Art scene, suburban lifestyle draw gays to Waukesha

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Written by Todd Wellman
Apr 8, 2010

It’s the seat of the most politically conservative county in the state, but a burgeoning art scene is transforming Waukesha into a hip destination that seems to be attracting a growing number of gay and lesbian residents.

With 25 galleries and art-related businesses, along with trendy eateries, an active music scene and a growing calendar of public events, the city is undergoing what locals call a “renaissance.” The transformation has attracted national attention: Money Magazine named Waukesha one of the top 100 places to live in 2006.

“Matt,” who asked WiG not to use his real name because he’s not out to his family, says his hometown’s new vibrancy is keeping him there. A gay twenty-something financial professional, Matt says he particularly enjoys the local “art crawls,” which take place just four blocks from his home near downtown. He says the events, held five times annually, are evidence of the city’s creative and open culture, and he always sees gay and lesbian couples there.

Outgoing mayor Larry Nelson says the art crawls are the residual effect of other programming, including The National Endowment for the Arts-supported Big Read Waukesha Program, which brings the community together to read a designated book. He notes his city has a very active music scene, including the Downtown Business Association’s Friday Night Live, which features several music stages on special summer nights.

Civic events are also staged in Frame Park, a quaint river walk along the Fox River. Fiesta Waukesha, a three-day music festival/fundraiser celebrating the Hispanic culture in southeastern Wisconsin, is held there. The Waukesha Civic Theatre stages quality musicals and plays.

While the city of Waukesha has the area’s most active nightlife, LGBT people live in other areas of the county as well. Penny Anstey, owner of SightLine, has lived with her partner Mary in Muskego for 12 years. She says they are known by their subdivision neighbors as “the girls on Hemingway.”

Anstey says it’s difficult to find other LGBT people in the area. “You might see someone (LGBT) in the grocery store, but there’s no specific place that people frequent,” she says.

Still, Anstey says suburban life is worth the sacrifice. She likes the openness of the land, her 18 flower gardens and lower property taxes.

And Anstey says she’s not living in isolation. She joined an all-women’s suburban activity group known as the Wander Women, which offers a variety of activities, from board games to travel.

“Jim” (not his real name) lives in a more rural area of the county.

“Sometimes I see homes in the city and think, ‘How do people live there?’  I saw enough of close contact in college,” he says. “My partner and I like having our space and our quiet.”

But Jim says living in Waukesha presents challenges. It requires a lot of travel to Milwaukee to be around other LGBT people, and friends who live in Milwaukee don’t like driving to visit him.

Once Jim called his partner “sweetie” while shopping at the local Pick ‘N Save, and a customer who overheard nearly snapped off his neck twisting around in surprise, he says.

Anstey says LGBT people can be comfortable with living outside of a big city – but that it comes with work.

“If you’re going to set yourself apart from everyone else, I don’t care where you live, you’re not going to fit in,” she says.