Our Lives Magazine

Deb Errington, co-owner of The Sow's Ear since 2006, talks about building the business in symbiosis with small, local suppliers, donating portions of their revenues to causes like fighting mass incarceration and helping folks in Minneapolis during last year's ICE raids, and bringing whimsy to their patrons with fun menu items like "Heated Rivalry" themed drinks.

READ MORE: https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/yarns-told-yarns-sold/
✍: Elise Filka

In Vivienne Andersen's words: "In May of 2025, I received an email from a couple, one of whom is trans, that said, essentially 'Come sell our house.' This was a beautifully cared-for 1912 4-bedroom folk/farm home on a double lot that the owners had put countless hours into. I think they were more heartbroken to leave their extensive garden than they were their beautiful home. They had hoped to spend the next several decades here. When I asked them why they felt they had to leave they told me, 'We were very concerned that access to trans-related care for our family was going to be eroded.'"

READ MORE: https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/the-canarys-forced-migration/

Security camera footage reportedly showed an unidentified person striking the marker with an object at approximately 7:30 p.m. July 16. The single blow cracked the marker’s base, causing it to separate from the mast and fall. The person then fled without attempting to steal the marker or cause additional damage.

🔗 https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/black-nite-uprising-monument-vandalized-in-milwaukee

According to Alyssa Lentz: "So many older LGBTQ+ people came of age in a world that demanded discretion from them—where love was encoded in gestures, lifelong companionships, and stories told sideways. I wanted to witness them fully and to preserve the texture of their lives before it could be softened by time or omission."

If you would like to be included in my ongoing photo series of Wisconsin’s LGBTQ+ elders, please send an email with your age and city of residence to [email protected]

READ MORE: https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/the-queer-elders-project/

Cinn City Smash founders Maximus “Noodle” Perdomo and Rutger Sc*****er started with a simple idea: There’s just something honest about smash burgers. They’re stripped down, with no hiding behind excess. Just ingredients, technique, and repetition.

READ MORE: https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/83642/
✍: Charles Edward Payne

Coming Soon: Our Madison Pride issue is also our 19th anniversary issue!

Inside, we introduce you to Michael Waupoose, a respected Menominee Two-Spirit elder; reconnect with gay-marriage pioneer Donna Burkett; and celebrate our ninth annual Pride in Color list and second annual Pride in Color Hall of Fame.

Subscribe for free to receive all this and much more: https://ourliveswisconsin.com/free-subscription

MILWAUKEE: if you missed the Beacons of Brew City documentary in June, here’s your chance!

The Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project is hosting an encore screening and audience Q&A Monday night at the Central Library. This program is FREE and open to the public.

INFO: tinyurl.com/beacons0803

We are seeking passionate volunteers to contribute their skills, perspectives, and expertise in areas ranging from journalism to digital strategy to outreach.

Learn more here: https://ourliveswisconsin.com/volunteer

The lawsuit argues that Wisconsin’s requirement that transgender people undergo surgery before correcting the s*x marker on a birth certificate violates the state Constitution’s guarantees of equality, privacy and personal autonomy.

🔗 Read here: https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/aclu-sues-wisconsin-over-surgery-requirement-for-trans-birth-certificate-changes/

The foundation’s scholarship program supports LGBTQ+ students and allies from southeastern WI pursuing post-secondary education. Each recipient will receive a $5,000 scholarship, an increase of $2,500 over last year’s award amount. The scholarships are funded through the generosity of individual donors, along
with support from Courage Plus and The William J. Radler Fund.

READ MORE: https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/cream-city-foundation-announces-2026-scholarship-recipients/