Quest Investigates:
Is Julaine Appling Eligible For A Domestic Partnership?
By Mike Fitzpatrick
Madison - One of the great ironies of the 2006 battle over the constitutional amendment to ban gay civil unions and marriage was that neither of the top two talking heads on the issue - Julaine Appling for, and Mike Tate against - had actually experienced the joys of matrimony. True, Tate was engaged to and later married his girlfriend (after the vote, of course - to have done so during the ballot battle would have been akin to double dipping a potato chip in the party dip).
  Fast forward to 2009 and the current controversy over Governor Jim Doyle’s inclusion in the biennial budget of a domestic partner package offering several dozen protections to same-sex couples. Supporting the proposal in the media have been Fair Wisconsin’s Glenn Carlson and Katie Belanger, both happily hitched to their respective spouses (both male, by the way, if anyone’s keep score). Opposing Doyle’s initiative once again is the ever-single Julaine Appling.
  Or so we thought. Right up until Joint Finance Committee Chair Mark Pocan (D-Madison) suggested about seven minutes into a recent debate with Julaine on the syndicated Wisconsin political gabfest “Up Front With Mike Gousha” that she did not have to have a registered relationship. “I’m not saying that Ms. Appling and her roommate have to form a domestic partnership,” Pocan said. “But if my committed partner of seven years and I want to form one... I should have that right.”
  Julaine did not take the bait, opting instead to bury Pocan’s implied allegation with her 1,700 page budget document argument against the measure. However Quest will. Could the sixty-something, never-married Julaine Appling actually be eligible to register for a domestic partnership? Here’s what we discovered.
  Appling owns a home in Watertown with a fellow sixty-something, never married woman named M. Diane Westphall. They purchased the home together on September 28, 2007 for $148,500 from Brian and Adrianna Hollenbeck, according to Jefferson County property tax records.
  If that makes the pair guilty of anything it’s poor timing - they are the fourth couple to own the house in five years and it soared in value from its March 2002 estimate of $106,200. There’s certainly nothing in street shot of the domicile that Quest obtained which screams “Flip This House.”
  However, Appling and Westphall also work together - a lot. Both are employed at the Wisconsin Family Council: Julaine as the Chief Operating Officer and most visible face of the organization and Diane as a “Project Coordinator.” Appling’s “Meet the Staff” biography is fleshed out; Westphall’s is “coming soon.” Problem is its been coming and coming and coming - ever since the new site went up, replacing the old Wisconsin Family Research Institute-monikered website months ago. We’ve been checking. Something to hide? Maybe, maybe not - as another staffer’s biography is also incomplete.
  Appling and Westphall also teach at Watertown’s Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Westphall currently teaches a class in Business Communication. Appling will teach a class on National Government this Fall, a discreet semester apart.
  Appling and Westphall also have worked together on a project for the Watertown-based Eternal Vision, Inc., a self-described “Ministry of Biblical Stewardship.” In the last two and a half years, the tax-exempt organization has developed 30 ministries in 17 states. It also received a million dollar gift to establish a “Wisconsin Church Planting Fund.”
  Appling and Westphall worked together on a 2007 project entitled “Building Conviction For Christian Education,” authoring two articles for a supplemental information package that provides resources for pastoral teams. Appling’s article, “Walking in the Counsel, Standing in the Aisles, Sitting in the Seats,” contrasts public and Christian schools. Among this differences Appling points out is that mainstream schools’ “Human Growth and Development programs typically don’t champion abstinence, science programs... are by and large governed by the tenets of evolution... (and) the homosexual agenda is frequently not only present but pervasive...”
  Westphall’s brief piece, “The Emerging Butterfly Who Lives at Your House,” talks about the many awakenings brought on by adolescence using the caterpillar-into-butterfly metaphor in part to frame the piece. (It’s not available in Spanish and hopefully translation care would be taken as a slip of the keyboard could turn that “butterfly” into Latino slang for gay).
  So it is clear that Julaine and Diane are certainly more than just “two guys sitting in an ice shanty somewhere,” as she expressed last February to Judith Davidoff when Appling first complained about Doyle’s benefits proposal. But could a familial relationship rule out a possible domestic partnership? Possibly.
  In the November 26, 2007 Watertown Daily Times obituary for Raymond Westphall, it is noted that “survivors include his daughters, Diane Westphall, Renée Westphall, Janet (Ben) Peterson, and Julaine Appling, all of Watertown.”
  That does not appear to jibe with Appling’s official biography which notes “Julaine is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, where at the age of 5 months, she was adopted into the loving home of Bob and Mary Appling..”
  Of course being an adopted child certainly does not rule out Raymond Westphall as her biological father. The senior Westphall’s obituary also noted that “From 1934 to 1941, Ray played professional baseball in the minor leagues. During World War II, 1941-1945, Ray served with honors as a T-sergeant athletic instructor in the U.S. Army Medic unit... (and) for a number of years, he was an umpire in the American Association.”
  Given the era of Julaine’s conception, it is certainly possible a potentially embarrassing family secret might lurk in the discrepancy above. It certainly would inform Ms. Appling’s zeal for preserving what she perceives as “traditional families” in her current position.
  But what if Julaine is a metaphorical daughter, an invited member of the family? Many people choose to include non-biological members in their families on the basis of an affectional relationship with one or more of the blood relatives. Does that make her a lesbian, something Pocan certainly might have been trying to imply with his roommate quip? Not necessarily.
  According to their available biographies, another Julaine-Diane connection is that they both went to Bob Jones University. Given their ages, they possibly encountered one another on campus. Two good Baptists girls graduate and one joins her best friend back in her hometown sometime after due to their college connection? It’s certainly plausible.
  So two life-long friends with similar backgrounds and values live together, work together and eventually buy a house together. It’s that 80’s TV show “Kate and Allie” without the rug rats.
  And if they truly care for each other, clearly have co-mingled their assets, want to be able to visit each other in the hospital, cash each other’s checks or take care of one or the other’s final wishes and they’re not bound by blood, why not get a domestic partnership? There’s no sexual intimacy test to register for a domestic partnership, if Doyle’s budget passes with his registry proposal intact. All that counts is just caring and commitment.
  So, Julaine, stop complaining about it, join the majority of Wisconsinites in the recent St. Norbert/Wisconsin Public Radio poll who support Doyle’s proposal and go for a domestic partnership with Diane. Even if there is more than the apparent long-time working relationship going on, we don’t want to know about the icky parts anyway. Most people now just don’t care, which is why someday - probably sooner than you’d like - all your hard work back in 2006 will be undone.

