Photo: Human Rights Campaign
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For the fourth consecutive year, the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index (MEI) has given the City of Milwaukee its top rating of 100. According to its website description, “The MEI examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.”
Created a decade ago, the MEI has become a recognized measure of LGBTQ progress in the nation’s major cities. It took Milwaukee six years to reach the highest score and has managed to achieve that number ever since. By comparison, of the seven Wisconsin cities rated by the MEI, only Madison scored 100 (it has since 2015). Most others came in at various points along the higher range of the spectrum. Appleton closed in on the top score with 94. Racine and Green Bay reached respectable numbers at 86 and 84 respectively. Oshkosh managed 75. Not surprisingly, Kenosha struggled with a relatively poor showing of only 39. In fact, Kenosha’s number has slipped in recent years. In 2017, it was 43.
The evolution of Milwaukee’s embrace of its LGBTQ community has been a gradual one. Progress has been propelled by a number of historic factors. These were often predicated by circumstances that helped undo the systems of discrimination that pervaded both in the halls of government and the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD).
One significant event was the end of MPD Chief Brier’s infamous reign of racist and homophobic terror in 1984. Under subsequent MPD and political leadership Milwaukee became ever more LGBTQ friendly. The case of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in 1991 brought MPD’s systemic discriminatory practices to light. The result was a successful strategy to improve the LGBTQ community’s relationship with MPD that continues today.
ACT UP
In the early 1990s, the AIDS crisis brought about a confrontation of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) activists and the city. Demanding they respond to the crisis, ACT UP forced Milwaukee’s political leaders to recognize the not only their role in the addressing the needs of AIDS victims but also of the greater LGBTQ community.
Long a supporter of the LGBTQ community, Mayor Tom Barrett must be given credit for aiding the forward motion in the city’s efforts in the realm of diversity ad inclusion. Even before the institution of the MEI, Barrett promoted the LGBTQ community. Notably, he has maintained a high profile as an advocate. I recall his attendance at the 2009 NAGAAA-Fest gay softball world series’ opening ceremony. In his speech welcoming the event’s 2500 attendees, he made his obligatory exhortation for them to “spend all their money” while in Milwaukee. They did. By some estimates, they brought $5-6 million in revenue to the city.
One event in March 2018 was no doubt critical in Milwaukee’s crossing the threshold of the MEI’s high score. The city’s Common Council banned the practice of conversion therapy for minors. Aldermen Robert Donovan and Mark Borkowski voted against the measure. Later that year, Milwaukee received its first MEI score of 100.
The impact of the slow but sure nudging of Milwaukee towards LGBTQ equality was clearly on display earlier this year when Milwaukee Pride President Wes Shaver launched Pride Month, sharing the dais with an assembly of local government leaders. Mayor John Barrett, County Executive David Crowley, Common Council President Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee County Supervisor Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson, Alderman Bob Baumann and PNC Regional President Chris Hermann all gave speeches invoking the virtues of inclusion and diversity as necessary for the city’s success.
Still, even with the MEI’s perfect score, the obvious refrain is “more needs to be done.” However, it’s also a matter of sustaining what has been achieved. With a mayoral race in the offing, Milwaukee will likely elect a progressive from among the field of currently declared candidates, most of whom have positive LGBTQ track records. However, one, Bob Donovan, who failed in a previous mayoral bid, is not a friend of equality. While his campaign is hopeless, one never knows—stranger catastrophes have happened. So, the word to the wise is “vote.”
