Our Lives Magazine

02/14/2025

"How would I, Shammara, describe our love? Vivid, joyful, fun, fiery, uplifting, truthful, and growth-filled. With Ziggy by my side, I have had the courage to completely upend the life that I was living to pursue an authentic, albeit sometimes scary, yet limitless life. Her love is so intense and unwavering. I feel firmly grounded in our foundation yet limitless with possibility. With her, I see life clearer. I have found my heart, and my home."

A Love That Burns Brightly

02/13/2025

IN OUR JAN/FEB ISSUE >> Wisconsin's LGBTQ newlyweds: Kaya & Megan Greenwood >> Our day was an intentional celebration of q***r joy! We had a small wedding, surrounding ourselves with our closest friends and family.

We wrote our vows separately and heard each other’s vows for the first time during the ceremony. We often joke how we say the same things at the same time because we are so in tune with each other, and that was further proven when we both had the same line in our separate vows. We also both ended up including quotes from songs by our favorite q***r musicians—Brandi Carlile and boygenius.
From our siblings co-officiating to our Polaroid guest book, our day felt like a celebration of us and our love

https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/part-2-celebrating-your-special-day-done-your-way-4/

📷: https://www.facebook.com/

02/12/2025

Congratulations to Bill Wardlow, owner of Fluid Bar, who was recently recognized by Mayor Cavalier Johnson and County Executive David Crowley for his stewardship of local history.

819 S. 2nd St. has been the site of eight known q***r spaces since December 1944, including The Friendly Bar, The Decision, The Hideaway, The Hustler, Mint Bar II, BJ's, Zippers and today's Fluid. How many Wisconsin addresses can claim that? 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

02/12/2025

IN OUR JAN/FEB ISSUE >> Wisconsin's LGBTQ newlyweds: Lynn Mayer & Gigi Vail >>Celebrating our love and friendship with family and friends began as a “Day in the Dells.” We filled an original Dells Duck with laughter and joy! We spent the afternoon enjoying pizza, followed by mini-golf and dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Games, conversation, and laughter filled our evening. Tears of happiness, laughter, and love embraced all!

As our friends and family gathered to celebrate our wedding, the sky blessed us with rain! The shelter at the beach was draped with plastic curtains. Kelly and Kathy, two of our attendants, came to us as we were changing, to alert us to a new concern. So many of our guests had shown up, we needed to move our ceremony from the gazebo to the shelter. They helped to relocate our altar without disturbing it.

We then began the ceremony, surrounded by our guests. Another fast outfit change, and we entered the shelter to share our love of dance with all! This day, soggy as it was, turned into a beautiful memory for all.

https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/part-2-celebrating-your-special-day-done-your-way-4/

02/11/2025

February is Black History Month — and all month long, the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project is showcasing Black changemakers who are making history happen.

Read their Inspiring stories today at wislgbthistory.com/blog. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

02/11/2025

IN OUR JAN/FEB ISSUE >> Wisconsin's LGBTQ newlyweds: Sam Phillips & Michael Radloff >> When we chose our wedding as the first day of Pride Month, we had an obligation to make the most colorful wedding. Our wedding party formed the rainbow, we assembled as many LGBTQ+ vendors as we could, and took the day to blend our families—chosen and birth.

From the beautiful ceremony on the rooftops of iconic State Street, featuring vows loaded with our myriad of inside jokes; a reception fueled by gay dance anthems and a live cover of Proud Mary, to closing down the Rigby at our afterparty, it was truly a day that we and our guests won’t soon forget! .

https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/part-2-celebrating-your-special-day-done-your-way-4/

📷: https://www.facebook.com/melaniereneephoto

02/10/2025

The number of new HIV infections could jump more than six times by 2029 if American support of the biggest AIDS program is dropped, warning that millions could die and more resistant strains of the disease could emerge.

The head of the U.N. AIDS agency says the number of new HIV infections could jump more than six times by 2029 if American support of the biggest AIDS program is dropped.

02/10/2025

During Miami’s glamorous Art Basal week, Madison resident Rae Senarighi (known as Transpainter) participated in a collaborative exhibit representing the various stages and feelings experienced by someone processing an HIV/AIDS diagnosis.

02/07/2025

"Whenever people ask how Lili and I met, I can’t help but laugh. It wasn’t through the usual means—an app, at work, or via mutual friends. We met in 2014 on a tiny, obscure online forum for le***an fans of Girls’ Generation, a Korean pop group. Little did I know that the stranger I decided to private message out of the blue would eventually become my wife."

K-Pop Across the Americas

02/06/2025

IN OUR JAN/FEB ISSUE >> Wisconsin's LGBTQ newlyweds:Jak Maliszewski & James Valona >> We couldn’t have imagined a more special day. We picked a location where we could have Mother Nature as a witness to our love. Surrounded by trees, wildlife, and rain, we got married by our friend and officiant, Jenni Nordstrom, in front of our our closest friends and families as well as some special visitors—a snapping turtle, owls, a hawk, and an eagle cared for by the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center—as well as a performance by drag performer B.J. Daniels.

