LGBT Records

Subject Listing:
LGBT

ACT UP Milwaukee.
ACT UP Milwaukee Records, 1990-1996.
UWM Manuscript Collection 203

Collection documents the history and activism of the Milwaukee chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). It includes meeting agendas and minutes, newsletters, press releases, flyers and other ephemera, grant applications, financial reports, and subject files relating to ACT UP Milwaukee demonstrations. The collection also contains documentation regarding the ACT UP Network, an information clearing house for ACT UP chapters across the United States and Europe. ACT UP Milwaukee administered the Network. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Ben-Shalom, Miriam.
Miriam Ben-Shalom Papers, 1971-1999.
UWM Manuscript Collection 237
The collection contains personal papers and other documentation collected by Miriam Ben-Shalom, the first gay or lesbian member of the United States military service to be reinstated after being discharged for her sexual orientation. The collection documents Ben-Shalom's legal battles with the military, as well as the general topic of homosexuals and the military. Other materials pertain to the gay and lesbian veterans movement, feminism, and related social justice issues. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Bi Definition.
Bi Definition Records, 1996-2004.
UWM Manuscript Collection 219
Collection consists of ephemera and newsletters of Bi Definition, a social, support, and activist organization whose mission is to provide a sense of community for Milwaukee-area bisexuals and their supporters. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Black and White Men Together--Milwaukee.
Black and White Men Together--Milwaukee Records, 1981-1989.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 208
The collection documents the functions and activities of the Milwaukee chapter of Black and White Men Together (BWMT), which held its first membership meeting in November 1980. BWMT--Milwaukee provided a safe environment for gay male, 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. The collection includes brochures and fliers, newsletters, correspondence between the Milwaukee chapter and the national association, agendas and minutes from membership and steering committee meetings, and information about the 1987 national convention held in Milwaukee. The collection also contains some general information about the national association (NABWMT). Finding aid available in the Archives.

Brady East STD Clinic.
Brady East STD Clinic Records, 1972-2004.
UWM Manuscript Collection 238
Collection documents the development of the Brady East STD Clinic from its origin in 1974 as a program of the Gay Peoples Union, a prominent gay rights group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to being a statewide leader in the battle against HIV/AIDS by the 1990s. The collection includes administrative records such as minutes, annual reports, correspondence, and newsletters, and well as general informational sources such as posters and brochures on human sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Cream City Business Association.
Cream City Business Association Records, 1979-1989.
UWM Manuscript Collection 204

Collection consists of the records of the Cream City Business Association, an affiliation of metropolitan Milwaukee gay and lesbian business owners and service providers that was in existence from 1981 to 1989. Collection includes meeting agendas and minutes of the executive committee and board of directors, newsletters, administrative correspondence, business directories, and committee files. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Cream City Foundation.
Cream City Foundation Records, 1982-2001.
UWM Manuscript Collection 205
Founded in 1982, Cream City Foundation (CCF) is the only non-profit, grant making, community-based foundation serving the entire State of Wisconsin whose sole purpose is to support the changing needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. The collection contains correspondence, board meeting minutes, newsletters, financial information, publicity materials, articles of incorporation, and annual reports. It also contains grant applications from over eighty LGBT organizations, many of which are now inactive. These applications are likely the only surviving documentation of many of these groups. Examples of educational materials produced with CCF support are included in the collection. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Gay Peoples Union (Milwaukee, Wis).
Gay Peoples Union Records, 1971-1984.
UWM Manuscript Collection 240
Collection includes the administrative files of the Gay Peoples Union (GPU), the first gay rights organization in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and one of the earliest such groups in the state. Collection documents the history of GPU from its beginnings as a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student organization to its development as the single most important gay and lesbian rights organization in Milwaukee in the 1970s. The collection also includes sound recordings of Gay Perspective, a radio program produced by GPU and broadcast on local radio stations from 1971 and 1972, and other public presentations given by GPU members as part the organization's speakers bureau program. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Human Rights League for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered.
Human Rights League for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered Records, 1991-1999.
UWM Manuscript Collection 210
Formed in 1993, the Human Rights League (HRL) strove "to advance the political interests of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered in the metropolitan Milwaukee area by influencing local, state, and national politics, legislation, and public policy." HRL carried out its work through four standing committees: Public Information, Membership and Funding, National Coming Out Day, and Legislative and Public Policy. HRL surveyed electoral candidates for their positions on LGBT issues; recommended and endorsed candidates for local, state, and national elections; held annual receptions at which members of the LGBT community met with public officials; and distributed political information. In 1997, HRL formed a political action committee to raise and distribute funds in support of pro-LGBT candidates. HRL worked with the Milwaukee Police Department to train police recruits on LGBT issues. It also held two annual award programs--the Cream City Brick Awards and the National Coming Out Day Awards--that recognized the contributions of LGBT and pro-LGBT individuals, businesses, and organizations to the community. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Johnson, Jerry.
Jerry Johnson collection of Wisconsin gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender ephemera, 1978-2006.
UWM Manuscript Collection 253
Collection of ephemera gathered by Jerry Johnson relating to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender populations in Wisconsin from the late 1970s to 2006. Most materials pertain to Milwaukee-area organizations and businesses. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Lambda Rights Network.
Lambda Rights Network Records, 1987-1993.
UWM Manuscript Collection 208
Founded in 1987, the Lambda Rights Network (LRN) was a non-profit, non-partisan corporation that advocated on behalf of lesbian and gay issues with government officials and the general public. Formed with the immediate goal of opposing state legislation that eroded the protections guaranteed to lesbians and gays under Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law, the group later dedicated itself to promoting equality in many areas: alternative families, criminal justice, health care, housing, political participation, and public accommodations. LRN sponsored "Community Speak Outs" that brought together public officials and members of the gay and lesbian community; held candidate forums for federal, state, and local races; met with public officials; gathered information about local hate crimes; and networked with other local gay and lesbian organizations. The organization dissolved in 1993. Finding aid available in the Archives.

