Madison Pride 2005

Being a lesbian woman most of my adult life, I had never attended a gay pride celebration. The reason was simple on why. I was afraid of gay bashing that could have arisen because I attended the parade or marched in it. Along with this, my employer could have been homophobic and I could have lost my job. But finally, this year, I decided I was going to Madison’s Gay Pride Celebration in 2005, no matter what. Consequently, my partner, our friend, and I attended this grand festivity.

Although this gay pride celebration was a 3-day one, due to work obligations, we could only attend the last day of it. Hence, we were there on just Sunday, July 17, 2005. At 12pm sharp, there was a Pride Rally at the steps of the capital building of Madison. Then there was the Pride Parade at 12:30pm. And lastly, there was the Pride Celebration with entertainment at the city’s park called Brittingham. As a result, this merriment was everything it was billed as--Magic Weekend 2005.

If I had to name the most memorable things that happened that day, it would have to be the ones I have already aforementioned. It was just wonderful to see how collectively a minority group such as "gays" can come together to organize such an event. And one that not only included the gay celebration of life, but more importantly, as Congresswoman Baldwin (openly gay) said at the Pride Rally, "It was also a time for action". This was a comment directed at gay people to take action concerning state lawmakers who are trying to pass again a constitutional ban on civil unions and marriage for lesbian and gay couples. If passed, this will go to a statewide vote in November 2006. Therefore, this means it will be up to voters to decide whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people should be excluded from the protections provided by the state constitution.

Whether spectators were entranced by the Mardi Gras atmosphere, the Gay Pride Rally, Dykes on Bikes, the gay parade, the picnic, the drag kings and queens, or the crowned 2005 Magic Weekend King and Queen, this gay pride celebration in Madison was definitely a time where this minority group could celebrate and express their pride now and for years to come.

Quick Tips:

I have four suggestions if you decide to attend the LGBT celebration next year in Madison, Wisconsin.

One, you should where comfortable shoes. This is because you will be walking to the rally at the capital and walking to Brittingham Park after the rally and parade. Walking to and from the Capital to Brittingham is a mile each way.

Two, wear comfortable summer clothes. Even though it is Wisconsin, it still has the Midwest humidity.

Three, carry a backpack. This is great to carry your bottle water, camera, and snack items.

Lastly, for free parking, come early and park off West Washington Street.

If you are interested in attending Madison’s Pride Celebration next year, you can join Madison Pride’s email list by providing the board members with your email address at Madison Pride, P.O. Box 1403, Madison, WI 53701-1403.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you want to enjoy the rally, parade, and picnic, the best way is on foot. This is because some of the streets are blocked off for the rally and the parade, and the ones that are open are too crowded to drive on and not close enough for you to enjoy the rally or the parade. Concerning the park, you cannot drive on the grass unless you are a vendor.

Although the sun was beating down and the temperature was scorching on Sunday July 17, 2005, it did not keep the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community from attending the rally on the capital building’s steps. It is estimated that over 21,000 attended Madison’s Gay Pride Weekend Celebration, and most of this number attended the Gay Rally at the capital building. The steps of the capital were packed, and so was the enormous lawn, with the LGBT community and its supporters. And local TV camera crews were present while the rally took place. Cheering went on when every speaker spoke. The various speakers included Larry Dupuis (lawyer of the ACLU of WI), a lesbian couple (Ingrid Ankerson and Megan Sapnar, who are one of the six lesbian couples suing the state of WI), Attorney General Peggy Lautenschlaser, and openly gay Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.

Larry Dupuis is one of the several lawyers of the ACLU who is suing the state of WI on behalf of six state lesbian employees and their partners. They are seeking domestic partner health insurance and family leave protections for lesbian and gay state employees. Dupuis’ speech outlined that this lawsuit, filed in April 2005, charges that WI’s current health insurance policy discriminates because only married couples and their families can receive these benefits. Therefore, it violates the state constitution’s equal protection guarantees to both lesbian and gay employees, who are barred from marrying in the state, from access to the same coverage for their families. Dupuis stated the people who are opposing this are saying it will bust the state’s budget and they are using this as a smoke screen; and these people are wrong, because it will only cost 1% for the state.

After Dupuis spoke, one of the lesbian couples suing the state of Wisconsin told their story of discrimination from health benefits. Ingrid Ankerson and Megan Sapnar, lifetime partners, talked about how Ankerson could not receive Sapnar’s state health benefits, even though Sapnar was a University of Wisconsin teacher’s assistant. Ankerson said that this was an issue of fairness, and they were not receiving the same compensation as married couples, even though they had the same commitments and obligations as they do. This couple claimed it was a culture of fear that caused this discrimination. The couple recommended to the LGBT community to get involved with Action Wisconsin, which is an organization that advances and protects the civil rights of the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens and their families.

Attorney General Peggy Lautenschlager asked the LGBT crowd to remember that the gay pride parade was more than just a celebration - it’s a way for them to continue to fight for their human rights. In her words, "Today’s parade is a reminder that in this great nation, people deserve to be treated fairly, no matter who they are."