Wisconsin ACT UP Chapter Forms
Organizers To Address Disparity of Services For People Living With HIV/AIDS
Madison - A chapter of the HIV/AIDS advocacy group, ACT UP has formed in Madison. ACT UP Wisconsin is being formed by a group of Wisconsin residents who are living with HIV/AIDS as well as friends, family members and others who are supportive of an expanded community voice in Wisconsin HIV prevention, care and treatment services.
  Bob Bowers, Founder of HIVictorious, a Madison based organization that does youth HIV prevention education believes that the formation of an ACT UP chapter comes at “a critical time in our history.”
  “Over 27 years into the epidemic those of us living with HIV/AIDS find ourselves having a limited voice in the decision making process regarding HIV/AIDS services in Wisconsin,” Bowers said.
  Of immediate concern to the Wisconsin ACT UP chapter is addressing what organizers perceive as a growing disparity in directly provided HIV services in Madison and the surrounding thirteen county southern public health region when compared to the rest of the state. “While our immediate concern is addressing the disparity of services provided in southern Wisconsin, the formation of ACT UP Wisconsin is meant to send a clear message to elected and appointed officials as well as the agencies charged with providing HIV prevention, treatment and care services that we intend to hold them accountable,” Bowers said. “The voice of the HIV/AIDS community has been silenced long enough.”
  Greg Milward, a Madison resident living with AIDS and a former director of the Madison-based AIDS Network, concurs with Bowers.  “Last year I resigned from the AIDS Network board of directors due to concerns regarding the direction of the agency and the lack of directly provided services. It has since become clear that the issue is much larger and involves failures of the state AIDS/HIV Program and our elected officials” Milward said. “The formation of an ACT UP chapter is much needed in Wisconsin and will allow those living with HIV/AIDS to have an expanded voice in charting the course of HIV/AIDS services in Wisconsin.”
  Della Haugen, a local community organizer and former coordinator of AIDS Network’s annual AIDS Ride recalled ACT UP’s original mission. “ACT UP provided much needed community input during the early years of the AIDS epidemic,” she said. “While the issues are different today than 27 years ago, there is a reemergence
of the sense of urgency to address the current issues surrounding HIV/AIDS in Wisconsin. We need to remind our elected and appointed officials in Wisconsin that we must not lose sight of the lessons learned from those early AIDS activists who formed the original chapters of ACT UP - that the voice of those living with HIV/AIDS and those who support them in their communities is an essential part of charting the course for HIV services in the months and years to come. We will not be silenced.”
  Additional information about the new ACT UP chapter can be found at the group’s website:  www.actup-wisconsin.com

State News:

Equality Wisconsin Joins In Immigration Reform March
Milwaukee - Despite a bad economy, inclement weather, concerns about swine flu, and rumors that the march had been cancelled around 30,000 people joined the Milwaukee May 1 march to support the Obama Administration’s recent declarations in support of passing humane immigration reform in 2009 and to express their solidarity with immigrant families and workers.
   The march snowballed from 100 to 1,000 to 20,000 to 30,000 as it wound it’s way from Milwaukee’s Southside across the 6th street viaduct bridge, through downtown and into Veteran’s Park. Among the marchers was a contingent from the Milwaukee-based LGBT civil rights organization Center Advocates, which recently was renamed as Equality Wisconsin.
  Closing speakers at the Veteran’s park rally included US Congresswoman Gwen Moore, State Representative Pedro Colón, Equality Wisconsin  spokesman Ray Vahey and Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera. Voces de la Frontera was the lead organization coordinating the event.
  “There isn’t anyone or anything that can come between us on this issue,” Moore said, referring to the diversity of marchers from labor, faith, and community-based organizations at the rally. 
  “Latino elected officials have made this a priority so that the Administration doesn’t forget that we need a just immigration reform,” Colón said. Then - referencing his own work at the state legislative level - Colón added: “People need a drivers’ license so they can live in peace and students need a fair tuition so they can go to college like their peers.”
  “We are here to show our solidarity with our immigrant, Latino and worker brothers and sisters,” Vahey said. “We will not be victims!  We are equal!  Now we are in the struggle for equal rights and together, we will win!”
  “We need to stay united and work hard to ensure that the people have a voice in the legislative process so that we can achieve a legalization that is dignified of all immigrants in the United States,” Neumann-Ortiz said in her closing remarks.
  Voces de la Frontera will be organizing a series of community forums to get input on legislative proposals and an upcoming lobby day at the State Capitol.  For more information about Voces de la Frontera, visit the group’s website at: www.vdlf.org

Racine LGBT Teen Group Starts
Racine - The first meeting of the only LGBT teen group in the Racine-Kenosha area will be held at the LGBT Center of Southeastern Wisconsin on Saturday, May 23 at 11 AM.  The documentary “Gramercy Stories” will be shown  as part of the opening program. 
 Produced by Lambda Legal, “Gramercy Stories” is an inspiring look inside a unique residence in Manhattan that is providing a safe home to 25 gay and transgender teenagers who have experienced violence at home and on the streets.  Told from their candid, often witty perspective, the film follows these courageous kids as they strive to remake their lives - often without the support of their parents or biological families.
Additional Programs Set For May
Also scheduled this May at the Southeastern LGBT Center are a domestic violence support group on May 14 from 7- 8:30 PM facilitated by Women’s Resource Director Cherie Griffin; a Singles Potluck Dinner on May 17 at Kenosha’s Bradford Community UU Church from 6-7:30 PM);  and a showing at the center of “Steel Magnolias,” a perennial favorite featuring Sally Fields, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Darryl Hannah, and Dolly Parton on May 20 from 7-9:30 PM.
  For more information and details about all programs, services and activities at the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin visit their website: www.lgbtsewisc.org

Pozitive Lite Meets at AIDS Network
Madison - Pozitive Lite, Madison’s longest functioning support atmosphere for men that have sex with men continues to meet the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month at 5:30 -  7:30pm or so. Attendees reignite the “lite” with fellowship, food, laughter, and more.
 On May 18 there is a discussion & movie night which will feature John Greyson’s “Lilies.”  On May 24 there will be a guest speaker presenting information on Reiki, the Japanese technique for stress reduction and  relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands.”
  Pozitive Lite meetings are held at AIDS Network,600 Williamson Street. For more information about the group and other upcoming events, call 608-252-6540.

Queen Of The May Auction Benefits Milwaukee Gay Groups
Milwaukee - Now through May 17, the Milwaukee LGBT Consortium - composed of FORGE, the Lesbian Alliance of etro Milwaukee, the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, SAGE/Milwaukee and Vets Do Ask Do Tell, LLC - is conducting its inaugural Queen of the May online auction. The auction catalog is replete with some great gifts for upcoming graduations.  Many items may be purchased immediately with the “Buy Now” option.  To check out the auction catalogue and bid on items of interest visit: www.mkelgbt.cmarket.com.

Alliance School Freshmen Set Rally To End Violence
Milwaukee - The freshman class at Alliance School will hold a rally devoted to stopping violence in all areas on Saturday, May 16, from Noon- 7PM at the the school, 234 W Galena St. There will be a giant pledge to non-violence for attendees to sign along with entertainment and the stories of people and their battles with violence.
  Other activities will include a silent auction, games for the kids and the building of a giant rubber band ball with each band honoring either a victim or survivor of hate. The students also have invited different organizations from around the area to set up tables to get their messages out to the public.
    The rally will benefit the LGBT Center, The Humane Society and The CAP Fund. The reason the students picked these funds is because they found that violence goes in a circle and that violence against children and animals many times leads to adult violence.
  For more inforation about the event, contact Corky Larson, Freshman Class Advisor by email at: wuidodog@hotmail.com or by phone at: 414-227-2550.

