Events that shaped Madison's drag scene

By Lspanbauer21

  • Alternative gender expression in Wisconsin begins

    In Wisconsin, Winnebago, Ojibwe and Potawatomi tribes have two-spirited tribal members, who transcend the binary of gender. These members are seen as wise and authoritative figures within their tribes.

  • The first drag show in Wisconsin

    The first drag show in Wisconsin
    Francis “The Only Leon” performed at Milwaukee’s Nunnemacher’s Grand Opera Hall, the show was a massive success and opened doors for drag performers to come.

  • The Gay Purge at the University of Wisconsin–Madison

    The Gay Purge at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
    UW-Madison persecuted homosexual students and Madison residents in a series of events known as the Gay Purge.

  • The Stonewall riots

    The Stonewall riots
    Police raided the the Stonewall inn, a gay bar in New York City, resulting in a series of protests where the LGBTQ community fought against the discrimination they had long been facing.

  • Hotel Washington opens

    A premier location for the Midwest LGBTQ community, Hotel Washington in Madison, Wisconsin, began housing gay bar, restaurants, and living quarters. Hotel Washington was destroyed by a fire in 1996, but Its impact is lasting.

  • Lysistrata opens

    A feminists collective in Wisconsin, Lysistrata was one of the first venues to embrace LGBTQ women. On its brochure, Lysistrata described itself as “a place where women of differing ages, views, and experiences can gather, get to know each other, discuss issues of mutual interest, give each other support.”

  • The AIDS epidemic

    The AIDS epidemic
    AIDS, a virus that attacks the autoimmune system, ravaged gay communities all over the United States. The disease took the lives of hundreds of thousands of queer people, and increased the stigmatization of the LGBTQ community.

  • FIVE Nightclub opened

    FIVE Nightclub opened
    FIVE, Madison's only drag bar, began serving the city's LGBTQ community.

  • Prism Dance Club closed

    Prism Dance Club, a once a popular drag venue in Madison, Wisconsin, closed due preproductions from reports of staff discriminating against patrons.

  • "Five Star Tease" debuts

    Dance Life Studio, a body positive dance studio in Madison, Wisconsin, begins utilizing its space to showcase drag and burlesque performances almost every Friday. The project is headed by popular TikTok personality Mercury Stardust.