A Milwaukee gay man was brutally killed in 1967. His family is still searching for answers.
On Sept. 13, 1967, James Spencer aka “Roger Dallas Whetham,” age 30, was found dead in the Eastway Motel, 636 N. Van Buren St. He had been stabbed multiple times.Spencer was cremated shortly afterward, against his mother’s wishes, and while the crime was still being actively investigated. He was well-known and popular in Milwaukee’s gay community, but vicious rumors about his demise spread like wildfire. Family and friends prayed for justice that never came.In our final episode of Be Seen season two, we dig into the original files for the Spencer autopsy with help from the Milwaukee County Historical Society's Steve Schaffer and an exclusive interview with Spencer's niece, Carla Mitchell. This episode contains graphic descriptions of the crime scene.
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26:19
Remembering generations of lesbian history at Wisconsin's annual 'Old Timers Party'
For four decades, the “Old Timers Party” would unite women of Wisconsin's shuttered lesbian and women’s bars to drink and share stories at a much anticipated annual gathering. Before the "Old Timers Party," women were long gathering in historic bars like Wildwood, Nite Beat, Castaways, Leaded Shade and Sugar Shack. But the party changed everything by providing a safe, welcoming, and private space outside the bars that appealed to women throughout the region, until the pandemic put an end to it in 2019. In this episode, you'll hear interviews from organizers Lois Ratzow and Mary Connell, as well as patron Carole Pecor.
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30:21
Meet the first couple to seek a same-sex marriage license in Wisconsin
This episode features the story of Donna Burkett and her then-partner, Manonia Evans, the first lesbian couple to seek a marriage in Milwaukee County. When denied, they filed a lawsuit in federal court, received extensive media coverage but ultimately lost their case. Michail shares the narrative behind this story with archival audio from Burkett, courtesy of University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee Libraries, and reaction from Wisconsin ACLU Legal Director Larry Dupuis.
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30:32
Celebrating 46 years of gay softball in Milwaukee
Did you know Milwaukee hosted the Gay Softball World Series three times, as early as 1979? This year marks the 46th season of gay softball in Milwaukee with Saturday Softball Beer League. In this episode we talk with SSBL commissioner Kurt Baldwin, past commissioner Brian Reinkober, founding member Tommy “Southsider,” and long-time SSBL board member and ally Mona Garcia. You'll hear from people representing the This Is It team, as well as how Milwaukee helped found the national body of competitive gay softball -- NAGAAA -- and landed the World Series on three occasions.
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28:13
Tracing the history of Milwaukee's Pride Parade, from protest to celebration
Milwaukee’s Pride Parade is celebrating its 20th anniversary next year, after being sidelined for two years due to the pandemic. This episode features an interview with Parade president Jim Melotte and Chuckie Betz, who is pictured in the “Be Seen” podcast logo and recalls the first pride demonstration in Milwaukee, a radical act of protest in 1971.
Radio Milwaukee has partnered with the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project on this podcast series documenting the state’s LGBTQ history. Hosted by Radio Milwaukee's Nate Imig and Michail Takach, curator for the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project, the podcast explores significant queer milestones, events or people in Wisconsin's LGBTQ history.
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