Center Advocates  Annual Meeting Set
Milwaukee - Center Advocates will hold its annual membership meeting and reception on  Monday June 1 from 5: - 7:30 PM in the parlor at Plymouth Church Parlor, 2717 E. Hampshire Ave. here. RSVPs are requested by email at: CARSVP@inforge.com

Arts & Entertainment:

Full PrideFest Entertainment Line-Up Announced
Milwaukee - Each summer, PrideFest - one of the nation’s most dynamic celebrations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) culture and community takes place on the shores of Milwaukee’s lakefront.
  This June 12-14, The Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, will be a sea of rainbows, as some of the most awarded females in entertainment history take to the Miller Stage.
  The amazing pop legend and Grammy winner Cyndi Lauper will open PrideFest weekend on June 12. Lauper, a long-time supporter of LGBT rights, founded the landmark True Colors concert tour, which strove to raise public awareness about the issues facing the LGBT community.
  The multi-talented, Grammy award winning singer/actress Brandy performs on June 13, and blues icon, Etta James - a two time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, and 4-time Grammy Award winner, perhaps best known for her  song, “At Last”, will perform on Sunday, June 14. James will be joined by The Roots Band, along with special guest, Deborah Cox, who’s 1998 song, “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” held the record for longest-running number-one single on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for nearly eight years.
  Not to be outdone by the Miller Stage, the Decibel-sponsored Dance Pavilion will be hopping. With everything from the Mr. and Miss PrideFest Pageant, to Bearapalooza, to the main DJ’s featured each night in the Pump DJ Showcase. The Sunday night headliner in the Dance Pavilion, is Swedish Pop sensation September, who is flying in from Europe for an exclusive PrideFest performance. Her hits “Cry for You” and “Can’t Get Over” have torn up the dance charts from Norway to the UK, and on to the US.
  On several stages throughout the grounds, over one hundred and twenty acts, including Martine Locke, Ferron, Josh Duffy, The Joans, and Bridget Lyons, will perform during the three-day festival. The Children and Family Stage will provide various daily activities and entertainment for those in attendance with children, and LGBT couples wishing to commit, can participate in the Sunday, June 14 “Celebration of our Relationships.”
  Want to finally stop smoking? Be sure to stop on by the Health and Wellness Area for tips on living a healthier life.
  Tickets for PrideFest are currently available online at www.pridefest.com. They will also be available for purchase at the PrideFest box office each day of the festival. By purchasing in advance, ticket-holders will not only benefit from a savings, but they will also beat the crowds, by taking their print-at-home ticket straight to the gate.
  Those attending PrideFest from out of town can take advantage of special low rates with the official 2009 PrideFest Host Hotel - The Double Tree Hotel Milwaukee City Center. For more information on PrideFest, including schedules, hotel rates, entertainment, ticket purchasing, and information on how to become part of the volunteer team, please log onto www.pridefest.com.

Jerry Grillo Concert To Benefit CCF Youth Fund
Milwaukee - Jerry Grillo, local jazz and big band singer, will perform a benefit concert at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, 703 South 2nd St. here on Friday, June 5, at 8 PM.  Proceeds from the event will benefit  the Cream City Foundation’s John Cowles Youth Fund for homeless youth.
  Jerry will be making a departure from his usual jazz and big band repertoire by performing songs made famous by women from broadway and the movies. This is a theatrical cabaret show featuring songs by iconic women singers who were the models for today’s musical performers. Grillo refers to Tony Bennett’s, “Here’s To The Ladies” CD as an inspiration, as well as Rufus Wainright’s current CD and DVD tribute to Judy Garland’s famous concert at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1961.
  Tickets are $15 and may be ordered in advance or purchased at the door.  Advance reservations can be made by calling 414-225-0244 or online at: www.creamcityfoundation.org.

Perfect Harmony’s “Equal, Not Special” To Benefit AIDS Network
Janesville - Madison’s Perfect Harmony Men’s Chorus will offer a benefit concert Sunday, May 17 at 3 PM at Rock Prairie United Presbyterian Church, 8605 East County A here. 
  Perfect Harmony will present a preview of the finalé to their 12th season as a benefit for the AIDS Network.  “Equal, Not Special” is a concert retrospective of the civil rights movements of the United States. Join the chorus as they take a musical journey through the 19th century as they address the struggles of our African American citizens to receive the benefits of equal rights with their European neighbors.
  The program will continue into the 20th Century with a musical look at the Suffragettes and the struggle for full rights for women, then follow to the civil rights movement in the 1960’s during the Martin Luther King era. 
The musical journey will conclude with the gay, lesbian and transgender movement of the last 40 years since the Stonewall riots
  Tickets are $10 and available at the door. For more information call 608-445-6767 or visit the Perfect Harmony website at: www.perfectharmonychorus.org
  Perfect Harmony will also offer “Equal, Not Special” on Saturday, May 30 at 7 PM. in Mills Concert Hall in the Humanities Building on the UW-Madison campus.  Tickets for this performance are $15 and also available online at the website listed above.  Tickets can also be purchased from chorus members and at the door.

A Mid-May Lesbian Literature Revel
Milwaukee - Outwords Books will host a publication party for debut novelist, Moondancer Drake on Tuesday, May 19 to celebrate the release of her debut novel “Ancestral Magic.”
  “We are always pleased to welcome authors to Outwords Books but we are especially pleased to have the opportunity to welcome another fine local writer,” manager Carl Szatmary told Quest.
  Authors C.P. Rowlands and Earlon Sterling will join Drake for this “Mid-May Revelry of Lesbian Literature” program set to start at 7 PM.
  With a focus on environmental spiritually driven multicultural fiction, Moondancer Drake draws much of her inspiration from her goddess spirituality as well as experiences as both a Cherokee woman and as a mother. Moondancer is also a vocal advocate for civil rights and the responsibility of all people to take better care of Mother Earth.
  Ancestral Magic, has been released through PD Publishing. She also has several stories out in an LGBT flash fiction Horror anthology called “Chilling Tales of Terror and the Supernatural,” and her story “True Love” appears in “I Do,” a charity anthology benefiting Lambda Legal.
  Defying simple genre pigeonholing, “Ancestral Magic” introduces spirited protagonist Sky Hawthorn, a single mother struggling on a waitress’ salary to support herself and Drake, her blind son. When a Sky learns an aunt she never knew has left her a manor house, Sky is left with a big decision. Meg Thompson has spent years watching Sky stumble through one doomed relationship a man after another, never daring to reveal the secret love she has for Sky. Initially devastated by her good news, Meg is both surprised and delighted Sky asks her to come along to Green Grove. Yet Green Grove possesses many secrets. There’s a dark underbelly to the friendly town called the Sect, and they want Sky’s home and the magical place called Sacru Teren. Add a handsome doctor to the mix and Meg is left questioning any possibility of a happy life together with Sky. Will Sky’s past and the dark secret that past holds change everything?
  To learn more about Moondancer and her writing, visit her at her website at www.moondancerdrake.com
  C.P. Rowlands’s first novel, “Lake Effect Snow” - initially an “e-book only” release from Bold Strokes Books - proved to be not only an Outwords Books Bestseller but so successful that a print edition from BSB soon followed. C.P. Rowlands joins the program on May 19 to reveal a peek at her upcoming romance, “Collision Course,” which with a January 2010 release date, will surely heat up some cold winter’s nights.  
  Rowlands’s “Lake Effect Snow” is a thrilling novel of international intrigue which finds renowned news correspondent Annie T. Booker at a personal crossroads. After having covered Iraq for over three years, Annie is badly injured in Baghdad. Exhausted, she returns stateside to recover. Annie, however, doesn’t find life at home quite the sanctuary it had always been. Not only is Annie’s name on an Iraqi hit list, but her partner of ten years has left, she is betrayed by a friend, and her TV network wants the FBI in her life full time. When the danger escalates, senior FBI agent Sarah Moore is assigned to her case. Annie and Sarah struggle to stay one step ahead of danger as Annie’s life increasingly becomes the war zone she had long reported on.
  Born and raised in the Midwest, C.P. Rowlands attended college in Iowa and lived in the southwest and on the west coast before returning to Wisconsin. In addition to being a writer, C.P. Rowlands is also an artist and has spent many years working in radio, sales, and various other jobs. She has two children, two grandchild, a partner of nineteen years, and a cat.
    Earlon Sterling is a lifelong storyteller, began as a child telling stories to friends and family. Earlon will be sharing with attendees a special, as yet unpublished story, story, with the working title “Adaline.”
  Moondancer Drake and C.P. Rowlands will both be available to sign copies of their novels following the readings, which will be held at Outwords Books, Gifts & Coffee, located at 2710 N. Murray Ave. 
  This is a free event and all are welcome.  For further information, please call or visit www.outwordsbooks.com or 414-963-9089.

