By Paul Masterson

A lesbian, trained as a nurse, recounts her story of job discrimination that forced her to leave the health profession and become a factory worker. Si Smits, Milwaukee's well-known community activist and owner of “Boot Camp Saloon” is seen riding his motorcycle and talking about his job as a computer specialist for company that tolerates his being gay. Both appear in the 1973 WTMJ-TV 5-part series “Some Call Them Gay.” That series, now preserved on DVD's, is an integral part of the UWM LGBT Archive and Special Collections.

The UWM Archive and Special Collections has a two-fold mission: to document Milwaukee's history and provide access to primary sources for research and education.  Its professional staff of five archivists supported by students maintains the library's 9000 cubic feet of archival holdings. They are preserved in acid free boxes and folders stored in climate controlled and well-secured vaults. Inventory catalogs with abstracts provide researchers with “Scope and Content” descriptions down to the folder level, allowing easy access to specific items of interest. In the case of an individual's private papers, there is also biographical information.

Four years ago, UWM library head archivist, Michael Doylen established new archives addressing social justice and underrepresented groups. These include Milwaukee's African, Latino and Native Americans. Doylen assembled holdings ranging from NAACP records to activist Father Groppi's personal papers.

The LGBT Archive is an outgrowth of Doylen's pursuit of alternative collections. It is one of several national collections. It is, however, the Upper Midwest region’s largest and most important.

“The east and west coasts have collected a long time,” says Doylen. “There's the New York City Herstory Archive, the San Francisco GLBT Historical Society, the MacKenzie Institute to name a few. The Midwest has the Jean Trettor Collection in Minneapolis and now the UWM Library LGBT Archive and Special Collections. Other Wisconsin institutions are considering documenting local LGBT history, like UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Historical Society.”

Together with Max Yela, UWM's head of special collections, Doylen actively collects, catalogues and preserves an ever-expanding array of sound and print documentation of Milwaukee's LGBT history.

The material is particularly valuable for students participating in UWM's LGBT studies program. But, it's accessible to anyone. “It's a community resource,” Doylen said.

The LGBT collection consists of two separate parts. The archive contains Milwaukee related personal documents and records of organizations while special collection retains locally and nationally published print materials.

The archive

Michael Doylen listed the archive's topical areas: Milwaukee’s HIV/AIDS history, records of community organizations and collections of individuals.

The archive begins with post-Stonewall material. The earliest documents from February 1970 trace the metamorphosis of the UWM Homosexual Freedom League. A student organization founded shortly after Stonewall, it became the Gay Liberation Organization, then the Gay People's Union (GPU) that still exists today. Complimenting those early papers are letters from Milwaukee citizens both criticizing and supporting the university for permitting the gay group's existence.

Many of those early documents belonged to Eldon Murray, one of GPU's founders. He defined its mission as education and celebration. Murray was politically moderate and hoped to achieve gay equality through existing organizations rather than by radical activism.

In addition to Murray's papers, there are rare audio recordings and films. Included is his weekly 30-minute radio show, Gay Perspective. Broadcast on WUWM from February 1971 to April 1972, it was the first radio program dedicated to gay life in the nation. Only 24 programs survive. “The audio reels we acquired were as fragile as old film,” Doylen said. “They weren't played until we had them professionally digitized. .Now they're available for anyone to listen to.”

These remarkable shows addressed topics still discussed today: gays in the military, transgender issues, gay marriage and S&M. They were deliberately objective, presenting the gay perspective for both LGBT people and the community at large. “Murray's broadcasts revealed a disadvantaged community in a discriminatory world. He sought to help the gay population by educating all listeners” Doylen said.

The WTMJ-TV series, “Some call them Gay” was a collaboration with mainstream media to promote an unbiased image of gay people and help the non-LGBT population understand LGBT lifestyle and its issues such as job discrimination and police harassment. Today WTMJ is collaborating with the archive on an educational mission to create an on-line digital collection. It will permit worldwide access to anyone.

“Some call them Gay” will be presented at PrideFest as part of the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center and SAGE-History Project collaboration in the art and history pavilion.

Early lesbian and feminist activism in Milwaukee is documented as well. In the late 1970's, Karen Snider, a Milwaukee lesbian separatist help found the Wisconsin Womyn's Land Cooperative (WWLC), a rural commune. The archive holds WWLC newsletters as well as documents pertaining to the 1977 purchase of 80 acres of land. “The acquisition of these documents was almost accidental,” Doylen explained. “They came with an collection of peace movement material. Why they were there, we don't know. But we're glad they were.”