Lastly, openly gay Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin wrapped up the rally with her eloquent speech. After citing that in 1965, Wisconsin was the first state to have laws prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities, and in 1982, again Wisconsin was the first state prohibiting discrimination on sexual orientation, she gave the LGBT crowd hopes that it could defeat the proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution that would ban same-sex marriage. She shouted, "This amendment will hurt our families" (it denies critical protections that come with marriage and it bans civil unions).Then she energized the crowd by saying, "We must try everything we can to stop this nonsense right then and there." She encouraged the LGBT community and its supporters to sign the petition against it. She also asked people to go to the Action Wisconsin’s website and read the stories of the lesbian couples suing the state of Wisconsin for health benefits and leave protections, and if possible, for people to volunteer for Action Wisconsin.

If you are interested in knowing more about Action Wisconsin or want to volunteer, their address is 122 State St., Suite 309, Madison, WI 53703. and their email is info@actionwisconsin.org. This organization’s phone number is 866/441-0143.

One of the many excitements I witnessed at the gay pride parade was the motorcyclist group called Dykes on Bikes. It was this group’s hooting and the hollering and the roaring of the big Harley bikes that grasp my attention. The lead cyclist, Toby "Xena" Sigle, led the lesbian cyclist pack at the beginning of the parade.

Dykes on Bikes are a well-known lesbian motorcycle group. Although the name of this group can vary, every major city has a lesbian woman motorcycle group. This group of women has always ridden their big machines at the beginning of gay-pride parades. You could say it is a ritual to have this group presence at the start of the parade. The Motor Maids were the first group of women that were motorcyclists, and then came the second-oldest nationally recognized group, Dykes on Bikes. It is this group that originated to lead off the Gay Pride Parade in 1968 and the tradition has lived on nationally. Therefore, everyone expects and recognizes these motorcyclists to start the Gay Pride Parades.

During this gay celebration, the DOB had a booth at Brittingham Park. They sold T-shirts and boxer shorts with Dykes on Bikes Madison printed on them. They also had a kissing booth set up, with part of the proceeds being donated to DOB to help pay for printing and other operating expenses to help make them grow. Lastly, this group of women ran the wet T-shirt contest. A member of this group hosed down many women with a hose, and the winner received applause and many gracious looks from on-looking lesbian spectators.

The Dykes on Bikes of Madison, Wisconsin, not only showed their support and presence at this year’s Gay Pride Parade, but they also have leather shows at clubs for benefits and fundraisers to help other nonprofit organizations, such as Madison Pride Inc. Women’s Breast Cancer, Women’s Rape Crises, and Domestic Violence Against Children and Women. They currently have 20 members in good standing. Their membership is $20 per year. The current officers are the following: President Toby Sigle, Vice President Jaz Lind (secretary is open), and Blood Chairman Dawn Gallwith.

Toby Sigle has been the founder, president, and organizer of Dykes on Bikes in Madison, Wisconsin, since 1981. This group of motorcyclists has DOB meetings held on Sundays at 11am at Mother Fools on Williamson Street in Madison, Wisconsin. They plan rides after these meetings on the second and fourth weekend of every month. This group also owns a leather shop called "Look at That." It is located at 438 North Frances St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703. The phone number of this place is 608/663-BIKE (2453). The summer hours are the following: 11am to 7pm Tuesday to Thursday and 10am to 8pm Friday and Saturday. They are closed Sunday and Monday.

If you are a lesbian motorcyclist and want to join Madison's Dykes on Bikes motorcycle group, email DOB's President, Toby Sigle, at toby@dykesonbikesmadison.com .

After the Gay Pride Rally at the capital building, the gay community and its supporters were enthused. This expression of emotion poured into the streets of Madison. The parade started at the capital building near North Carroll Street and proceeded to go to Brittingham Park, off West Washington Avenue.

You could feel the Mardi Gras atmosphere in the air as the Dykes on Bikes, individual participants, floats, a marching band, gay supporters, and organizations whisked by you. Organizations such as the Madison Gay Softball Team, Ray’s Bar, and Terry Halverson’s travel agency were showering onlookers with various gifts. Mardi Gras beads were tossed to the crowd, along with dance music CDs and advertisement ink pens. Our dear friend Kizmet was fortunate enough to catch candy, a CD, and an ink pen wailed at her.

Along with the gifts sprinkled into the crowd, you felt the Mardi Gras influence when you viewed the costumes at the parade. Whether it was an individual participant’s attire or an organization group’s attire, you were witnessing incredible sights. From a young gay man’s enormous fly strapped to his back and a comical drag queen (who had an enormous bosom; big, vibrant-colored hair; platform shoes; and a metal athletic cup supporter on the outside of his dress) to a float with gay men and women adorned in Village People’s (old disco musical group) outfits (construction worker, police officer, Indian, and cowboy), these costumes were remarkable. This group was shaking their bodies to the Village People’s Hit "YMCA" and doing the hand motions to create the letters of Y, M, C, A.

There was a gay marching band called Lakeside Pride Freedom from the city of Chicago. This band was playing band type of music. They were dressed in light-blue polo shirts and light-colored shorts. Then came the various organizations that support the LGBT community. Some of these were the Quakers, The National Organization for Women, First Congregational Church, and the children of the LGBT community.