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Button and Pin Collection, 1984-2002.
UWM Manuscript Collection 199
This is a collection of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) buttons and pins assembled by the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee Archives from the donations of multiple individuals. The collection scope is limited to items with a Wisconsin connection and items unconnected to a specific geographical region. Highlights include buttons from Milwaukee's Pride festivals and various national and political events. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Lisowski, Michael.
Michael Lisowski Papers, 1977-1984.
UWM Manuscript Collection 235
Collection consists of subject files assembled by Michael Lisowski, an active member of Milwaukee's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The files relate to various organizations with which Lisowksi was involved--such as the Gay Peoples Union, Gay Counseling Services, and Gay Community at UWM--but few provide substantial evidence of Lisowski's specific contributions or activities. Often, these files contain only ephemera such as brochures and fliers. Several files pertain to the Gay Peoples Union, documenting that organization's efforts to unify the Milwaukee gay and lesbian community around issues of police harassment, establishment of a community center, and coalition building. Lisowski was vice president of the organization in 1978. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Lutz, Bobby, 1953-1997.
Bobby Positive Booklets and Papers, 1996-1998.
UWM Manuscript Collection 239
Collection consists of booklets on living with HIV/AIDS authored by Bobby ("Positive") Lutz from 1996 to 1997. It also includes materials that provide context about the author and the works themselves. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Cable Network.
Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Cable Network Records, 1987-1994.
UWM Manuscript Collection 206
Collection consists of regular and special programming produced by the Milwaukee Gay/Lesbian Cable Network (MGLCN) from 1987 to 1994. MGLCN was established by a group of individuals who wanted to produce regular programming on local gay and lesbian issues using the newly available facilities of MATA Community Media. MGLCN produced Tri-Cable Tonight, a monthly news and entertainment program; the New Tri-Cable, a panel discussion program; and Yellow on Thursday, a comedy show featuring shorts, skits, and parodies. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Milwaukee LGBT History Project, Inc.
Milwaukee LGBT History Project Oral history interviews, 2003.
UWM Manuscript Collection 200
Collection consists of oral history interviews conducted by the Milwaukee LGBT History Project with members of Milwaukee's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The collection includes cassette tapes and interview transcripts. Interviewees describe their coming out experiences, the gay liberation movement in Milwaukee, early LGBT organizations, the impact of feminism on LGBT politics, and LGBT social activities. Finding aid available in the Archives.