The Special Collections

Max Yela, head of Special Collections described the LGBT content of the library's holdings as mainly pre-Stonewall, primary printed sources. The lofty sounding description actually refers to what may have been considered inconsequential at the time – pulp fiction novels, beef cake magazines, newspapers and works by sexologists and political writers on homosexual and transgender subjects.

“Pulp is very documentary of LGBT life and society,” Yela said, “and changes in social attitudes about gays and lesbians, vocabulary and their experiences can be followed over the span of years when these were first published.” Yela cites some of the collection's most famous 1950's titles like “The Tormented” and “The Price of Salt. ”They’re iconic in their depiction of gay and lesbian imagery.”

The post-Stonewall inventory contains exclusively local publications. Included are the complete runs of In-Step Magazine beginning in February 1984 and Wisconsin Light from its inaugural edition from November 1987. Of course, Queer Life News and Quest are part of the collection as well.

Preserving our legacy

The LGBT Archive and Special Collection are largely compiled through donations by individuals. Community activist Patrick Flaherty donated local ACT-UP records. Jerry Johnson and Michael Lisowski as well as other individuals have also contributed. Doylen hopes for more. “We rely on the generosity of people who recognize the historical value of documents they own and donate them for the public good. Sizeable resources have been acquired in that way.” Doylen said.

Joseph Pabst chose the archive to be the recipient of a major endowment through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Johnson and Pabst LGBT Humanity Fund. Asked why, Pabst responded “because it acts as a bonding agent for the entire community. It serves the LGBT population as a record of who we are and where we’ve been – our advances, loses. I believe we will come to a time when sexuality isn’t a huge issue. Yet from a scholarly perspective, it’s part of our humanity and needs to be accessible for future study.”

“Community awareness is very necessary. We need to donate our records. The archive was helped by the Eldon Murray collection. It was a document of a person’s journey and civic involvement – before it was acceptable. We need to remember the Eldon Murrays and have a record of those individuals who had passion and compassion for our issues. The endowment should be an incentive to take advantage of library support and that should create a self-generating momentum for expanding the archive,” Pabst said.

The LGBT future

For anyone coming out in 21st century Milwaukee, LGBT options abound. It may be difficult for young LGBT people to understand that just a generation ago, only a comparatively meager social network existed. Bars and a bathhouse were the only public venues to meet other gay men. Women had even less. All were under police scrutiny and often raided, their patrons harassed and arrested. Advocacy, health and support infrastructure was almost unknown.

Today, there are over 90 LGBT organizations in southeast Wisconsin alone. They represent all aspects of LGBT life from the arts to sports, from politics to philanthropy and health. Sixteen were recognized at PrideFest 2006 for over 20 years service to the community. PrideFest itself is a testament to the early activists – once a small gathering of a few hundred, PrideFest is now the world’s top Pride event, drawing tens of thousands of visitors.

It's likely the LGBT future will be one of equality and integration. Bars and organizations may become superfluous. Still, the LGBT community’s history will remain important. Like that of other groups, it will reflect the progress of American social justice.

The archive has its work cut out for it. Many individuals and organizations don't maintain or preserve their history. Record keeping is often haphazard. Even Eldon Murray's material, representing two decades, is held in only two boxes. Much has been lost due to disinterest or a family’s sanitizing the lives of LGBT relatives who have passed. According to Doylen, there is also a hesitance to donate to a mainstream institution.

Joseph Pabst addressed this issue. “Some organizations might be reluctant to relinquish records and documents,” he said, “but it’s important for them to know the library is a prospective resource to hold records and to preserve them through their knowledge of conservation. If any group wants to enshrine its history, it should allay its fears of losing documents by entrusting them to the library’s care.”

How to donate

The UWM Library LGBT Archive and Special Collections seek documentation from organizations and individuals. Three-dimensional items such as artwork cannot be accepted. “We just don't have the space or the staff who are experts in the conservation and preservation of material other than documents and sound media,” Doylen said.

Yela encourages anyone who might have something of interest to contact Special Collections at 414-229-4345 or the Archive at 414-229-6980. “The LGBT community needs to get enthusiastic about its history and understand it is significant. Letters and photos, the printed material people save are primary source material of that history,” Yela said.

“They also need to understand that we're not elitist or esoteric. The library is the community's place to feel comfortable. It's fun and it's your stuff,” said Yela.

Donors needn't worry about their possessions being lost in a vault. “They'll always have access to it as will students and the public,” Yela said.

“The material is actively used every semester at a class level, by individuals doing research or by anyone simply interested in learning about the LGBT past. It 's a means to remember experiences – like a family album.”