Proud Theater’s “Full Circle” at the UW Memorial Union
Madison - Proud Theater Productions, in conjunction with Outreach, Inc., the LGBT Campus Center at the University of Wisconsin Madison, and The New Harvest Foundation presents “Proud Theater: Full Circle,” a fun and exciting evening of theater, music, poetry and dance written by and starring the talented youth of Proud Theater, Madison’s very own LGBTQ youth theater troupe.
  As with its previous critically acclaimed productions in 2005, 2007 and 2008, “Proud Theater: Full Circle” tackles many of today’s issues that affect youth and does so with humor, heart and honesty.  Sometimes outrageous, sometimes profound, the youth share their voices with the community in a no-holds barred and uncensored way.  This year the youth look at personal acceptance, family issues, gender identity and much, much more!
  “Proud Theater: Full Circle” runs May 21 - 23 in the Fredric March Play Circle inside the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union, 800 Langdon Street here. Shows will begin at 7:30 PM. A matinee performance will also be available on May 23 at 2:30 PM  Wisconsin. Doors will open a half hour prior to each performance.
  Tickets are $10 dollars each and can be purchased at the Campus Arts ticketing locations - 800 Langdon St or at 821 University Ave., by phone at 608-265-2787, or online by clicking “Buy Tickets” at www.uniontheater.wisc.edu.  Phone orders have a $2.50 per ticket and online orders have a $3.50 per ticket service charge.
  For more info on the show, contact Proud Theater at proudtheater@gmail.org, or visit www.proudtheater.org, or www.uniontheater.wisc.edu.
  Proud Theater is an award-winning, exciting and innovative youth theater program designed to foster self-expression and self-empowerment for Madison-area youth ages 13 to 19 who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ), or who are the sons or daughters of LGBTQ parents, or allies of the LGBTQ community at large. 
  Founded in 1999 by Sol Kelley-Jones and Callen Harty, Proud Theater’s mission is to change the world in a positive way through the power of theater, theater arts and heart, art and activism.  The teens of Proud Theater collaboratively create theatrical pieces and original music through improv, group discussion and guidance from Proud Theater Artistic Director Brian Wild and prominent adult members of the Madison community. 
  Proud Theater is currently a program of Outreach, Inc – Madison’s LGBTQ resource center.  “Proud Theater: Full Circle’ is also sponsored in part by a grant from the New Harvest Foundation.

Lesbian Alliance Art Show Reception Set
Milwaukee - A formal reception for the 3rd Annual Lesbian Alliance Art Show will be held Saturday, May 23, from 5-8 PM at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, 315 W. Court St.
  The exhibition,features the works of women artists and is entitled “Mother Earth in Daily Life.” In many cultures there are evocations of mother earth including: Gaia, in Greek mythology; Matka Ziemia, in Slavonic mythology and Shakti in Hindism. Following the reception, the exhibit will run from May 24 to July 17.
  For more information about the reception, call 414-272-9442 or visit the organization’s website at: www.lesbianalliance.org or

A. J. Shanti At Walker’s Pint May 31
Milwaukee - A.J. Shanti, singer-songwriter from New York, has recently released her debut album “Baby Beau Blue,” promoted it on a successful tour of Europe and is now touring the East Cost, accompanied by Croatian musician Dora Benc.  A.J.’s lyrically rich and emotionally charged songs cut at issues of love, pain and queer revolution.  Her live performances are raw and heartbreaking, uplifting and fun.
  A.J. will be performing at Walker’s Pint on May 31.  The event is in collaboration with Milwaukee Gay Arts Center and is meant to raise funds for the Center while providing a night of entertainment for the queers and queer lovers of Milwaukee.

StageQ Offers 4th Set Of Queer Shorts
Madison - StageQ, Inc, Madison’s LGBT theater company, has announced its fourth annual festival of short plays. “Queer Shorts 4” will play two weekends only, May 28 - June 6, at the Bartell Theatre, 113 E Mifflin St.  
  With a theme of “It’s Only Love”, “Queer Shorts 4” will present 11 one-act plays with a variety of perspectives on love, from cynical to wry to romantic, most of them funny. Over 200 short plays were submitted and the final production will sure to make theater-goers laugh and bring the occasional tear to their eyes.
  With plays submitted from all over North America and Europe, “Queer Shorts 4” brings together works by Tara Ayres, Mike Kimball, Daniel McCoy, Carol Mullen, Thomas J. Misuraca, Lia Romeo, Deborah Chava Singer, Linda Suzuki, John Weagly and Mary Weems.
  Directing this year’s set of plays are Scott Albert Bennett, Michael Bruno, Katy Conley, Dani Givens, Melvin Hinton, Steve Noll, J. Patrick, Jeff Rabe, Mirranda Spitzer,Ginger Swart and Chrissie Valdez.
  Featured performers include Mark Albright, Liz Angle, Petrovnia Charles, Leonie Dolch, Nathan Figueroa, Rebecca Goldberg, Brendan Hartmann, Marian Herzog, Nancy Hutson, Wendy Fern Hutton, Nick Kaprelian, Sean Langenecker, Shaina Langlois, Andy Osen, Allison Phillips, Jane Schneider, Jocelyn Shucha, John Siewert, Mark Snowden, Amy Stantis, Louise Stout, Josh Swalheim, Ginger Swart, Frank Weidner, Mario White, Adam Williams and Kristina Zins.
“Queer Shorts 4” will play May 28 – June 6 at the Bartell Theater. Thursday’s performances are at 7:30 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8. There is a Sunday matinee at 2 PM on May 31. Tickets for Thursdays and the Sunday matinee are $10; all other shows are $15. Tickets may be purchased through the reservation line at: 608-661-9696 Ext. 3 or online at: www.StageQ.com

Cream City Chorus Discovers A”Small World”
Brookfield - The Wisconsin Cream City Chorus (WCCC) will return to the cabaret concert form on Saturday, June 13 with “It’s a Small World: The Music of Fred Small,” featuring solos and ensembles of its chorus members in addition to several full-chorus numbers.  Fred Small, painter, attorney and UUCW Minister in addition to songwriter and popular folk singer illuminates the goodness and courage in all kinds of people, and shines an sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous light on the issues of modern day living.
  As an added dimension for this concert, the WCCC will introduce attendees to “Dinner Theatre Lite” by providing appetizers and desserts made with ingredients from Tastefully Simple, prepared by Managing Artistic Director, Kristen L, Weber.  Attendees can choose the 5 PM which focuses on appetizers, or the 7:30 show which features mostly desserts. Treats at the show are included with admission, and afterwards, everyone will be able to place orders for the ingredients.  Fund raising orders will be shipped directly from Tastefully Simple.  It’s a great way to get a jump-start on summer entertaining while supporting the chorus.
“It’s a Small World: The Music of Fred Small” will be performed at the Unitarian Universalist Church West, 13001 W. North Avenue in Brookfield. Tickets for the concert are $20 for adult, $15 for youth (ages 11-18), and $5 for kids 10 and under. Tickets are available through chorus members and the chorus office, 315 W. Court Street in Milwaukee. Tickets also may be ordered by email at: info@creamcitychorus.org or by phone at: 414-276-8787.  Seating for the each show is limited.
  For more information about the Wisconsin Cream City Chorus and the concert, visit: creamcitychorus.org.

