June is Pride Month, a time to honor the history, culture and ongoing struggles of the LGBTQ+ community. In celebration, we’ve compiled a list of organizations that serve LGBTQ+ people in Milwaukee.
Chris Allen, the president and CEO of Diverse & Resilient, said his hope for this Pride Month and throughout the year, is to address concerns about the safety of LGBTQ+ people in and around the community.
“We’ve seen a shifting political landscape when it comes to how people in the community are being treated,” Allen said.
Research has shown there has been a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the U.S. within the last several years.
Diverse & Resilient will have a booth at PrideFest Milwaukee in the Health & Wellness Area and at Milwaukee’s Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day, celebration.
“We are really looking forward to celebrating a community of love and acceptance,” Allen said.
Here’s a roundup of organizations in Milwaukee that serve the LGBTQ+ community.
If you know of a resource that we missed, please email Milwaukee Neighborhood New Service.
Health and wellness
BESTD: 1240 E. Brady St.
The Brady East STD Clinic, or BESTD, offers sexual health services in a supportive and affirming setting, free of charge. The clinic provides HIV testing and counseling and sexually transmitted infections, or STI, testing. More information here.
Vivent Health: 1311 N. 6th St.
Vivent Health is a clinic focused on HIV treatment and prevention. Additionally, it provides a range of social and health services, including gender-affirming care. More information here.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers: 1032 S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive
Sixteenth Street offers a variety of comprehensive treatment and prevention services, from HIV screening and care to behavioral health to needle exchange in a culturally sensitive environment. More information here.
Holton Street Clinic: 3251 N. Holton St.
The Holton Street Clinic’s mission is to deliver specialized health care to individuals from all backgrounds who may have sexually transmitted infections. The clinic provides consultation, testing, treatment and follow-up. More information here.
Keenan Sexual Health Center: 3200 N. 36th St.
Keenan Sexual Health Center offers sexually transmitted infection and HIV-related services to uninsured and underinsured residents in Milwaukee and neighboring communities. Services are available at no cost to individuals ages 12 and above. More information here.
Outreach Community Health Centers: 220 W. Capitol Drive
Outreach Community Health Centers offers LGBTQ+-tailored health services to vulnerable, uninsured populations and low-income residents in the city. More information here.
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin: Multiple locations
Planned Parenthood has STI screening and treatments, gender affirming care and various other health services available to all people regardless of gender. More information here.
Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Inclusion Health Clinics: 9200 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Inclusion Health Clinics takes a comprehensive approach to address the health care needs of the LGBTQ community. Care includes primary and preventative care, gender-affirming hormone therapy, OB/GYN care, HIV treatment and prevention, and more. More information here.
Family and social services
While many of the clinics mentioned above also have social services, these Milwaukee organizations focus on providing community support.
Diverse & Resilient: 2439 N. Holton St.
Diverse & Resilient engages in advocacy efforts and offers direct-service initiatives to tackle the health disparities faced by LGBTQ individuals in Wisconsin. Its focus areas include anti-violence, leadership development, sexual health and substance use education. The organization also offers free STI testing and treatment. More information here.
MKE LGBT Community Center: 315 W. Court St.
The MKE LGBT Community Center provides educational, health promotion and community-building services tailored to the needs of LGBT youths, adults and their allies in the Greater Milwaukee area. More information here.
Courage MKE: 1322 S. 10th St.
Courage MKE is an LGBTQ+ advocacy group that offers housing, scholarships, support and resources to Wisconsin’s youths. More information here.
Pathfinders: 4200 N. Holton St., Suite 400
Pathfinders serves youths in crisis. It provides a range of inclusive and welcoming services, including counseling, housing and anti-sexual violence services, which are aimed at ensuring the immediate safety of youth. More information here.
Hmong American Women’s Association: 3030 W. Highland Blvd.
The Hmong American Women’s Association, or HAWA, supports Hmong women, youths and LGBTQ individuals in Milwaukee and also offers LGBTQ+ advocacy services. HAWA hosts Queer Roots Space, a support group for Hmong LGBTQ adults, along with other Pride events. More information here.
FORGE is a national transgender anti-violence organization that provides direct services to transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary survivors of sexual assault. More information here.
Culture, community and staying connected
SHEBA: Meets biweekly
SHEBA, also known as Sisters Helping Each Other Battle Adversity, comprises a collective of Black Trans women who meet biweekly to provide support and empowerment for transgender women. SHEBA offers various forms of support, including leadership development, HIV prevention, alternative healing methods and overall community building. More information here.
Sun-Seeker MKE Collective: Various events and meeting times
The Sun-Seeker MKE Collective, an abolitionist group led by Black and trans individuals, prioritizes holistic safety through the cultivation of relationships and advocacy work. More information here.
Project Q: Meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Project Q is a program of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center that offers a supportive environment for youths (13 and older) through drop-ins, development activities and life-skill coaching. Meetings are held from 3-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 315 W. Court St. More information here.
PFLAG Milwaukee: Various meeting times
PFLAG, or Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 1110 N. Market St., champions the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals, along with their families and friends, through support, education and advocacy. More information here.
Historian Brice Smith created lgbt milWALKee, a walking tour app and website that features oral history videos on Milwaukee LGBTQ+ history. Smith and Janice Toy, whose performance name is Janice Colby, are working with Diverse & Resilient on House of History, an oral history archive of Milwaukee’s Black LGBTQ community that’s expected to launch in June. More information here.
Business and philanthropy
The Cream City Foundation supports LGBTQ+ organizations in Southeastern Wisconsin and aims to respond to the human needs of LGBTQ+ people through its philanthropy, convening events and scholarship program. More information here.
Pride United, a donor network of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, addresses key issues that disproportionately affect the LGBTQ+ community by providing support from a council of LGBTQ+ leaders, allies and advocates. More information here.
Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce: 5027 W. North Ave.
The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce advocates for LGBT-owned and allied businesses in Wisconsin and promotes their economic growth. More information here.
