Meet our 2026 BeSeen Award honorees

Today, the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project announced the recipients of its annual BeSeen Awards, which recognize individuals who have made historic contributions to LGBTQ voice, visibility, and impact throughout Wisconsin history.

We celebrate four heroic trailblazers who are building a more inclusive and equitable Wisconsin for all:

• Rita Adair (Madison,) organizer, activist, social worker, leader, business owner, wife, mother, and operator of Bernell'sMadison's first and only women-centered sports bar, who has devoted her life to elevating women, families, and communities of color;
  
  
• Jim La Rock (Keshena,) Two Spirit elder, organizer, mentor, and educator, whose lifetime service as the Menominee Historian is keeping the history, heritage, and culture of his people alive every day through connective social media content, public speaking, and events (including the recent Wisconsin Two Spirit Pow Wow;)
  
  
• Rachel Maes (Green Bay,) as an outspoken force for change, Rachel is leading progress in northeastern Wisconsin with limitless civic contributions, including a historic appointment to the Brown County Board, leadership roles at Green Bay Pride and Bay Area Council on Gender Diversity, and advisory roles at the Neville Museum, YWCA, and the State Bar of Wisconsin;
  
  
• Bob Jansen (Superior,) founder of The Main Club (1983,) the first and longest-operating openly gay bar in the Northland, which became not only a regional refuge but an activism hub where Duluth-Superior Pride and the Greater North AIDS Project were born, as featured in Julie Casper Roth's 2010 documentary The Main and Meg Gorzcyki's 2026 book Remember the Main. Today, Duluth-Superior Pride is the longest-operating pride festival in Wisconsin and the Main Club is the third longest-operating gay bar in Wisconsin.

"In these challenging times, we all must give thanks to those who continue to light candles instead of just cursing the darkness," said Michail Takach, president of the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project. "The BeSeen Awards are just one way our organization can thank people who give everything they have to build a better world for us all.

"Through their generosity, courage and commitment, these people have changed countless lives."

While honorees are selected by the Board of Directors, the community is encouraged to nominate candidates throughout the year at the History Project website.

Questions? Contact us!