From art shows to karaoke and from leather parties to fancy fundraisers, there’s no place like Milwaukee to paint the town red! So click your ruby slippers together a few times, and head over the Cream City rainbow with me for a wild week. Check out the down-home dilemma from a reader and watch the weekly happenings for homespun good times in Brew Town!
Dear Ruthie,
I’m with a man 15 years my junior. Things are okay. I say that only because he wants a house, and I don’t. I owned a house, and I chose to move to a condo. He hates it and says he needs a house. He cannot afford one on his own, which would leave me with the majority of the bills. I don’t want to lose him, but I don’t want to change my living situation either.
Let me know what you think,
Small-Space Guy
Dear Guy,
I see you’re caught between a rock and a young place. Tell him to move back in with his parents. They own a home, don’t they? But seriously, you can hardly blame your little one for wanting a house. It’s normal for him to want a house, even though the home-owning experience was not for you.
On the flip side, I see your point of not wishing to pay for a house you have no desire to live in. You have a few more life experiences, so you know what you want. Your partner is still learning.
Discuss your financial concerns, and set some long-term goals. Suggest he work on his career for the next year or two or that he take a second job to increase his savings. After which the two of you can revisit the home-owning situation.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Oct. 7: Karaoke Night at Walker’s Pint (818 S. Second St.): Give Hump Day the cold shoulder and shake the workweek blues with a night at this popular hangout. Take advantage of Wednesday’s drink specials (4:30 p.m. to bar close) if you need a little liquid courage before signing up for karaoke. That’s right, sugar! You can sign up to sing a song or sit back and watch the show at this friendly Walker’s Point hot spot.
Oct. 9: Pants Off, Dance Off at Riverwest Public House (815 E. Locust St.): Strip down to your undies and shake what your mamma gave you at this all-genders, all-orientations night of tighty-whitey craziness. The 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. rave includes two DJs, playing everything from punk to R&B and from dance to top 40. A special midnight guest rounds out this two-year anniversary of the change-of-pace party.
Oct. 9-11: Wisconsin Queer People of Color Conference at UW-Madison/LGBT Campus Center (716 Langdon St., Madison): Head to Mad City for the first Wisconsin Queer People of Color Conference (WQPOCC). Registration is free to the conference that offers workshops and lectures about navigating boundaries LGBT people of color encounter. Keynote speakers round out the weekend. See msc.wisc.edu/lgbtq/qpoc to learn more.
Oct. 10: Big Night Out: Hollywood at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Event Center (1721 W. Canal St.): Put the “fun” back in “fundraising” with a glitzy yet attitude-free gala that benefits the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. An impressive sit-down dinner, silent and live auctions, and numerous performances (including one from me!) make this a night to remember. Tickets start at $125 and are available at mkelgbt.org.
Oct. 10: Opening of ‘Jaws 5’ Art Show at Kunzelmann-Esser Lofts, Second Story Gallery (710 W. Historic Mitchell St.): Local photographer Francis Ford offers up a new round of must-see shots, featuring his quirky, comical muse Jack Eigle. Interesting and entertaining, pretty and peculiar, Ford’s works are not to be missed. Enjoy the opening from 2 to 7 p.m.
Oct. 9-11: American Brotherhood Weekend at Leather Archives and Museum (6418 N. Greenview Ave., Chicago): Soak in a weekend of leather-minded camaraderie during this annual festival. Centering around three competitions: American Leatherman, American Leatherwoman and American Leatherboy, the weekend also involves demonstrations, special ticket-holder events and more. See americanbrotherhood.com for a complete schedule.
Oct. 11: Leather Masquerade at Kruz (354 E. National Ave.): Milwaukee’s own Castaways social group is at it again! This time, with a down-and-dirty disguise party. Don your Daddy leather and mask or oil up your boy’s best chaps and join the party from 3 to 7 p.m. A beer bust and raffle prizes make this a great way to spend a Sunday.
Want to contact Ruthie? Email DearRuthie@Shepex.com; Facebook Dear Ruthie or Twitter @DearRuthie.
