Inauguration day

First and foremost, congratulations! It is my honor to write this letter for the inaugural issue of the Wisconsin Gazette. The Gazette will add an important new dimension to covering Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s vibrant LGBT community.

All of us who care about advancing justice and fairness in Wisconsin owe the people who started the Gazette a debt of gratitude for starting a new publication during difficult economic times. It is a bold and important step that deserves our attention and support.

I am very proud of my record as an elected official on issues that affect my friends and neighbors in the LGBT community. One of the things I am most proud of is the recent enactment of the Wisconsin domestic partnership registry.

My colleagues and I in the Legislature passed this important provision as part of the state budget in early summer. Since August, when the registry went into effect, more than 1,200 couples around Wisconsin have become part of the state registry. While the registry falls short of providing the level of protections that married couples are afforded, it does provide state recognition of loving, committed couples. We can be very proud that Wisconsin is the first state in the Midwest to legislatively enact protections for same-sex couples.

Again, I congratulate the Gazette on this exciting venture. I look forward to reading many editions of this publication in the future. If anyone has any questions or concerns about state government please do not hesitate to give my office a call at 888-534-0019 or contact me via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . It is my pleasure to serve you.

Wisconsin State Rep.
Jon Richards

Progressive progress

Hurray for a new voice in our community.

The Wisconsin Gazette will fuel my desire to continue to hold and read a newspaper — one with progressive content and analysis, new ideas and an up-to-date message regarding LGBT issues.

I especially look forward to learning more about current gay rights legislation and candidate positions, and also what LGBT organizations are up to in the community. Let the commentary begin.

Jackie Boynton, attorney
and progressive activist

On the landscape

On behalf of the Milwaukee Police Department, I welcome the Wisconsin Gazette to the city’s media landscape.

The LGBT community is a valued constituency that adds to the cultural richness of our city. Increased communication makes us all safer, because we are better informed about each other’s challenges and goals. When the police department is able to read the pulse of our communities, our ability to perform our duties is enhanced.

We enjoy a productive working relationship with all our constituencies, including Milwaukee’s LGBT community. We have worked together to address issues of concern and I am proud of the open dialogue that has been developed among us.

I wish you well in this important endeavor.

Milwaukee Chief of Police
Edward A. Flynn

Welcome WiG

We are among of the lucky Wisconsinites who knew and counted as friends Ron Geiman, the editor of InStep, and Terry Boughner and Jerry Johnson, the editors of Wisconsin Light. These publications were important sources of news and information that was of great value to the LGBT community in Wisconsin. With that history, we welcome the publication of a new source of valuable information for our community, the Wisconsin Gazette.

The Wisconsin Gazette in their mission statement promises “to inform, engage and empower Wisconsin’s LGBT community by providing a professional, independent print and online source for news, commentary and political and cultural issues.” This would truly add value to the already vibrant Wisconsin LGBT community.

So a hearty welcome to the Wisconsin Gazette. We wish you well.

Robert J. Starshak
and Ross W. Draegert