In memoriam: Jim Melotte (1949-2025)

"He was the heart of every gathering, the source of every laugh, and the steady hand behind every project."

On November 24, 2025, Wisconsin lost one of its greats.  

Jim Melotte, leader of the Milwaukee Pride Parade for two decades, passed away at the age of 76.  In addition to being a fiercely devoted community leader and business owner, Jim was a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather that brought laughter and warm to every room. 

"He cherished birthdays, Friday dinners, and any excuse to bring family and friends together," said daughter Jeni.   

"Although he could be a bit of a curmudgeon on occasion, it only added to his carhm. His gruffness was always softened by the deep love he carried for his family and friends."

Wisconsin proud

Jim was born June 27, 1949 in Green Bay. He attended Premontre High School, now part of Notre Dame Academy.  

Jim moved to Milwaukee in 1968.  He began his electrician career with GEIS Building Products in 1974.

In 1999, he founded Avant Garde Body Piercing in West Allis. At the time, he was the oldest licensed piercer in Wisconsin.  Jim was invited to do piercing nights at local nightclubs, where he made connections within the greater LGBTQ community.  Over the years, Jim advocated for more equitable state legistation on body art, and educated medical staff on the care of body piercings and jewelry.

"His work wasn't just technical," said Jeni. "It was personal, artistic, and deeply respectful of the people he served."

Jim's hobbies ranged far and wide.  As a philatelist, he collected rare and unique stamps.  He was a tremendous Lego fan.  He never missed an episode of Bob's Burgers, This Old House, or How It's Made. 

Jim was a long-time member of the Argonauts of Wisconsin, now the longest operating gay social organization in Wisconsin.

Making the Milwaukee Pride Parade famous

From 1989 to 2003, PrideFest Milwaukee operated the annual pride parade.  After a 2003 financial crisis that nearly bankrupted the organization, the parade was cancelled indefinitely.  After a year without a parade, OutBound Magazine publishers James Kuchta and James Dawson mobilized local business owners to start a new, separate, non-profit organization: Milwaukee Pride Parade, Inc.  

"Despite overwhelming support for a parade, the PrideFest committee announced they were not going to put on a 2005 parade. Several businesses have come together to plan a parade for our community. The parade is not to deflect or compete with the PrideFest celebration. Rather, the parade is to enhance and promote our wonderful city, state, and community," wrote James Dawson in the April 2005 issue of OutBound Magazine.

The first parade under new ownership was held on June 12, 2005. It was a very humble affair with only a dozen entries, mostly sponsored floats from neighborhod bars, that traveled down South Second Street.

In 2006, Dawson and Kuchta left Wisconsin and sold OutBound Magazine.  The parade organization formed a Board of Directors and nominated Jim Melotte as vice-president.  Jim was instrumental in getting pride flags hung along the 2nd Street parade route in 2006.  Twenty years later, this tradition continues each June.

Jim stepped into the president role in 2010.  Over two decades, Jim grew the reborn parade from a dozen registered entries to well over 200, consistently breaking his own record year over year.  What was once a small neighborhood procession lasting an hour at most is now an all-day, street-level, regional celebration that attracts 20,000 multigenerational visitors to an afternoon of joy and wonder.

The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors recognized Jim for his lifetime achievements in June 2023. 

"Jim took the parade seriously," said Jeni. "He always wanted to make sure everything was right. He was always at step-off making sure the spacing of units was correct."

Jeni served on the Pride Parade board for seven years, and her children were also involved with the parade operation.

"The first year I volunteered, there was a protestor at the step-off line. The crowd was loud and ready to start. All of the groups started to crunch together. The energy was just sky-high. Jim decided to place himself in the middle of the lane to slow people and protect the pacing.  Did it work? Absolutely not.  But it didn't stop him from trying."

"The next year, we purchased a stop sign and managed it like a crossing guard would monitor a school zone."

Paying our respects

Jim was laid to rest on December 12, 2025 at Prairie Home Cemetery in Waukesha. 

The Milwaukee Pride Parade Board has scheduled a community memorial event Sunday, February 22 at La Cage Nightclub (801 S. 2nd St.). 

All are welcome to join this tribute to a man who changed "pride" forever in Walker's Point.

"The Parade as we know it would not exist without Jim’s constant efforts," said Andrew Larsen, acting president of the Milwaukee Pride Parade Board.

"He guided the parade through some rough years and we hope to continue that tradition for another two decades and beyond. It is now the second-largest Pride event in the city, and a statement of how strong and resilient our community really is."

We are forever grateful to Jim Melotte and the Milwaukee Pride Parade Board for years of relentless support.  

Hear Jim Melotte's interview in our BeSeen podcast (Season 2 Episode 2,) tracing the history of the Milwaukee Pride Parade.