-funded budgets, and do not involve taxpayer dollars of any kind.
“The more we accomplish, the more urgent and critical our work becomes,” said Michail Takach, chair of the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project. “We stand on the shoulders of giants who came before us: Louis Stimac, Wisconsin’s first true LGBTQ historian; Jim Kepner, founder of ONE Institute, the world’s largest LGBTQ historic archive; Don Schwamb, who built the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project with his bare hands.”
“But each of these men struggled to find folks willing to talk about their past, because the past was a source of shame, embarrassment, trauma and rage. There was no history, there was no heritage. Liberation was all about the future.”
“We are committed to a world where everyone can not only connect to their history and heritage with pride, but see their history and heritage alive and visible in the world every day.”
The Summer to Be Seen Tour continues with stops in Kenosha (July 12,) Watertown (July 19,) and Newburg (August 24) with a BeSeen Awards Reception in Madison (August 16) celebrating the lifetime achievements of Ricardo Gonzalez.
What can you do to help?
- Join us as a volunteer!
- Support our work with a tax-deductible donation!
- Contribute stories, photos, memorabilia and more to our collection!
Questions? Contact us!
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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