2023 Lunch and Learn: Wisconsin Pride, Part 1 – Hidden Histories

In honor of Pride Month, the Division of Business Services Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (EID) Committee is hosting a virtual lunch and learn showcasing the brand-new documentary Wisconsin Pride from PBS Wisconsin, in partnership with Wisconsin Historical Society. This is an incredible opportunity to to come together to learn more about LGBTQ history in our very own state. This Lunch and Learn event will cover the first part of the film, and we will have a 15 minute discussion segment afterward. Please contact a member of the EID Committee if you did not receive the Teams meeting invite and wish to attend. If you cannot make this event, you may want to consider attending an in-person screening of the film, or viewing it at your leisure! Description of Part 1 – Hidden Histories:

“The first hour of the film explores how diversity in sexual orientation, gender identity and expression are a normal part of the human experience. The documentary opens with Indigenous people prior to Wisconsin’s European colonization, and continues through the 19th and 20th centuries. This half of the documentary considers how being different from the mainstream could provide a unique perspective that enabled LGBTQ+ people to contribute in ways others could not imagine.

Even in a closeted era, LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites found each other, created community, mentored each other and achieved great things.

Wisconsin Pride also features and celebrates R. Richard Wagner’s work as a historian and author. Wagner, who passed away in 2021, is featured in the documentary and his two-volume history from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press provided guidance and inspiration. Wagner was an activist, historian, gay rights leader, elected official, and public servant who worked for the state of Wisconsin for 33 years.”