Summer to be Seen announces 2026 statewide tour schedule

Fasten your seat belts -- because we're heading on the road trip of the year!

Our 3rd Annual Summer to be Seen tour kicks off Saturday, June 6, at Wausau Pride and continues across five months, 13 diverse communities, and 15 events before concluding in October at BlaQtoberfest in Milwaukee. Watch for an entirely NEW exhibit, featuring the stories of people, places, events, and organizations that made Wisconsin LGBTQ history happen.

The Summer to be Seen outreach tour supports our mission of reconnecting Wisconsin with LGBTQ history and heritage to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future.  We bring pop-up exhibits to the streets of small town Wisconsin prides, with a goal of elevating and celebrating local stories that are not always seen.  While on-location, we also seek out local elders, landmarks, stories, and memorabilia to expand the diversity of our collections.

Since our tour began in 2024, the local pride movement has bloomed throughout Wisconsin.  While people once had to travel to Madison or Milwaukee for a pride festival in the 1990s or 2000s, or Chicago from the 1970s to mid-1980s, they can now celebrate in their own hometowns.

This year's tour invests heavily in events supporting (and led by) transgender, Indigenous, and Black communities who have not always felt represented at traditional pride festivals.

Our Summer to be Seen Tour is programmed by the Outreach Committee, led by Diane Gregory (Board of Directors) and community advisors Amy Luettgen, Shannon Thuecks, Francesca Wilson, and Nate Imig.  Since fall 2025, our team has been building local relationships, designing our outreach experience, and charting the route of this year's tour.   Note: all commitee members are unpaid volunteers who donate their time, talent, and travel expenses to the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project.

Help us make a difference in Wisconsin!

• Join our Summer Tour as an Event Volunteer -- and help staff Pop-Up Prides in your hometown or across the state. No prior experience is required.  Individuals, groups, and employee resource groups welcome.
  
• Support our Summer Tour as a Donor or Sponsor -- and help us bring the Summer to be Seen Tour to more communities this year and beyond!  Your tax-deductible donations make a massive difference in our operation.  Every dollar is directly reinvested into education and outreach.

We are thankful for the support of Pride, a QUAD business resource group, for sponsoring the 2026 Summer to be Seen tour.