All of our guests commented on the food—some of the best wedding food they’ve had, provided by Hidden Kitchen, which was a large buffet of plant-based dishes. This will forever be a day to be remembered, thanks to all of the people who helped and shared in the festivities.

📷: Roost Photography

https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/part-2-celebrating-your-special-day-done-your-way-4/

02/05/2025

IN OUR JAN/FEB ISSUE >> Wisconsin's LGBTQ newlyweds:Alexandria & Juniper Starr >> Our day was anything but traditional! From us being q***r, to wearing all black while the rest of our decor remained soft pastels of pink and green. Our wedding took place in a state park, and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful location! The day was bright, the wind was soft, and nature had something special for us the night of our wedding: Northern Lights! It seemed like our wedding date was meant to be.

We grew up as childhood friends starting in elementary school, and we were huge art kids! Alex drew our cake topper as a reminder of this! We also had all our childhood friends join us to celebrate—one driving eight hours on the day of the wedding to be there!! Our found family have always been our biggest supporters, and it was surreal to have them there!

https://ourliveswisconsin.com/.../part-1-celebrating.../

02/04/2025

IN OUR JAN/FEB ISSUE >> Wisconsin's LGBTQ newlyweds: Bradey Engen & George Heg >> It was a lovely day celebrating with family and friends. We were married by our pastor in the beautiful church where we are members. Our pastor gave us a template, but George actually laid out the entire service and tweaked each piece: The hymns, the scripture readings, the vows, the exchange of rings, the lighting of the unity candle, and more.

Many in our community don’t get a church wedding. Our church is a big part of our lives, and it was special to us to be married there.

https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/part-1-celebrating-your-special-day-done-your-way-4/

02/03/2025

Ali Treviño-Murphy grew up with the martial arts and self-defense studio nestled for decades on Madison’s State Street. At Underground Self-Defense, she and her co-owners work to empower everyone who takes a class to feel their own self-worth, and to learn the essential life skill of self-defense.

Ali Treviño-Murphy grew up with the martial arts and self-defense studio nestled for decades on Madison’s State Street. At Underground Self-Defense, she and her co-owners work to empower everyone who takes a class to feel their own self-worth, and to learn the essential life skill of self-defense...

01/31/2025

“Trans youth, they really just want to be able to live their lives,” Carri said. “They have a right to be safe. They want to be able to have the rights of others. They want to be able to be affirmed when they’re struggling with something, and it shouldn’t be a political debate.”

The president's order claims transition treatments can cause the youth to have higher medical bills over their lifetime and can lead to regret as they age because it may affect their ability to conceive children.

01/30/2025

Some good news: The Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus convened for the first time in the 107th Wisconsin Legislature with more than double the membership of previous legislative sessions.

Like 0 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest reddit Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus convened for the first time in the 107th Wisconsin Legislature with more than double the […]

01/30/2025

"I didn’t really have a gay role model when I was a child. And I think that it is really important to find one. To find someone who they live their life, they’re living it openly, they’re living proud, and they’re just unafraid and unashamed of who they are as a q***r person. "

https://www.wpr.org/news/wisconsin-eau-claire-podcast-small-town-big-gays-travis-gorell-chance-smith?fbclid=IwY2xjawIIh2tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQ966UM6clBgbKBQK8AifyD0CJpauCZgmHxlCwDbX6MmmUD4Oay2W3S30w_aem_A7LeuZPzFi26qh-0E9Q_Cw

The podcast highlights q***r life in rural areas and discusses topics like dating, religion and local icons.

01/30/2025

IN OUR JAN/FEB ISSUE >> Wisconsin's LGBTQ newlyweds:Amy & Andie Yonker >> Our wedding was a sunny Sunday brunch, filled with love and laughter. It was light and bright, just like we’d always dreamed. But the most magical part came when Amy orchestrated a surprise for Andie.

Andie was casually taken into another room for something uneventful, and when she entered the hall again, the entire room of 150+ guests was gathered. She was ushered up the hall and sat down on a chair waiting for her on the stage, with Amy next to her. The whole group broke into song, singing Forever Young by Bob Dylan. It was a wish for our life together, one that we’ll carry with us always. Surrounded by family and friends, we felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and joy—the perfect start to our forever.

📷: Thrive Photography & Films

https://ourliveswisconsin.com/article/part-1-celebrating-your-special-day-done-your-way-4/

01/29/2025

The order specifically mentions a Madison Metropolitan School District policy that it says calls on schools to “disrupt the gender binary” by teaching students to embrace different gender identities.