My 2022 Catch-Up Letter

by

It’s that time of year when we look back and access the highs and lows of the past dozen months. In the good old days, and, perhaps among some die-hard boomers still today, the tradition of including a printed “catch-up letter” with a holiday card was one that piqued the recipient’s genuine curiosity or impatient ire. Depending on one’s relationship to the sender, there might be a handwritten salutation and signature, maybe even a minimalist “Happy Holidays” scrawled at the bottom. Inevitably, the catch-up letter was full of the year’s triumphs, gushingly described, like little Ethan’s Magna Cum Laude graduation from Harvard, or, conversely, its tear-jerking calamities, like the SUV roll-over over a Grand Canyon precipice with the whole family still in traction or a parade of pets crossing the rainbow bridge. It’s usually just one or the other.

So, here’s mine.

Well, 2022 started off with a COVID diagnosis. Fortunately, I was vaccinated (twice) so my symptoms were mild. Still, it postponed a scheduled surgery (twice). I was released from the hospital a few days after the surgery that finally happened in mid-February. When the surgeon later called with my pathology results her connection kept breaking up. The gravity of the moment turned comedic with me anxiously asking “What? What? Can you repeat that?” Finally, I heard her say “This is really great news.” So the rest really didn’t matter anyway. But that’s enough about me…

As for the rest of the family, the athletic ones were all in full post-pandemic mode, returning to their respective courts, fields and pitches. In fact, SSBL, our LGBTQ softball league, celebrated its 45th season and hosted its 43rd Dairyland Classic softball tournament!

PrideFest Turns 25

Speaking of anniversaries, there were a slew of them, especially silver ones. Woody’s, our favorite sports bar, and the LGBT Community Center both feted their 25th year in operation. (The Community Center also hired a new executive director, Kevin Turner-Espinoza, by the way.) Speaking of fetes, it was PrideFest’s 25th June festival at Henry Maier Festival Park with an attendance of nearly 40,000. I attended the opening ceremony that featured PrideFest founder Bill Meunier, who also brought it to Henry Maier Park. During the ceremony Meunier presented current Milwaukee Pride president Wes Shaver with the original ribbon cut to open the first PrideFest held there a quarter century ago. It was truly a moment of Pride. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce marked its 10th anniversary.  Today it boasts well over 700 members.

What else? Oh! after its two-year COVID-hiatus, the Pride Parade once again marched down its traditional route on South Second Street with a record number of marching units and record attendance.

In bar news, there’s new ownership of both La Cage and the Harbor Room. Speaking of bars, the Milwaukee County Landmarks Committee bestowed a historic designation on the site of the long-gone Black Nite, a gay bar where, in 1961, a hitherto forgotten fight took place between several drunken sailors and bar patrons lead by Black transgender woman, Josie Carter.

2022 also found us delving more deeply into our local LGBTQ lore. Seven Cream City queens were among 81 national drag legends dazzlingly celebrated in a coffee table book entitled Legends of Drag by Harry James Hanson and Devin Antheus.  Among them are BJ Daniels who, with Michail Takach, co-authored A History of Milwaukee Drag: 7 Generations of Glamour. Also contributing to local history, Dr. Brice Smith launched a new app, LGBT milWALKee that allows listeners to follow walking tours of the city’s LGBTQ sites. Meanwhile, Emerald Condor Productions staged a new play telling the intriguing story of a transman in 1914 Milwaukee, Ralph Kerwineo and the Defining Influence of Skirts by Ralph Holoyda. Then there was the Dahmer series on Netflix …

Politics, Politics

Elsewhere, while a statewide ban on conversion therapy remains elusive, La Crosse became the 14th Wisconsin municipality to ban the abusive practice. However, the city has since been sued by a conservative group on behalf of a Christian counseling center claiming the ban infringes on free speech.

Oh, and we have more community politicians actively pursuing the battle for LGBTQ rights. Milwaukee County voters elected the first LGBTQ identified Supervisor, Peter Burgelis. Transwoman Jessica Katzenmeyer ran for State Senate’s 5th District in the November midterm elections. Although unsuccessful, her campaign was nonetheless a historic one, raising the profile of trans candidates.

Sadly, the year was not without its tragedies. A number of local Wisconsin School boards instituted discriminatory policies targeting LGBTQ teachers and students. Most recently, Elmbrook School District banned certain LGBTQ books from its school libraries.

Not surprisingly, members of the trans community were specific targets. We lost two Black transgender women, Brazil Johnson and Regina “Mya” Allen, who were murdered in apparent acts of anti-trans hate. Milwaukee’s Catholic Archdiocese issued anti-transgender hate guidelines in its “Catechesis & Policy on Gender Theory.” Yes, I know, the catchy title sounds smart enough, but other progressively-minded Catholics called it for what it is, “a callous, anti-intellectual and anti-human dumpster fire.” 

Back on the bright side, there were the midterm elections. We dodged a bullet in the governor’s race, reelecting Tony Evers and sending his MAGA opponent, a homophobic carpetbagger, back to Connecticut, so we’re postponing our move to Uruguay.

Hope you’ve had a marvelous year! Happy Holidays!