Forum

Bar

1801 N 12th St
Milwaukee, WI 53205

State Region

Southeast WI

Neighborhood

Six Corners

Year Opened: 1962
Year Closed: 1965

Exact Date Opened: Unknown
Exact Date Closed: Unknown

Clientele Primarily Identified As

Lesbian

The Forum Bar was a popular, pioneering, racially integrated gay bar. It was a social hub for white, older professional men, including Mount Sinai doctors, Marquette professors, and Boston Store management. In the early years, it featured live piano from locally famous Billy Cunningham. As most of the Six Corners neighborhood was demolished for I-43, the Forum was able to operate in plain sight among its ruins. Customers called it "12th and Vine" to maintain discretion. While listed in national gay guides, The Forum was never raided. In 1965, The Forum changed hands and reopened as The Pirates Den.