The Quakers carried a banner that stated they supported marriage for gay people. The National Organization for Women was marching and passing out stickers that had a rainbow-colored upside-down triangle with the letters NOW printed in the middle, the word "Equal" above the base of the triangle, and the word "Marriage" at the tip of the triangle. And the senior pastor of the First Congregational Church, Curt Anderson, told a local reporter that he was marching, as he does most every year, to affirm his support for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender and to stand with them in their struggles." He also stated, "It is also a celebration of our diversity and common humanity." There were also children of LGBT people in the parade chanting slogans that supported gay marriage and LGBT rights.

The parade ended at the destination of Brittingham Park. Once there, the participants of the parade eventually join the rest of the gay community to celebrate gay pride. There were food vendors, beer tents, gift vendors, and entertainment awaiting them. If you are interested attending next year’s gay pride celebration in Madison, WI, you can write and tell the Madison Pride Board members that you want to be put on their email list. The address is Madison Pride, P.O. Box 1403, Madison, WI 53701-1403

After the rally and the Gay Pride Parade, the next activity on the Madison Gay Pride Celebration was the Pride Picnic. The cost to enter the picnic celebration was $5 per person. You were not allowed to bring food or drink in the park because the food and drink vendors desired to make sells. This was the only downfall of the picnic. Most of the food there was not nutritious (greasy and fattening) and expensive, and the beverages were expensive too, especially the tap beer at $4 for a 12-ounce plastic cup. On a brighter note, the entrance fee provided you with entertainment.

The park had ticket booths where you had to purchase tickets to enter the park, portable toilets, vendors (food, drink, merchandise, and informational), and generators.

To start off the entertainment expo at the park were the Dairyland Cowboys and Cowgirls (LGBT country western dancers). They were strutting their dance steps of two-step, line, circle, etc. Since 1993, this group has hosted scores of country dances with instruction, canoe trips, potlucks, and rural barn dances. Then there was the Drag Show, with several men dressed as women and lip-synching to music.

There was also a couple of drag kings (women dressed like men) lip-synching. One was dressed in studded black-leather pants, with a muscle shirt supporting fake facial hair, and the other one was dressed in cowboy wear crooning "Getty up and Ride with Me." There was also a heavy-metal musical group called All the Pretty Horses. This group is from Minneapolis, MN. All the Pretty Horses brings back the David Bowie era with a hard twist. It is a dark glam-rock band that definitely left an impression on me. I was mesmerized by their antics on stage with power tools, their fierce dancers, and their transgender performance artist named Venus. This artist played the guitar for the band. She was adorned with feathers, leather, and sequins. In heels, this performer is over 6 feet tall and definitely towered over most of her other band members.

After All the Pretty Horses finished their act, another artist took the stage. This performer was the headliner and the big finale of the gay pride picnic. The artist’s name is Simone Denny. She sings dance /disco music. Her presence and voice was powerful. As she entered on the stage, you could feel it. I even noticed the officers I had met at the picnic moved closer to the stage and were tapping their feet.

Denny is best known for the theme song for NBC/Bravo Television’s hit reality show "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy." "All Things Just Keep Getting Better" is the catchy tune, which opens the show for the Fab Five, as the show’s resident gay experts have come to be known. The song is also the lead track on the "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" soundtrack CD, which was recently released by Capital Records.

If you are interested in attending next year’s gay pride celebration in Madison, WI, you can write and tell the Madison Pride Board members that you want to be put on their email list. The address is Madison Pride, P.O. Box 1403, Madison, WI 53701-1403.

The Madison Police had an information booth set up at the Gay Pride Picnic. It was set up on Saturday, July 16, 2005, at the Brittingham Park. This police department has always recognized that Madison’s strength as a community comes from its diversity. Hence, their belief is that the best police department comes from having a membership that truly reflects the diverse population it serves. As a result of this, the Madison Police Department’s information booth was present at the gay pride booth to recruit qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to enrich their ranks. Here, officers were on hand to answer questions concerning the training of an officer, being an officer, the responsibilities of it, etc.

The Madison Police Department is an inclusive agency that encourages building bonds with the community it serves. And it does so by hiring officers with a wide range of backgrounds and a respect for the cultural differences and similarities that make their city great.

Although I was not present the day they had the information booth set up, I was fortunate enough to be able to speak to a couple of officers that had their job detail at the gay picnic. Consequently, we talked about the jobs in the criminal justice field and the job situation in Madison concerning the criminal justice arena. I talked with an officer named Sarah and her police partner. They were not only informative, but also very kind and polite. I even got to have a picture taken with them while they were working. They were there for crowd control, security, and public relations.

If you’re interested in becoming a Madison police officer, the contact people are Sergeant Mike Koval and Deb Slawck. They can be reached at 608/266-4190. You can receive job information at their website, too. The website is www.madisonpolice.com. You can also write to the police department at Madison Police Department, Attn: Recruitment, 211 South Carroll St., Madison, WI 53703-3303