National Coalition of Gay Sexually Transmitted Disease Services (Milwaukee, Wis.).
National Coalition of Gay Sexually Transmitted Disease Services Records, 1979-1993.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 207
Founded in 1979 at the Chicago Conference on Current Aspects of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Symposium, National Coalition of Gay Sexually Transmitted Disease Services (NCGSTDS) became the publisher of "Sexual Health Reports," a newsletter that provided factual, up-to-date information to the medical, scientific, and gay/lesbian communities about sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and other related health issues. Additionally, the organization aided communication between the nation's STD and AIDS service providers, and served as liaison between interested concerns such as the Centers for Disease Control, health organizations, pharmaceutical companies, publishers, and others. The collection includes copies of "Sexual Health Reports" (originally titled "Official Newsletter of the NCGSTDS"); correspondence of the chair and editor Mark P. Behar including many requests for information; letters to the editor expressing support or hostility; and pamphlets and reports produced by NCGSTDS and others. NCGSTDS dissolved in 1988. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Navarro, Ralph, 1949-2001.
Ralph Navarro Papers, 1983-1999.
UWM Manuscript Collection 218
Papers of a prominent gay activist in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. The bulk of the collection concerns Gay Information and Services, an information and referral service coordinated by Navarro from 1987 until his death in 2001. The collection also includes information about Milwaukee Mayor John O. Norquist's Citizen Commission on Police-Community Relations and fragmentary information about the Gay Peoples Union, one of Milwaukee's earliest publicly visible gay organizations. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Plymouth Church, United Church of Christ.
Plymouth Church, United Church of Christ Records, 1841-[ongoing].
UWM Manuscript Collection 165

Records of the second oldest church in Milwaukee, located on Milwaukee's East Side, dating from the church's founding in 1841 to the present. The collection includes annual reports and meeting minutes; financial records; membership and sacramental records; newsletters and pamphlets; information about the church's pastors, including their sermons and research materials; photographs; and church club records including the Women's Guild. The collection also includes audio recordings of sermons, lecture series, and oral histories. Since its inception, Plymouth Church has been active in social, political, and religious issues, such as the abolition of slavery, temperance, and more recently, gay and lesbian issues, living with AIDS, and human rights. Finding aid available in the Archives.

SAGE/Milwaukee.
SAGE/Milwaukee Records, 1993-2007.
UWM Manuscript Collection 256
The collection consists of the organizational records of SAGE/Milwauke (Senior Action in a Gay Environment). SAGE/Milwaukee was founded in 1993 to promote quality of life for senior Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Sherman Park Rainbow Association.
Sherman Park Rainbow Association Records, 1993-2002.
UWM Manuscript Collection 214
The Sherman Park Rainbow Association (SPRA) was the first LGBT neighborhood organization in Wisconsin. Information about the formation of the SPRA in 1993 is found in the articles of incorporation, a grant application to the Cream City Foundation, and early newsletters. The newsletters and meeting minutes provide the most comprehensive information about SPRA, although the minutes span only a three-year period. The collection includes scant documentation of SPRA's work with the Sherman Park Community Association and local LGBT organizations. A press release, ca. 2002, describes the end of the organization. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Towart, Sanford.
Sanford Towart Scrapbooks, 1983-1999.
UWM Manuscript Collection 254
Collection consists of scrapbooks compiled by Sanford Towart of clippings from local newspapers and national serial publications documenting issues of interest to the gay community. Topics include discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS, and the Jeffrey Dahmer serial killings. Finding aid available in the Archives.

University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. LGBT Resource Center.
UWM LGBT Resource Center Records, 2000-[ongoing].
UWM Archival Collection 171
This collection documents the development and activities of the UWM LGBT Resource Center. It includes brochures, event fliers, news clippings, and related documents. Finding aid available in the Archives.

University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. Office of the Chancellor.
UWM Office of the Chancellor Records, 1943-1992.
UWM Archival Collection 46
The chancellor is the chief administrative officer for the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee (UWM) campus, and the collection documents the chancellor's responsibility for overseeing UWM's administrative offices, centers, colleges, and schools. The records concern topics such as accreditation, general policy issues, funding, new courses, organizational structure, plans for expansion, staffing, and other administrative affairs. The collection contains records from Chancellors J. Martin Klotsche (1956-1973); Werner Baum (1973-1979); Frank Horton (1980-1985); Clifford Smith (1986-1990); and Acting Chancellors Leon Schur (1979-1980) and Norma Rees (1985-1986). The few records predating UWM's founding in 1956 were created or compiled by Dr. Klotsche and consist largely of faculty memoranda and miscellaneous subject files from his tenure as president of the Wisconsin State College, Milwaukee. The collection does not contain any records of John Schroeder's service as interim chancellor (1990-1991) or chancellor (1990- ). The records post-dating 1990 are files of the chancellors emeriti. Finding aid available in the Archives.

