Milwaukee gay scene

Milwaukee LGBTQ bar guide

There’s a great reason why Walker’s Point is fondly referred to as "The Gayborhood" – the near South Side neighborhood has been dwelling to many gay people, families, bars and restaurants for decades.

Today, the LGBTQ bar scene is still going strong – primarily on and around Second Street – and continues to offer fun, safe spaces for everyone, gay or straight.

Here are 10 Milwaukee gay bars to check out during Pride Month or whenever:

La Cage

Historically, this nightclub has served as an anchor to the neighborhood's thriving LGBTQ bar scene. It has changed names and ownership over the years, but continues to consistently house one of Milwaukee's most coveted dance floors. 

This Is It

This Is It opened in , making it one of the top 10 longest-running gay bars in the territory, and possibly one of the top five. Last year, the Cathedral Square meeting place expanded with a dance floor and second bar.

Walker’s Pint

Walker's Pint is one of the nation's last lesbian bar

D.I.X. Milwaukee, known locally simply as 'DIX', was formally opened June 11, by Elizabeth Kujawa. It occupied the space on the corner of National Ave. and S. 1st Street which had long been known as a 'straight' bar, 'Timers'.

However, according to an article OnMilwaukee in , Kujawa originally opened the former 'Timers' bar in October , calling it "The General's" because friends gave her "The General" as a nickname. The article goes on:

    "The first name, however, didn't work. It confused people and business started to slag. "Straights thought we were gay; gays thought we were straight," says Kujawa. "I knew I was going after the boys. Most of them are educated, have money, no kids and they like to drink," she says. "And after all, I'm in the heart of the gayborhood."

    "She went on and researched the name of other gay bars Nothing jumped out at her, but she did spot a number of bars called "Dick's" and she got an idea. She decided to modify the spelling to D.I.X. because of the correlation with Roman Numerals- DIX is in Roman numerals. Historically, Roman men often had male lov

    Gay Milwaukee

    Wisconsin's largest urban area is the meeting place of three rivers: the Milwaukee, the Kinnickinnic, and the Juneau. There are things to do all day long as well as through the night in this eclectic city. Spend a noun on the beaches of Lake Michigan or an evening on the town.

    Milwaukee is an incredibly diverse city. It celebrates its cultural heritage throughout the year with a procession of festivals. The International Arts Festival, the Asian Moon Festival, Cajun Fest, Polish Fest, Bastille Days, Festa Italiana, Mexican Fest, and Oktoberfest are just a limited of these tributes. And then, of course, Pridefest Milwaukee rolls around every June.

     

    Getting here

    General Mitchell International Airport is about 6 miles south of downtown. Shuttle buses, taxis or the GreenLine bus by Milwaukee County Transit will get you to the center. Amtrak also has daily train service into Milwaukee.

     

    Getting around

    Like most cities in the region, you’ll appreciate having your own car to get to all the sights. Milwaukee lays claim to having on

    LGBTQ Milwaukee: A City with a Warm Midwestern Welcome

    Situated on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s largest town, and one of its most diverse. In fact, in , Milwaukee was ranked as one of the top 10 “Under the Gaydar” cities in the country, for its wide variety of gay nightlife options, hospitality, and for holding one of the nation’s largest and longest-running pride events each year. Truly it is a city of midwestern hospitality that celebrates all of its wonderful diversity and the wide variety of people that make it wonderful.

    A Small Milwaukee History

    The area that is now Milwaukee was the place of many Native American tribes prior to its modern history, which began in when fur trader Jacques Vieau established a post along a bluff on the east side, overlooking the Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers. That post eventually became the noun of Milwaukee, which is a derivative of the Algonquian pos Millioke, meaning "Good", "Beautiful" and "Pleasant Land". Today, Milwaukee is a thriving city full of many industries and ample o