The (Jackie) Beat Goes On
By Dear Ruthie
Club Icon is about to be hit with a hurricane of glamour, genius and insatiable craziness - and her name is Jackie Beat. The sharp-tongued songstress, movie maven and comedy queen hits Southeastern Wisconsin on May 24, and she’s bringing her legendary show with her.
  Jackie was a homo household name in Los Angeles and New York City for years, but the glamazon quickly found a huge national following with televised comedy appearances as well as memorable parts in movies including  “Adam & Steve,” “Wigstock: The Movie” and “Flawless” with Robert DeNiro and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
  She sings her music parodies and dazzles the crowds for weeks at a time in Provincetown and Puerto Vallarta, and has been the opening act for Rosanne Barr in Las Vegas. You’ll also find her name among numerous television writing credits and voiceovers and if that’s not enough, she has several comedic music CDs to her name and is the lead singer in a new band Dirty Sanchez.  
  I had the opportunity to interview the lovely legend, and I jumped onboard. Sit back, swig a cocktail and take a listen to what the hardest working drag queen in America has to say.

Dear Ruthie: You reside in Hollywood now, but where are you originally from?

Jackie Beat: I was born in West Covina, California in Queen of the Valley Hospital. How appropriate is that?  But my family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when I was two. It’s a great place to grow up if you like Southwestern art, binge drinking and date rape.

DR: You do so much - live performances, music, stand-up comedy, film, television, writing - what’s your true passion?

JB: I adore writing anything and everything: articles, plays, movies, blogs, songs! My idea of heaven would be writing a bunch of hit songs and then just waiting for the mailbox to fill up with big fat checks!

DR: Unlike many other queens, you not only write your own songs and record your own vocals…you actually perform them live.

JB: Drag needs to evolve and that means a man in a dress doesn’t cut it.  I know a lot of queens who make very good livings lip synching, but let me say this: If you’re going to lip sync, at least pick a fantastic song and know the fucking words!  Okay, now that that is out of my system, I have been singing all my life and most people are shocked to learn that I have never taken a single singing lesson. It’s called natural talent! You know, like the fact that I can get away with wearing only a little lip gloss and mascara on stage!

DR: We can’t wait to have you in Wisconsin. What’s your touring schedule like?

JB: Most of my gigs are one weekend here, the next weekend there. I usually fly to a city, do a show and leave.  It’s so sad.  I have been all over the country, but the only thing I want to do, other than my show, is go to the thrift stores. I love thrift stores!  And in the Midwest, the South and small towns, they have stuff you cannot get in LA or New York.   

DR: How did you begin working in film?

JB: I am lucky that I just do what I do and people come to me.  I usually don’t have to audition for parts: people know who I am and what I can do so they’ll write a part for me. Auditioning is a horrible process.  You have to convince someone - usually a bitter, failed actor that is now a casting director - to love you.  Not fun.  As far as I am concerned, if you don’t love me, there is something wrong with YOU!

DR: Roseanne Barr called you “The greatest drag queen on earth.” What other celebrities have you enjoyed working with?

JB: Most of the people I enjoy working with are not famous -- just very hardworking artists, actors or musicians.  But I do love Parker Posey, who was in “Adam & Steve.”  She is one of those people who you just cannot take your eyes off of.  She elevates every project she does.  Margaret Cho is super fun.  Philip Seymour Hoffman was very generous and kind.  On the flip side, when me 20 and many of my club scene friends appeared in a Robbie Williams video, he didn’t utter even one word to any of us.
 
DR: Let’s talk about your band, Dirty Sanchez. How would you describe the band’s sound?

JB: Sexy electro-dance music with a sense of humor. (The band) was all an elaborate joke, really.  I mean, our name is Dirty Sanchez!  I wrote a song called “Really Rich Italian Satanists” which was supposed to be a campy love letter to the 1970’s Italian horror films, but next thing I know we’re playing to soldout crowds on the Sunset Strip and the kids in the audience are singing with me!

DR: Other than Club Icon, where can we see you next? What’s next for superstar Jackie Beat?

JB: I will be doing a comedy special for LOGO with Varla Jean Merman and Coco Peru.  Check your local listings!

DR: We will Jackie Beat! Break a tiara at Club Icon! Thanks for the interview doll!

Jackie Beat performs live at Club Icon on May 24 at 10 PM. Tickets are $15 in advance and can be purchased at Club Icon during normal business hours. Tickets to Jackie’s show are limited, so get yours early. Want to learn more about Jackie Beat, buy her CDs or read her blog? Stop by her website at: www.jackiebeatrules.com.

La Cage Celebrates Its Silver Anniversary
Constant Change Key To Milwaukee’s Landmark Gay Night Club Turning 25
Milwaukee - Spring 1984. The AIDS virus is identified just as the mortality rate approaches 50%. Ten million people are starving in Ethiopia despite international relief efforts. And the Cold War could become a nuclear winter at any minute. And yet, Frankie says, “relax,” as MTV is arriving in many Milwaukee neighborhoods for the first time. The age of the music video had arrived, and it was true - you would never look at music the same way again. Night life was changing, and the race to open Milwaukee’s first gay video bar was on.
  The February 9 issue of Wisconsin IN Step reported: “…the old Nikos in Milwaukee is reopening soon, under new ownership and management. The place was gutted and restyled, and will offer dancing, video and live entertainment. Keep an eye out.”
  Nobody really remembers Nikos now. Some people remember it as a south side, blue-collar “roughneck” bar, others remember a polka/concertina bar, and then there’s the people who think it was a Mexican restaurant.  If anyone knew what Nikos was in spring 1984, they would quickly forget, because the new video bar at 801 S. 2nd Street was about to reinvent the neighborhood.
  On March 20, 1984, the bar opened as “La Cage Aux Folles” in a relatively tiny storefront. But even then, La Cage was thinking big, offering “Milwaukee’s finest cocktail hour” every weekday (complete with complimentary hors d’oeuvres!) and a seven-day schedule of video-themed event nights. This was the arcade age, after all, and 2-for-1 video games was another big draw. The bar’s theme was “”Where You Can Always Be What You Are,” and it meant it: La Cage was the only place offering free drinks for anyone who came in drag on Friday and Saturday.
  Word got out about the new “it” spot. La Cage quickly overtook Club 219 and The Factory to become the city’s premier gay dance bar. This was not only the place to see and be seen, but also the place to hear the hottest new music and see the latest videos. There had never been anything quite like it.
  Celebrating its silver anniversary on the last month on April 24, La Cage still has a strong seven-day operation, a loyal following that helped it survive even the cattiest competition, and ambitious plans to reinvent itself for the next generation. Later this year, the club will debut a new third level space that has been shrouded in mystery to date. As co-owner Kris Heindel explained, “While we don’t want to give out all of our secrets, what we will tell you is that the third floor will open this year, and it will be as comfortable, intimate, and attractive as your living room as well as upscale, modern and energetic. And we already have a name picked out. Have we piqued your curiosity?”
  Love it or hate it, take it or leave it, whether you go every week or haven’t been there in 20 years, no one can deny the impact that La Cage has had on the LGBT community since 1984.
  As long-time employee Jackie Roberts shared, “Lots of people see this as just a club. They don’t realize what being gay in Milwaukee would be like today if there hadn’t been a La Cage.”

