Photo credit: Benson Kua
My LGBTQ POV is proudly sponsored by Dr. Stephanie Murphy, DDS. Dr. Murphy's practice philosophy is to treat her patients the way she would want members of her family to be treated. She looks forward to taking care of you and your smile. Read past columns here.
Last week brought news of a national gay landmark’s closure. The Stud, one of the nation’s oldest running gay bars would shutter its doors on May 31. Opened in 1966 by George Mason and transwoman Alexis Muir, The Stud became its own community in the gay Mecca’s Folsom Street neighborhood. Popular with the locals and a destination for LGBTQ tourists (I made several visits there over the years), the Stud made its reputation as an inclusive and all-welcoming space for counterculture queers of all descriptions and hues.
It even had a Milwaukee connection. One of three co-owners who took over the bar in the mid-1970s was Jan Hill. Today he’s a local community personality and philanthropist. The Stud’s financial struggles began during the AIDS pandemic but, while it weathered that storm, other factors, like rent increases and ownership issues, complicated its existence as a viable enterprise. These issues predicated an existential crisis in 2016. However, a novel collective of DJs, drag queens and musicians managed to save the bar. But then, just a few years later, the steady accrual of debt due to the COVID-19 lockdown made continuing operations untenable. The Stud collective will hold a drag funeral on May 31. There are presently no current plans for a relocation.
As a high profile casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic the Stud and its fate make one contemplate the future of LGBTQ bars throughout the country and especially of those here in Cream City. The spate of local closures over the past decade has left but 10 bars or clubs that either specifically cater to an LGBTQ clientele or have enough of a fringe following within the community to be considered gay by association. Of those, most of the proprietors also own the building in which their business is located. While that alleviates the economic pressure of a lease, taxes and maintenance continue to be a burden.
Still, at least for the moment, all seem to be managing. Most have opened GoFundMe campaigns to not only compensate for incurred financial loss but also to assist staff members who are now without income. However, as we move into the summer season that would normally have provided the bulk of a bar’s annual revenue, the outlook is bleak.
Revenue is Gone
Of course, aside from the absence of the general public, other revenue sources are now gone. All the seasonal LGBTQ sports like softball and volleyball have cancelled their seasons. Bars sponsor the teams. In turn, players and fans support the bars. PrideFest and the Pride Parade, as well as all the ethnic festivals, would have brought in a surge of thirsty out of town guests as well as reveling regulars.
The Democratic Nation Convention promised a windfall as well. Currently postponed to August, the question now is whether to have either a shorter event or a virtual one. Either way, the negative economic impact on the city and, by extension, local LGBTQ businesses, will be extensive. Mayor Tom Barrett has hopes of bringing either the Democratic or Republican Convention to Milwaukee in 2024. That optimistic prospect, however, provides no relief when it is most needed, namely now.
The plummet in actual number of bars does give a reprieve of sorts to those remaining. The clientele once spread out between dozens of bars is now funneled into those that remain. Still, given possible restrictions and common sense, it may also take some time for bar-goers to reappear. Now is the time for all good gays to come to the aid of their bars and clubs and support them however they can.
Meanwhile, I can’t wait to go out (in a mask if need be) for Happy Hour…although I hope they dispense with those communal bowls of snacks.
My LGBTQ POV is proudly sponsored by Dr. Stephanie Murphy, DDS. Read past columns here.
