Photo via House of History MKE - Facebook
House of History launch
House of History launch
Milwaukee’s Pride Weekend made history not only with record attendance numbers at both PrideFest and the Pride Parade, but also with the launch of the “House of History.” The first project of its kind created specifically for Black LGBTQ+ history, it includes a dedicated website, houseofhistorymke.org, and its accompanying YouTube channel @houseofhistoryMKE. The House of History also hosted several panel discussions on the PrideFest Stonewall Stage on subjects ranging from intersectionality, Black trans issues and Milwaukee’s ballroom scene to the power of LGBTQ+ archives in Wisconsin. Most importantly, the House of History interview collection is now part of the UWM Libraries Digital Collections, significantly expanding that repository of Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ history.
The House of History is a project conceived by Dr. Brice D. Smith and Janice Toy as a program of Diverse and Resilient, the city’s public health organization serving people of color. Smith is author of Lou Sullivan: Daring to be a Man Among Men, a biographical portrait of the Milwaukee trans man and activist. He is also the creator of the historic, multi-media walking tour app, “lgbt milWALKee.” Janice Toy is a founding member of SHEBA (Sisters Helping Each Other Battle Adversity), a Diverse and Resilient trans affinity program.
With Cream City Foundation as the principal sponsor since Fall of 2022 and with a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, Smith launched a project to document local Black LGBTQ history. Not surprisingly, given Milwaukee’s unfortunate reputation for being one of the most segregated cities in the county--save for some passing mentions in R. Richard Wagner’s two volume Wisconsin LGBTQ history and on the Wisconsin LGBT History website--this chapter of the narrative, for reasons that may be worthy of study themselves, has been long been neglected. Smith’s efforts in partnership with Janice Toy and Diverse & Resilient intend to begin to fill that void and undo other historians’ sins of omission.
Lost Experiences
Janice Toy spoke of the House of History project’s evolution during a WUWM interview, describing her work with Smith that began with his interest in SHEBA and its history. The partnership that grew out of that initial contact offered the opportunity to pursue a broader goal namely to specifically document experiences of Black LGBTQ+ elders whose stories were at risk of being lost. As Toy explained, the effort was to “get the word out” and make others aware of the mission and allow the legacies of Black LGBTQ+ to be told and preserved.
As with any LGBTQ history, the first thought was to research the bar scene. Like its white dominated Walker’s Point counterpart, the Black bars on the North Side were considered the social core and refuge for the community. However, Smith and Toy soon discovered that bars and dance clubs, while significant for their role in Black queer life, were only the cover story for a much more deeply nuanced and complex Black LGBTQ+ social history. However, the resources for Smith and Toy’s research were sparse. Whether caused by cultural bias due to white racism or Black homo- and transphobia, the duo discovered that stories of Black queer and trans people had been “missed or dismissed” and left out of history. With the passing of each elder, those stories that still existed were being lost. To create the House of History, Smith and Toy set out to record interviews with a broad spectrum of individuals and collect photos and other memorabilia to capture the narrative of Black LGBTQ+ Milwaukee.
Out When Illegal
The resulting House of History website and YouTube channel offer visitors over 20 very personal and engaging video interviews, each about four minutes long. There are stories of coming out, being out when it was illegal stories, and of relationships, tales of life challenges from coping with family rejection and racism to poverty, violence and the trauma of AIDS, as well as the positive progress made through activism. Bethea tells the story of his five children, his military service under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and later life as a specialist for diabetic care. Ronnie Grace relates his death sentence moment of being told by a nurse he was HIV positive. She merely added a perfunctory “sorry,” leaving him with no counseling or advice for care. Ricardo Wynn talks about his mother voting for the first time after leaving the South and his own Black Ballroom house experiences in Milwaukee. Brenda Coley speaks of her activism and efforts for trans visibility as well as her dream for LGBTQ people to take “their rightful place in the community.” Coley’s wife, Dr. Sandra Jones, reflects on her schoolgirl crush on a female teacher and her activism in the Black community. Janice Toy herself serves as House Mother and is featured in an interview as well as well, speaking to her life as a trans woman.
House of History’s collective voice of Milwaukee’s Black LGBTQ+ experience is both universal and unique. Some of the stories, especially those related to sexual awakening and coming out, would be familiar to any viewer. However, others are quite specific and familiar only to those who have shared similar experiences. All the stories, ultimately, are accessible to everyone, and should improve Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ community’s understanding of itself.
According to Smith, The House of History is an ongoing project with plans to add more material and interviews to its collection.