Early Days
George Prentice had been in the bar business since the late 1960s and later operated the River Queen on what is now the site of the Milwaukee Public Market and the Circus Bar - later Club 219. When Nikos was on its last legs and ready to go out of business, George saw a great opportunity. There was just one question: would people come?
  “When La Cage opened, this wasn’t the strip it is now,” George said. “The concentration was downtown or in the Third Ward - before people called it the Third Ward. It was just a bunch of empty warehouses for years. And Walker’s Point was such a different place back then.”
  “The word on the street was that I was nuts,” Prentice continued. “We hung a sign and put our name right out there on the front of the building. That was huge! At the time, either you knew where the gay bars were, or you weren’t going to find them, because they didn’t want straight people coming. There wasn’t the intermingling you see today. It was too risky for so many reasons. You would still see roaming gangs of drunken guys looking for someone to beat up, and the police were not going to help you. We have always had a fairly large and well-trained security staff. The only difference is, back then, we needed this to protect ourselves.”
  “We uncovered all the windows. That just wasn’t done in those days. People seriously thought they were going to get shot through the windows. The only window in gay bars back then was the 12-square-inch pane of glass in the front door, which was required by law. You can still see this in some of the older bars. People felt safer knowing that nobody could see in. We were validated a few years later when Bob Schmidt opened the M&M Club’s windows. Finally, everyone understood this window thing wasn’t going to be a problem.”
  “In the beginning, we rented only the first half of the corner bar, and the other half was a Puerto Rican social club.” George said. “Business was strong from Day One, but our infrastructure was always two steps behind the boom. Heating, air conditioning, water, gas, electricity - we just couldn’t keep up with the people. It would be years before we got ahead of the business.”
  Six months later, Prentice and his partner Corey Grubb rented out the whole building, and after another year, they bought the building. But it wasn’t easy getting on their feet.
  “During our early years, Alderwoman Mary Ann McNulty took an unpopular stance on the Common Council and went to bat for us in a big way. She helped us with the police department, building inspectors, and other city departments.  There was such great pressure from the city in those early days that we almost didn’t survive,” Prentice said. “ We had a lot of popular straight bars in the area, and the police department seemed to resent that we were ‘in their face.’ It was really a gradual process of winning people over.”
  “Very quickly, we became the gay entertainment anchor for the area, and our success encouraged the development of smaller bars nearby,” George added. “Suddenly, there was a whole new strip.”

Enter Jackie Roberts
Jackie Roberts came to La Cage in May 1989 and has worked at the bar continuously ever since, except for a three-month hiatus in 2007. She’s known as the Official First Lady of La Cage, and she has the sash and crown to prove it. Jackie has now been here longer than anyone, including DJ Tony Aiello, who was with La Cage for almost 20 years. She even remembers when it was known as La Cage aux Folles. “That original sign was still floating around here recently,” Roberts said.
  Formerly Miss Cream City 2001 and Miss Lakeshore 2007, Jackie recently took the title of Miss Cosmopolitan of Milwaukee USofA, and is now performing at preliminary competitions for Miss Wisconsin USofA in October. Jackie also performs monthly at M’s and Triangle, and will be performing a special show at Wherehouse in early June.
  After spending 12 years as door girl, she’s usually recognized as the front face of La Cage. She’s also seen a lot of people come and go over the past twenty years, and a whole lot of changes in Milwaukee’s gay culture.
  “One Sunday night in 1989, I came here from Club Marilyn’s underage night with some Milwaukee Ballet employees. I barely left the front bar, which was very dark at the time, and just stood against the wall taking it all in.” Jackie laughed. “Two weeks later, I was back with some friends from Milwaukee High School of the Arts. After the shows, we talked with fans in the (Jazz) back bar. We quickly learned it was all about working the door schedule and knowing when it was safe.”
  She became immediately fascinated by the star performers of that era: Holly Brown, Mimi Marks, Goldie Adams. Shows were every Sunday night at 10:30 PM and they were consistently packed.
  “At that time, you didn’t have RuPaul on TV introducing America to drag,” Roberts said. “The scene was more underground.” Jackie and her pal Rudy were there every week, until finally Jackie was pulled from the audience to work the spotlight for the show. “From there, I worked my way through every job in the bar - from the spotlight to cleaning to bar back to cast member to door girl to show girl.”
  “Coming out at La Cage used to be an event - people planned their outfits all week, and really dressed up for the occasion of being here,” Jackie said. This was the original S&M - Stand and Model bar. Now everything is so casual and people just come out in whatever they’re wearing.”
  “The bar also used to be so crowded, every night, and there would be so many after (bar) parties,” Jackie said. “But there were so many risks 20 years ago that don’t exist now. Going to a gay bar was a lot more dangerous, personally and professionally, because going there was making a statement about yourself. There was a lot of stigma attached. Straight people didn’t even come to gay bars for the music, because they were so scared of somebody seeing them. People were actually afraid of cameras in bars because they were afraid that photos would be used against them. People usually stayed at the bar they were loyal to, because it wasn’t always safe to bar-hop.”
  Closing time was often a particularly bad time to be on 2nd and National. “We used to have so many fights outside, because our crowd and the Steny’s crowd all got out at the same time,” Roberts said. “There was a lot of name-calling, and even a few attacks. You just didn’t walk down the street alone, ever. I used to get harassed on the bus. There were always a lot of wisecracks and hostile remarks. Thinking about it right now, I’m shocked with what we put up with. Society has changed so much.”
  “Now, LGBT people have so many more options, and sometimes they don’t even realize it, Jackie continued. “In my lifetime, I’ve seen people become comfortable going to straight bars and fitting in without changing a thing about themselves. That is huge.”
  Roberts believes mainstream media coverage of the gay community has brought many changes. “The media has done wonders for us,” she said. “The gay community has become so much larger, and at the same time, the country has become so much more accepting. Even the Midwest has become more liberal than people think. When PrideFest started, it was a small picnic in Juneau Park or Veteran’s Park. I never thought I’d see the day when we would take over the Summerfest grounds, and look at us now.”
  Jackie feels that she could write a book about what she’s seen, heard and done over the years. “I’ve fallen down a flight of stairs on the Fourth of July, and woken up naked on the second floor wrapped in a fur coat and last night’s makeup. I’ve learned not to question it,” Jackie laughed. “I remember a lot of fist fights, a lot of wigs being pulled off, and a whole lot of mayhem.”
  “I remember one famous battle where one queen mouthed off to another while changing in the bathroom. Well, one chased the other into a bathroom stall, and then tried to climb over the stall to get at her. After literally being thrown out by security, she came back in through the front door and stabbed the doorman in the eye with a pencil!”
  Roberts recalled a Mike Tyson-like episode. “One time, a queen and a male patron got into a fight at the coat check over who was next in line,”she said. “The guy was wagging his finger at her, which must have seriously pissed her off. Next thing you know, she’s running out the front door with blood all over her mouth - and the guy is running after her, carrying part of his finger that she bit off!”
  Jackie then recounted how the bar’s front windows were always getting abused. “At that time, people still entered through the front door, and our registers were up front, she said, “Scary!  An angry stripper once threw a brick through one after a dispute with the owners. Another night, an accident out front sent a parked car crashing through one of our front windows. And then someone threw a rock through the same window one night after hours. The tinted window cracked after impact, then very slowly spider-webbed, and then suddenly imploded. I yelled ‘Hit the floor!’ just as the window shattered. Everyone in the room was scared as hell.”
  Roberts also encountered many unique and unusual characters such as Miss Susan, a black queen from New York City who dreamed of performing as a female illusionist and who would command runway vogue competitions on the dance floor. “Lily White would paint her up and throw her on stage at 219 in lace gloves, crimped hair and pleather outfits,” Jackie said. “She would always try to get a show here, but never could. One night, we finally let her do a number. The audience was used to a more upscale performance, and they just didn’t get it. Susan never performed here again. I wonder whatever happened to her.”
  Jackie also remembers the strange combination of Taco Night with something called “Dragstrip.” Dragstrip involved drag queens stripping from girl to boy, pulling off 14 layers of pantyhose, on top of the bar in heels, wigs scraping the ceiling. In some cases, the performers were stripping from dresses to lingerie. “This excited one patron so much that he flipped over the taco table,” she said. “With everything in complete disarray, Rudy walked away, saying ‘OK - I’m done.’”

