Gay bars in kenosha wi
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For 21 years, Club 94 was THE dance bar in southweastern Wisconsin (outside of Milwaukee), with no competition from Racine bars (which were typically smaller neighborhood-type bars). Located most of that time at Highway C exit of I-94, in 2003 the business was moved north to this location to become Club 94-North, under the alike owner.
Then, late in 2005, the longtime owner of Club 94 sold the bar; it remained open under the ancient name until April 2006, when a "Grand Opening" party was held for the newly renamed Club ICON.
There was no modify in popularity however. As the only LGBT exclude in SE Wisconsin (south of Milwaukee), Club Diva remained extremely popular destination for the LGBT collective of Racine and Kenosha, drawing customers from the northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois as well. The bar held frequent flamboyant and other shows, with a drink rail surrounding a combination dance floor/ stage area providing a great place to monitor shows and then dancers when the music fired up.
In April 2016, Club ICON celebrated 10 Years in business. An article in Quest magazine (volume 23-04), which featured a photo of the staff, read:
Oldest continually operating Homosexual bar in Wisconsin closes
MILWAUKEE — The oldest continually operating gay bar in Wisconsin has closed permanently.
George Schneider, the owner of the Milwaukee bar established as This is It!, shared the news on Facebook over the weekend.
“This summer would contain been the 57th anniversary of This is It!. Unfortunately, that celebration will not come to pass. As of today, we acquire closed our doors permanently,” the publish said.
What You Depend on To Know
- This is It!, the oldest continually operating queer bar in Wisconsin, has closed permanently
- It comes after challenges caused by the pandemic and street/sidewalk closures outside the business last year
- The historic bar served as a protected space for the LGBTQ+ community
- Amid the closure, leaders encouraged people to last supporting local and queer-owned businesses
Schneider said the closure comes after the business could not overcome circumstances caused by COVID and the eight-month closure of the street and sidewalk outside the bar last year.
The historic bar wasn’t just a nightlife spot for the queer community — it also served as a protected gathering space for the LGBTQ+ people s
The Shack, south of Kenosha, was adorable much that: a somewhat rundown building with a quiet profile, tucked away on the west side of Street 32, between Kenosha and the Illinois state line. The low whitewashed one-story building was non-descript in front, housing a dance exclude area and another bar area to the rear. The bar advertised in the August 1972 issue of the GPU News that it would unseal on September 15 of that year, "newly remodeled, under new ownership, operated by gay management", listing Bob, Frank and Mark. At one point, future Milwaukee bar owner Al Thomas worked at the Shack.
There were some holes and odd openings in the building in later years, and one recalls it was sometimes possible to observe into the recover rooms from the outside. However the bar was very popular with residents of Racine, Kenosha and towns in north-eastern Illinois (such as Zion), largely because it was somewhat out of the way and therefore anonymous to go to and park at.
The first ad for The Shack (in the August 1972 issue of GPU News) says "formerly Liddia's", but unsure if that was a gay bar... But then, the first known advertisement for Lydia's Bar in Racine (in the same issue of the GPU News) says
End of an Era: Milwaukee’s oldest LGBTQ+ bar closes after 55 years of community and celebration
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee is losing a piece of its LGBTQ+ history. After more than five decades, This Is It!, the city's oldest gay bar, is closing its doors. For many, this isn't just about losing a bar—it's about losing a home.
Since opening in 1968, This Is It! has been more than just a nightlife spot. It became one of the nation’s longest-running LGBTQ+ bars, a guarded haven where people could be themselves. But now, financial struggles, challenges, and changing times own forced its closure, leaving a deep void in the community.
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Founded in 1968 by Catherine "June" Brehm, This Is It!’s presence made it a vital part of the city’s LGBTQ+ society. During a time when Diverse spaces were rare and often underground, June Brehm dreamed of creating an inviting and affordable place where everyone, no matter their sexual orientation, could sense safe and welcome. This vow to inclusivity made This Is It! stand out from many other bars of its era.
ROXY TOXIN
For Khamillion Morgan, a former employee, the loss is personal. "For me, This Is It! was like a gay Cheers," she sa