History Project displays unique collection at PrideFest

Fashion Statements – Underwear with a message

by Paul Masterson

Something as simple as a t-shirt can be a powerful political tool. Like highway billboards, t-shirt messages, from provocative to whimsical, are unavoidably visible.  The confrontational individual display takes advantage of our very human voyeuristic instinct to “look.”

For this History Project display, PrideFest board president Scott Gunkel loaned his large t-shirt collection. It is representative of the genre's scope and includes local and national examples. Among these are Milwaukee Pride event t-shirts from the 1980's through the '90's. Others document the 1993 March on Washington, Pride celebrations in Chicago, Kansas City and Michigan as well as New York City's Stonewall anniversaries, presidential elections and anti-violence campaigns.  

The advertising ploy became even more important in the early days of the AIDS pandemic. ACT-UP activists demonstrated in Milwaukee and throughout the country. Their t-shirts, emblazoned with black and white ACT-Up logos or Keith Haring's distinctive and colorful figures, remain etched in people’s memories even today.  The visual and incessant t-shirt parade helped bring an oblivious nation to a full-blown consciousness of the HIV/AIDS reality.

T-shirts declared Pride, demanded recognition and helped propel gay and lesbian liberation into the hearts and minds of both LGBT people and the general population. Results were mixed – the self-outing brought both respect and self-awareness to the wearer but also made him or her a target of bashing. Nevertheless, the fact remained – the closet door was open and the LGBT struggle was on the street.

PrideFest Snags an Icon

Kevin Aviance heading to Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE – International dance performer Kevin Aviance will be ever-present throughout Milwaukee’s PrideFest weekend. After reaching out personally to contact PrideFest coordinators, Aviance will first make an appearance as part of the festival’s Opening Ceremony Friday, June 6th, where he will speak about his experience as the victim of a hate crime in 2006. He will then serve as a celebrity judge for the semi-finals and finals of the Pride Idol talent competition. Finally, and with much anticipation from his legions of fans, Aviance will do what he is most-known for – perform his many dance music hits live Sunday, June 8th on the festival’s Dance stage.

Art, music, performance, politics, fashion, illusion and drama all come together in the body, the sound and performance of the "entity" known as Kevin Aviance. If you haven't heard of Kevin Aviance, perhaps you have never stepped foot into a dance club anywhere in the world in the last 10 years. With two albums under his designer belts, four #1 Billboard Dance hits, over 10 groundbreaking music videos and a fan base stretching from New York to Tokyo, Kevin Aviance is a force that cannot be denied. His innovative, gender bending avant-garde style has made him a "style icon" in the world of high fashion. His chart topping dance hits and energetic, commanding and innovative live performances have made him a "dance icon" in the international dance music scene. His proud presence and political activism solidified his status as a "gay icon" for the global gay community.

Kevin recently debuted his latest single, "Strut" on The Tyra Banks Show. As a guest of the show, Tyra interviewed Kevin about being the victim of a hate crime, which made national headline news on NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, AOL and the New York Times. Because of Kevin's celebrity, the gay bashing sparked a much needed public discourse about hate crimes and Kevin triumphantly became an activist and spokesperson for the cause - even appearing atop an elephant during NYC's gay pride only a couple of weeks later. Kevin continues to donate his energies and time to the fight against HIV/AIDS and the fight for human rights.

Citing influences from Grace Jones, Boy George and David Bowie, Kevin's career as a performance artist and club personality began in Washington DC when he was indoctrinated into "The House of Aviance," a community of DJ's, singers, actors, drag queens, visual and performing artists, founded by "house mother" Juan T. Williams. After a hot stint in Miami, Kevin eventually moved to the epicenter of the club and music scene, New York City, becoming the undisputed queen of nightlife.

Kevin is constantly requested to host and perform at the most legendary clubs throughout the world and he has collaborated with celebrated DJ's and producers including Junior Vasquez, Victor Calderone, Basement Jaxx, Deep Dish, François Kevorkian, Danny Tenaglia, Ari Gold and Grammy Award-winners Peter Rauhofer and Hex Hector. He has performed alongside Whitney Houston, Cher, Lil' Kim, Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole, Cyndi Lauper, Janet Jackson, Bette Midler, and was featured in Madonna's "Secret" video.

Kevin is currently working on a new album and gearing up to release a slew of new singles collaborating with DJ Gomi, Mike Cruz, and Tom Stephan. These hotly anticipated new tracks will be his first releases since the 2003 #1 Billboard Dance hits, "Give It Up" and "Alive," produced by two-time Grammy nominated producer Tony Moran, and his first #1 hit "Din Da Da."  DJ Moran will spin a trademark high-energy set in the festival’s Dance Pavilion on Saturday, June 7th.