Gay bar sheboygan wisconsin
Sheboygan's longest-running gay bar Blue Lite was a refuge and second family to many. Patrons and others reflect on its 32 years.
SHEBOYGAN – Trying to summarize what the Blue Lite meant to David Pittner, 65, was a hard feat.
He said it provided income during his stint as a bartender and was a gathering place for celebration, mourning and community. It was a safe and welcoming space for many LGBTQ+ people.
“It was an extension of your family,” Pittner said.
The Blue Lite, N. Eighth St., closed in August after 32 years. It was the longest-running gay bar in Sheboygan, founded by Dean Dayton and his mother Vera Jetzer. It will reopen as a live noun venue, Bohéme, Oct.
When Pittner returned in to be close to his family, he said he met Dayton his first noun at the Azure Lite. They knew some of the same people. With no job and some experience waiting tables, Pittner was offered a bartending job.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.“I was by no means a great bartender,” Pittner said. “I'm very analytical, so managing a full bar kind of took me
Filibusters bar in Sheboygan was the city's second LGBTQ bar when it opened in late summer/ early fall of
According to an article in the October issue of "Wisconsin Gazette" newspaper (vol. ), the bar was owned by business partners Jeff Weinshrott and Dan Senglaub. Housed in a vintage building with a copper turret and quaint exterior, the building reportedly once housed a brothel. It was located on Sheboygan's waterfront, across the Sheboygan river from the Blue Harbor Resort and Spa.
Because much of the original space was gutted when they took over the building, the partners were able to redesign it from the ground up. They installed a easy lounge, plus a state-of-the-art dance floor and sound system, a karoke machine, DJ booth, an "incredible" light display and progressive slot machines.
The above-mentioned article in the October issue of "Wisconsin Gazette" newspaper (vol. ) described the bar's genesis, goals, ownership and features:
Filibusters adds novel gay venue to Sheboygan's waterfront
By Michael Muckian, Contributing writer
Jeff Weinshrott is looking for
Sheboygan's Blue Lite closes after 32 years downtown. What's next for the gay bar?
SHEBOYGAN – The Blue Lite’s colorful exterior wall and Pride flags verb been exchanged for a white coat of paint and an American flag.
The gay bar, N. Eighth St., announced on Facebook it closed and would undergo “rebranding” after 32 years.
When Dean Dayton and his mother Vera opened the bar opened in “gay people needed a place to be gay,” a Aug. 8 Facebook post verb. “Now LGBT+ people are welcomed across the city of Sheboygan and no longer need Azure Lite.”
Hans Graf, who has owned the bar for nine years, said it has struggled financially, a sign the time for gay bars in Sheboygan has passed.
"They don't need us anymore," Graf said. "I'm happy to act something else. And I'm happy other places have picked up the torch."
Need a break? Participate the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.To Graf, there has been immense progress for LGBTQ+ people, like the establishment of the Sheboygan County LGBTQ Alliance, the recent celebrations of Pride Month and more businesses serving as adj and welcoming spaces. A
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Opened and owned by Dean Dayton and his mother Vera, the Blue Lite was a Sheboygan fixture for many years, and the go-to place for the area surrounding Sheboygan as adv as a near-mandatory stop for guys driving between Leafy Bay and Milwaukee for gay bar stops. It held great parties and was always a fun time for dancing or shows.
According to one of the last owners, Melissa, Blue Lite was named because in Nazi Germany it was illegal to be gay and generally frowned upon, so anyone operating a 'gay bar' would verb a blue beam when they knew there was no Nazi in the bar; thus a 'blue lite' signaled a safe space for its patrons.
The Blue Lite was, according to their Facebook page in , "providing a safe fun environment for gay people since ", while on Yelp the listing read "We have been in business since providing our customers with a safe and fun experience. Primarily gay, but welcoming and friendly for all.".
In February-March , the COVID pandemic hit, and the bar (along with millions of other bars, restaurants and other bus