Transformations
Since its early days, La Cage has reinvented itself so many times that people often question their own memories of how the place used to look. “Our thing is that we always changed. That had a lot to do with our longevity. We did not sit still and expect the business to come to us,” Prentice said..
  Even Joe Angeli, who has been responsible for many of the club’s most successful renovations, admits that it’s hard to remember the way things were, unless he’s actually on the premises. “I came to change a light bulb in the late 1980s and never left,” he joked.
  Angeli has worked for thirty years in custom interior, lighting and sound system design. He worked on  venues such as Park Avenue, Nitro, and Club Marilyn. “In the beginning, things (at LaCage) didn’t look so snazzy,” he said. “They were working with someone who was more of a butcher than a carpenter. I hit it off with George after doing maintenance on the sound system, and eventually I started doing more and more projects for him. He’s turned out to be one of the best friends I’ve made in my life.”
  Joe appreciated the architecture and history of the Walker’s Point area. He can tell you all about the locomotive that used to run down National Avenue, about his father singing “God Bless America” on a player piano at the Albermart bar across the street, and about a time when the neighborhood was much more green and much less concrete. But more than anyone, he can tell you about the building at 801 South 2nd Street.
  “The building went up in 1886 and was a mercantile and grocery for most of its first hundred years,” Angeli said. “At one point, we uncovered some of the original glass, with butcher shop ads painted onto them. We tore out the ceiling, which had been boxed down six feet lower with 2x4s.”
   Angeli recalled that the original building was “bastardized” and covered up over the years. “Someone covered up the brick with metal panel siding in the 1950s,” he said. “Then the building was painted fire engine red, like a barn. By the time La Cage opened, it had wound up being a scary-looking building.”
  City maintenance also impacted the site, according to Angeli. “The original street level has risen five feet over the past hundred years,” he said. “You used to be able to see more of the building foundation. Our corner entryway has only two of its original six steps, and we also lost a walk-down doorway on the National Avenue side of the building. When they were tunneling new waterlines to the bar, they ran into the submerged steel rails from the old National Avenue locomotive, and it took them forever to cut through them.”
  In 1987, La Cage embarked on its first major expansion project. The southern portion of the building opened as a separate, but connected venue known as Dance, Dance, Dance. Around the same time, a separate back bar named Jazz was opened, offering “a not so loud adult retreat,” featuring fine wine and champagne by the glass, ice cream and blended drinks, crab legs and shrimp cocktails, and other more elegant touches. This was only the beginning of a 20-year series of renovations.
  “I was already there when Dance Dance Dance was going up,” Joe recalled. “There weren’t a lot of employees who were both creative and mechanically talented. But it was a melting pot of ideas with so many great people involved. That’s one of the things that made it so successful. George always had his finger on the pulse, he always knew what was going on in the city, and what would work and what wouldn’t work.”
  “Whoever said that you could only depend on two things in life, death and taxes, forgot to include La Cage’s remodeling projects,” Bill Meunier wrote in an issue of Wisconsin Light. Every year or two, the bar would undergo drastic remodeling, and no component of the bar was safe.  Bars would be ripped out only to reappear in a new spot, seating areas and dance floors were frequently reinvented, restrooms and coatrooms would pop up and disappear regularly, video screens, spotlights and accent neon would be added in unusual places, even the DJ booth was redesigned several times. “We gave everything a 120 day try,” George said. “Even if we spent $100,000 to build something that didn’t work, we would spend another $100,000 to make it right.”
  Grubb’s Pub opened in 1989 in the bar’s basement space. At one point the full-service grill was popular enough to remain open from noon until well past bar time, seven nights a week. Hoping to recapture Grubb’s magic, the basement bar reopened in 2003 as Etc.
  In 1994, a tropical-themed bamboo patio opened in a narrow alley along the building’s south side, only to close after its first winter, when the unstable foundation eroded and sank. The Jazz bar was blown up to expand the original dance floor into a L-shape. Later the space was closed off again with a black translucent wall to become “Backstreets” in 1995, but then reopened as a dance floor only a few years later.
  Angeli remembers how the Backstreets wall came down. “That bulletproof glass had been salvaged out of a bank. It was over an inch thick and was literally built into the dance floor wall,” he said. “I had nothing to do with the installation, but I was there watching the contractors struggling to get it out. Since they had such a hard time removing it, they decided they were going to smash it. But they were hammering it with sledgehammers that just bounced off. I watched them for almost an hour, and then, I walked up to them and said, ‘I bet I can break this piece of glass.’ They didn’t believe me, but I hit it on an edge and it shattered into a million pieces. The guys were amazed!”
  In 1998, La Cage completed a $750,000 exterior remodeling project to restore the building to its original 1887 appearance. Every scrap of exterior lead-based paint had to be collected and disposed of as a hazardous waste. The project also included cleaning bricks, installing traverse windows, putting in two new entrances, resizing and installing new windows, and redoing the building’s trim.
   “One of the things we are most proud of is the restoration of the building’s facade,” Prentice said. “We worked within federal guidelines and wound up on the National Register of Historic Places. We are also the building that appears on all the Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority posters for Walker’s Point.  The building is one of the few remaining examples of tin over brick and stone in the city. People don’t realize that the fancy scrollwork over the top of the building is all tin over mortar, not wood or stone.”
  One portion of the building posed a significant challenge during the restoration project, according to Angeli.  “With a building this age, everything’s a challenge. The biggest challenge so far was the two dormer windows that stick out onto National Avenue,” he said. “There was so much missing from the architecture due to deterioration, I had to go around and figure out what it was supposed to look like through interpretation and replacement. So much of it was originally hard carved, which makes it very difficult to reproduce. For example, all the molding on the big door on the front of the building was hand-carved. It’s a slow process.”
  For most of the Nineties, a wall with automatic sliding doors and windows separated La Cage and the former Dance Dance Dance space, creating two different environments offering two very different dance styles. But in 2004, La Cage underwent one of its biggest transformations ever: the entire center of the building was opened up into one massive, centralized dance floor surrounded by bars, tables, walkways, and a dance cage. After 20 years, La Cage had evolved from three separate bars to one gigantic room.
  Through all the transformations, some nostalgic elements still linger in memory: the long front bar with thousands of pennies inset in its surface, the second floor dressing rooms, the old-fashioned telephone booth, the pulsating neon lights that surrounded the ceiling heating ducts, the parking meters and street signs of Backstreets, the many different stages, boxes and video screens that filled the dance floors over the years…there’s a lot to remember. What’s coming next? Joe Angeli won’t say much about it, but he will say, “I pride myself on never missing a deadline, and I’m not planning on missing this one.”