University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. Office of the Dean of Students.
UWM Office of the Dean of Students Records, 1915-[ongoing].
UWM Archival Collection 48

Collection contains records of the Dean of Students from the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee (UWM) and its predecessor institutions. The collection also contains records from the UWM Office of Student Life and from the UWM Student Organization Advising and Resources (SOAR) office. Most of the records date from the 1960-1982; the materials predating 1960 concern fraternities and sororities. The collection largely consists of files of UWM student organizations, including fraternities and sororities, student government, and a wide variety of ethnic, political, professional, religious, and social groups. Most of the files contain only a charter application form and a group registration form, which lists the name and function of the group, its off-campus affiliation, meeting location, names and addresses of officers, and faculty advisor. Some files contain officer change reports, a constitution and by-laws, correspondence, newsclippings, photographs, and publicity materials. The most extensive files exist for campus fraternities and sororities, and Vietnam-era protest groups. Files also exist for a number of student groups for African Americans, Hispanics, and women. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Utke, Donna, 1933-2001.
Donna Utke Papers, 1971-1991.
UWM Manuscript Collection 233
Collection contains works written or presented by Donna Utke, a prominent figure in Milwaukee's feminist and gay/lesbian communities, mainly during the 1970s. It includes book reviews, essays, and public and radio presentations on topics such as sexual inequality, the relationship of feminism and lesbianism, the gay and lesbian rights movement, and literature. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Wisconsin. Governor's Council on Lesbian and Gay Issues.
Wisconsin Governor's Council on Lesbian and Gay Issues Records, 1981-1991.
UWM Manuscript Collection 216
In 1981 Wisconsin became the first state to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodation. Two years later, Governor Anthony S. Earl formed a Council on Lesbian and Gay Issues as an advisory group to make recommendations concerning the implementation of Chapter 112 of the Laws of Wisconsin, popularly known as the "gay rights law." This collection consists of the records of the Council and includes biennial and final reports, press releases, correspondence, brochures, fliers, surveys, and news clippings. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Women's Coalition, Inc. (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Women's Coalition, Inc. (Milwaukee, Wis.) Records, 1972-1987.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 177
Records from an umbrella group of women�s organizations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1972, the purpose of the Coalition was to support the many women�s groups which developed in Milwaukee during the feminist movement of the 1970s. The Coalition worked to combat sex discrimination, educate women regarding their legal rights, vocational possibilities and personal health and to serve as an advocate for women. The Coalition was especially active from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, though the collection spans from 1972 to 1987.

The collection consists of minutes, newsletters, print and near-print materials concerning the Women�s Coalition�s activities, projects and member organizations. The Coalition sponsored such projects as "Take Back the Night" rallies, the Displaced Homemaker�s Task Project, a Preventative Education Project, and helped to form a sexual assault treatment center. Other projects developed into member groups, including the Women�s Crisis Line, Task Force on Battered Women, Task Force on Prostitution/Myriad, and the Women�s Graphic Arts Project. During varying periods the Coalition included up to 15 member groups. These groups included National Organization for Women chapters, Amazon Collective, Grapevine, Sojourner Truth House, Women Pro Se, Coalition for Right to Choice, and Wisconsin Women in the Arts.

In addition to records of these groups and projects, the collection also includes subject files on topics such as women�s health issues, the Equal Rights Amendment, sex role stereotyping, legal issues and pornography. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Womyn's Cultural Community Center.
Womyn's Cultural Community Center Records, 1992-1994.
UWM Manuscript Collection 247
This collection documents the history, creation, and fundraising activities of the Milwaukee-area Womyn's Cultural Community Center. It includes meeting minutes, board membership lists, flyers, financial reports of fundraising activities, as well as by-laws and articles of incorporation. Finding aid available in the Archives.