How will LGBTQ+ community respond to losing prominent Wisconsin gay bar?

As a historic Sheboygan gay bar closes its doors, a local leader in the LGBTQ+ community looks toward the future. 

The Blue Lite gay bar has been a staple of the Sheboygan LGBTQ+ community for over 30 years. This year, the bar announced it will undergo a rebranding into a live music venue. 

Kate Krause is co-founder and co-chair of the Sheboygan County LGBTQ Alliance. She recently told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that she believes the community will miss the Blue Lite, but that she had “some complicated feelings” about the bar closing. 

“I think that we still need (a gay bar),” she said. “And if (Hans Graf) the owner is ready — which I totally relate to, ready to move on to something else — I think that there’s going to be the opportunity for another gay-specific space. I think that it’s important. But I also don’t think that it necessarily needs to be bars anymore.” 

On “Wisconsin Today,” Krause, who owns Paradigm Coffee and Music in Sheboygan, talked about the legacy of gay bars, LGBTQ+ acceptance and building a safe and open community in Sheboygan. 

The following was edited for brevity and clarity. 

Rob Ferrett: What has the Blue Lite meant for the Sheboygan LGBTQ+ community? 

Kate Krause: I can mostly talk about it as a person in my 20s, 20 years ago, and it was a really important space. I spent a lot of long nights there, had a lot of fun. And even when I stopped going out a lot, it was just always nice to know it was there. My shop is just down the road, and getting to know (former owner Dean Dayton) when he first opened, or when I first opened, it was just good having a cohort down the street.

RF: Are there more spaces than just that one gay bar in a city like Sheboygan?

KK: There totally are. And I think having more than one space is super important. There have been a couple of gay bars to come and go. I think what we’re also seeing is that drinking is on a decline, strange to say. And I think having spaces that aren’t directly affiliated with that might be part of the shift. 

I want a lot of cool places and a lot of cool options, and I think that’s the same for the queer community. But queer-only spaces are still really important. I don’t think they’ve gone unneeded. There’s a time and a place, but I think the community is going to mourn the loss of a specific gay bar. 

RF: How do you approach this concept of building community, whether we’re talking about queer community or just reaching out to people in Sheboygan in general?

KK: If you’re new to a community, you’re going to find that space that speaks to you. And we put a lot of intention into creating a welcoming environment for everyone. We put up a pride flag in 2016 for the first time, even though we had been open for 10 years. Because before that, it was more of a safety issue in my head. And it’s still a safety issue.

But the importance of putting up a beacon that says, “Hey, your people are here. We can put you in the right direction of other friendly folks,” and navigating that is still really necessary and important. Our cafe has made that a mission for all 18 years.