Madison wi gay bars
The April 1973 issue of GPU News advertised the opening of the Back Door bar with an ad, "New to Madison! The Back Door", touting "3 levels of entertainment" and listing proprietors Rodney and Jack. According to a bio of Rodney Scheel years later, the block went through "its share of experimental phases- bar, restaurant, piano bar, twirl club, and home-away-from-home for many of the newly-liberated Homosexual men and Lesbians and their friends of that era".
The bar held an employee/customer appreciation party in 1973, which in 1977 became a city-wide fundraiser for Madison LGBT organizations known as the MAGIC Picnic. (MAGIC was an acronym for 'Madison Area Gay Interim Committee'.) The MAGIC picnic ran at least into the early 2000's.
Meanwhile, 1977 was to be a year of transition in more ways than the MAGIC Picnic. In July 1977, a larger gay lock, Going My Way, opened. According to a later posting in a Facebook group, "When the larger 'Going My Way' on West Main Street opened, much of the dance crowd stopped going to the Back Door." For whatever reason, by October 1977 invitations went out for a "Good Bye To OZ" week at the Advocate Door, from October 24 to 30, and an invitati
An LGBTQ+ student’s guide to Madison
Madison has been named among the gayest cities in the Together States for its progressive atmosphere and rich queer history.
But for many incoming LGBTQ+ students pursuing community at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, starting the search can be an overwhelming task. To kick off Pride Month, The Daily Cardinal compiled a list of activities and locations in Madison for queer people to experience community.
Campus organizations
Gender and Sexuality Campus Center: Located in the Red Gym, UW-Madison’s Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC) provides education, advocacy and resources to foster a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ students and allies. The GSCC is known for hosting popular welcome events such as Drag Bingo and offering scholarships to new students. Students can drop by during GSCC hours to peruse a collection of queer books, eat snacks or use free printing services.
The Identity Society: Founded in 1983 upon the passage of Wisconsin’s same-sex attracted rights legislation, The Pride World is best known for its annual “Pride Prom” with one-of-a-kind themes and drag performance artists. The Pride Society also hosts film
30+ LGBTQ+ Owned Businesses in Madison
LGBTQ+ pride is a year-round thing in Madison.
Opting for openness over “us vs. them” and kindness over challenge, we’re a metropolis known for its progressiveness. We’re confident that LGBTQ+ owned-and-operated businesses (and Homosexual friendly businesses) proceed to flourish here.
Though the big event event in Madison isn’t until August, we’ve got more than 30 Diverse businesses to back while you’re eating, drinking and traveling your way through Madison.
From coffee shops to brunch, hold a day (or two! or more!) to check these spots out. Looking for more Gay culture in Madison? Check out what our friends Joey Amato from Identity Journeys and Maartje Hensen said about their visits to Madison.
Jump around to uncover LGBTQ+ owned businesses by category:
Coffee and Cafes
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Restaurants and Bars
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Clubs and Lounges
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Shops and Bookstores
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Breweries and Wine
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Attractions and Nonprofits
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Find other LGBTQ+ friendly businesses in Destination Ma
Rod's bar became a lgbtq+ icon and legend among gay men in the 1980's and 1990's Madison. Opened by entrepreneur Rodney Scheel and located in the lower level (basement) of the Hotel Washington building just west of downtown Madison (which Rodney owned with his brother Greg), the bar had a decidedly leather/levi type ambiance. Early on, "Rod's" took on a "tradition" of the bartenders holding surprise "spot checks" for men wearing underwear- which, if found, were promptly removed (cut off) and hung over the pipes on the ceiling of the bar. In no time the pipes running in the main lock room were draped with countless cut-off underwear. The bar became an extremely popular destination for men throughout Wisconsin and even from northern Illinois.
Over day, the bar opened additional rooms in the help, one of which showed adult male (i.e. homosexual porn) videos. (On the seedier side, Rod's "men's room" had its have little tradition: on occasion one might find, along the walls holding the urinals, someone kneeling: aficionados of "water sports" were to be found that night!)
An outdoor patio was a very popular addition. Opened outside/ upstairs, the patio was popular spring, summer and fall eveni