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It goes without saying that no one played Frank Sinatra’s “It Was a Very Good Year” on This Is It’s jukebox this past New Year’s Eve. In these times of social strife, economic woes and a deadly pandemic, even the most ironically inclined would not have dared venture there. On top of everything else, regime assaults on LGBTQ rights made life exasperating. Even in defeat, they continued. A month after the election, the U.S. Department of Labor moved to allow federal contractors to discriminate against LGBTQs. Michigan followed suit, ruling that the state’s anti-discrimination law doesn’t protect gays. But let’s not dwell…
For all the negatives the year brought, there were positive developments as well. The parental gay penguins made headlines. A LGBTQ marching band appeared for the first time in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And, among the various government positions to be filled under President-elect Joe Biden, a gay guy will become the White House Social Secretary, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg was picked for transportation secretary.
The year 2020 was, above all, a political one for LGBTQs. Nationally, 81% voted for the Biden-Harris ticket, adding a significant tally to the vote. Especially in swing states, their ballots helped tip the scales to win the election for the Democrats. Of the hundreds of LGBTQ candidates who ran for office, more than 40% were successful. In Milwaukee, an equivalent number, three of seven, won their respective races. Brett Blomme was elected to a seat on the Milwaukee County Court, Issy Ramón took the office of County Registrar of Deeds, and the city’s 8th District voters chose JoCasta Zamarripa as their alderperson. Jessica Paige Katzenmeyer, the second transwoman in Wisconsin to seek a State Assembly office, made her inaugural run for political office against a long-term incumbent. Although unsuccessful, she garnered an impressive 45% of the vote.
While the pandemic cancelled PrideFest and the Pride Parade, as well as other LGBTQ events, the void gave rise to Black LGBTQ activists Broderick “Montell Ross” Pearson (organizer of the March with Pride for Black Lives Matter), as well as Solana Patterson-Ramos and Elle Halo amongst a host of others who lead in the struggle for racial equality.
Worldwide, the movement against conversion therapy made strides (Germany banned it entirely). In June, our contrarian State Assembly Republicans stopped a statewide Wisconsin ban. West Allis and Kenosha, however, passed local ordinances forbidding the practice.
Reaching Milestones
Several community entities reached milestones of longevity. Milwaukee and Madison Bowlers Against AIDS (Milmaids) fundraising tournament celebrated its 35th anniversary, the G/L Community Fund and the Washington Heights Rainbow Association reached their silver anniversaries. Other community changes include the LGBT Community Center’s announcement of its upcoming move and Cream City Foundation’s hire of Gary Balcerzak as its new President and CEO.
The year’s obituaries included social justice luminaries activist Phyllis Lyon and equality advocate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as well as lawyer David Buckel. Also lost were playwrights Larry Kramer (The Normal Heart), Mart Crowley (Boys in the Band), Terrence McNally (The Ritz, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and rock ’n’ roll architect Little Richard. Aimee Stephens, fired for being transgender, died a month before her U. S. Supreme Court case arguing LGBTQ protection under the 1964 Civil Rights Act was decided in her favor.
Locally, we should remember Mike Bader (affectionately known as Queen Mum) who died on December 31, 2019, as well as Randy Neff, psychologist, and Rick Kowal, the owner of the Ball Game, one of Milwaukee’s oldest gay bars (it closed in 2012 after 40 years). Meanwhile, for the third consecutive year, Milwaukee attained the maximum Equal Rights Commission 2020 Municipal Equality Index Score of 100. Congratulations to us!
For 2021, we can only hope for a bit more sanity and for LGBTQ progress to continue, perhaps with a little less stress… but don’t hold your breath. Happy New Year!