Gossip Girls
La Cage has always lived up to the Oscar Wilde motto, “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Even in the early days, cover charges were a cause for complaint, as was the “La Cage Card” preferred customer program of the 1990s, in which patrons received special VIP discounts through a membership card that was made available for a limited time.
  In July 2004, the club was renamed from “La Cage” to simply “Cage” to reposition and redefine the bar for the next generation. Rumors swirled that the name change was part of a secret plan to transform the 20-year-old institution into a straight bar. In response, one ad announced that “We’re not going Straight, We’re going Forward.”
  The name change lasted approximately a year and reverted back under the new ownership. “I honestly think we lost patrons because of it,” one former employee said. “It was a sudden and surprising change, unlike our more gradual changes in the past.” 
  Prentice felt differently. “It’s ironic, older customers used to come to me and say we had become too ‘straight.’ And I would think back through all the bad years, back to the 1960s, when we were looking for general acceptance in society,” he said. “And now that we had been accepted, there were people who resented it.”
  Around the same time as the name change, the bar started a controversial Teen Night event during the early evening hours. At first, the upstairs bar was closed to adults from 7-11 PM on Wednesdays, creating a totally alcohol-free environment for LGBT youth and their friends. Later, the bar blended underage patrons and legal adults in the same setting, with bracelets indicating who could and couldn’t drink. The experiment proved to be a logistical nightmare and ended after only a few months.

Changing Hands
On a Saturday in July 2005, rumors were again circulating that La Cage was up for sale.  But this time, the rumors were true: the bar really was for sale.  “35 years as a business owner was enough,” Prentice said. “It is so rare for anyone to keep a club on top of the game for 25 years - even on the East or West Coasts. One year before I sold, I was sitting around with friends and realized: ‘I don’t know if I want to do this when I’m 60. I don’t know what a 22 year old wants anymore.’”
 Prentice was about ready to list it with a broker when Kris Heindel and Michael Jost stepped forward to buy the bar. With backgrounds in management, sales and service, the pair felt they were ideal business owners.
  “Several things inspired us,” Heindel said. “We had a sentimental attachment to La Cage, where we had grown up in our 20s and 30s. The potential sale made us wonder: ‘What might happen next? What if the buyer changed La Cage to a straight bar? What if they developed condominiums or a Walgreens?’ That is when the gravity of what was happening hit us. It was a hard thing to think about losing.”
  On November 1, Prentice and Grubb sold the bar and later retired to Sarasota, Florida. Jost and  Heindel made it official at a special celebration in January 2006.

Staying On Top
Over the years, many competitors have tried to challenge La Cage’s dance scene dominance, from Club 219 and Nitro in the 1990s. to more recently Pumphouse and Wherehouse. But Jackie Roberts believes that competitors underestimate the one thing that sustains La Cage in even the most challenging moments: the club’s legion of long-time, loyal customers who just won’t give it up.
  “They may try the trendy new place, but they always come back here,” she said. “Despite the constant changes in the crowd, the staff, the bar itself, people are still loyal to the idea of La Cage. We provide continuity and a connection. It’s hard to compete with 25 years of history. Whenever rumors have popped up that we’re closing, people just come out of the woodwork to see if it’s true.”
  Prentice also shared his insights on LaCage’s longevity. “What was our secret to our success? Quality. My goal was to be better than my competitors, and do everything top-notch from the minute someone walks in, until the minute they walked out,” he said. “I always tried to be better than the competitor - in fact, better than anyone else. Every club I’ve ever owned was the #1 dance club in the gay community. It was all about creating a good experience for people. It’s all in the experience you provide. If you make it a not-to-be-missed experience, people will come no matter who they are or what they’re looking for. They just want to be part of it.”
  As an LGBT business owner for over three decades, what does Prentice think about the speculation that gay bars are no longer needed and may soon disappear? “Some people say that gay bars will become a thing of the past,” he said. “I say that day is almost here. Only the heavy niche bars will continue to operate that exclusively. In most cities, even in the Midwest, dance clubs have already lost the ‘gay bar’ distinction. People just don’t worry anymore about being seen in a gay bar anymore. By the early 1990s, our weekend crowd was already 30-40% straight, depending on the night. I can’t even guess what it is now. “
  “At the same time, gay youth is no longer limited to gay bars,” Prentice continued. “They don’t have to be loyal to any one place. Unless a bar can provide the music, atmosphere and reputation that they are looking for, they will go elsewhere.”
  Technology has also challenged the bar scene, according to Prentice. “And they always have other options for meeting people. This all started with the Internet, which created a real challenge for our weekday business,” he said. “My friends who ran straight bars were jealous that La Cage was busy every night, when their business was only there 2-3 days a week. But then the Internet hit. In the old days, if you wanted to meet up with someone, you got dressed up and went to a bar. With the Internet, you no longer ‘need’ to go out in public to hook up.”

Closing Time
Prentice offered kudos during the interview for the Quest feature. “I would like to thank Corey Grubb, my partner in business, and all patrons and the community that made it all possible, all the way back to 1984,” George says. “I’d also like to thank Alderman Jim Witkowiak who was always a good friend to our bar.”
  New owners Kris and Michael also shared their gratitude. “While there have been many rewarding and memorable moments over the past three years, the most rewarding is the strong sense of family and community within,” Heindel said. “The friendships and relationships we have built with customers and staff have been very fulfilling and continue to grow everyday. Our staff, friends, and family have all been encouraging, helpful, and supportive. Without these elements in place, the transition of La Cage’s new ownership would have been much more difficult. For this, we thank you all.”
  “We also need to say a special thank you to George and Corey for many different reasons,” Heindel added. “They grew La Cage from a corner bar to the multi-level lounge and nightclub that it is today. They were instrumental in bringing the LGBT community out of the closet and into the forefront of Wisconsin’s community’s showing others that we’re all just people trying to get along with one another. We no longer need to be in hiding to feel safe and accepted. It’s amazing how much has changed in 25 years, but there’s still work to be done! George and Corey gave us an opportunity to continue the legacy they have left behind. This is something we are taking seriously and enjoy being a part of.”  
  No one knows what the future holds for any establishment, especially in challenging economic times that have leveled local businesses. But one thing you can count on is that La Cage will continue to evolve as Generation Facebook approaches legal drinking age. “Bars come and go, but La Cage is a timeless chameleon,” Roberts said. “It transforms, adjusts and adapts to whatever is going on in that moment. Just when you think you’ve figured us out - we’ll change again.”
  In other words, the transformations at LaCage aren’t over yet - they’re just beginning!

Editor’s Note: Speaking of transformations, La Cage currently offers a Friday night performance from the in-house cast of Transformations, as well as a Wednesday night show with guest performers. Also on tap: the grand opening of a second floor performance space this summer. For a full slide show of scenes from the recent 25th Anniversary party, click here.