Gay club madison
The Club 5 Complex was opened by Ed Grunewald as a replacement for his 'Manoeuvres' block, which needed more room for spread. He created a large complex of several separate serving bars, a restaurant, and outside vacuum for volleyball etc. From the start, the business had three separate identities within the building, specifically:
Club 5 restaurant and Bar: The major portion of the space was a DJ area and large gyrate floor area with a couple of bars. The "full service restaurant... serves lunch, dinner and Fri./Sat. after hours".
Barracks: Men's bar, rustic setting. A place for the Levi/Leather community, Unicorns of Madison meetings and club nights, exceptional events, etc. Always had many guys in jeans and t-shirts, or often shirtless. At times showed X-rated/ 'Adult' movies.
Planet Q Video Dance Bar: with pool tables, dart boards, etc.
Early ads also mentioned a "Q Gift Shop". And in April 1999, Ed added The Fox Hole womyn's bar to the building.
Club 5 came about largely to fulfill a desperate need. During the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s, the main LGBTQ bars in the Madison area were Rod's (levi/ leather bar), the New Bar (dance ba
Rod's bar became a gay representative and legend among gay men in the 1980's and 1990's Madison. Opened by entrepreneur Rodney Scheel and located in the lower level (basement) of the Hotel Washington building just west of downtown Madison (which Rodney owned with his brother Greg), the bar had a decidedly leather/levi type ambiance. Early on, "Rod's" took on a "tradition" of the bartenders holding surprise "spot checks" for men wearing underwear- which, if found, were promptly removed (cut off) and hung over the pipes on the ceiling of the block. In no time the pipes running in the main lock room were draped with countless cut-off underwear. The bar became an extremely popular destination for men throughout Wisconsin and even from northern Illinois.
Over time, the bar opened additional rooms in the back, one of which showed adult male (i.e. queer porn) videos. (On the seedier side, Rod's "men's room" had its own little tradition: on occasion one might find, along the walls holding the urinals, someone kneeling: aficionados of "water sports" were to be establish that night!)
An outdoor patio was a very popular addition. Opened outside/ upstairs, the patio was popular spring, summer and drop eveni
An LGBTQ+ student’s guide to Madison
Madison has been named among the gayest cities in the United States for its progressive atmosphere and rich queer history.
But for many incoming Gay students seeking community at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, starting the search can be an overwhelming task. To kick off Event Month, The Daily Cardinal compiled a list of activities and locations in Madison for queer people to experience community.
Campus organizations
Gender and Sexuality Campus Center: Located in the Red Gym, UW-Madison’s Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC) provides education, advocacy and resources to foster a welcoming environment for Homosexual students and allies. The GSCC is known for hosting popular welcome events such as Drag Bingo and offering scholarships to new students. Students can drop by during GSCC hours to peruse a collection of queer books, eat snacks or exploit free printing services.
The Celebration Society: Founded in 1983 upon the passage of Wisconsin’s gay rights legislation, The Pride Society is best known for its annual “Pride Prom” with unique themes and kingly performance artists. The Identity festival Society also hosts motion picture
30+ LGBTQ+ Owned Businesses in Madison
LGBTQ+ pride is a year-round thing in Madison.
Opting for openness over “us vs. them” and kindness over contest, we’re a urban area known for its progressiveness. We’re satisfied that LGBTQ+ owned-and-operated businesses (and Diverse friendly businesses) endure to flourish here.
Though the big lgbtq+ fest event in Madison isn’t until August, we’ve got more than 30 Gay businesses to sustain while you’re eating, drinking and traveling your way through Madison.
From coffee shops to brunch, grab a day (or two! or more!) to check these spots out. Looking for more Homosexual culture in Madison? Check out what our friends Joey Amato from Identity festival Journeys and Maartje Hensen said about their visits to Madison.
Jump around to locate LGBTQ+ owned businesses by category:
Coffee and Cafes
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Restaurants and Bars
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Clubs and Lounges
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Shops and Bookstores
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Breweries and Wine
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Attractions and Nonprofits
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Find other LGBTQ+ friendly businesses in Destination Ma