Galano Club

For Milwaukee's LGBTQ community, finding a safe place to recover from addiction was not always easy. In the 1970s, gay people attending Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-Step programs often faced an additional challenge: social shame, moral judgment, and vicious discrimination.

That need gave birth to the Galano Club.

In 1973, the founders of Milwaukee's 94 Group discovered just how difficult it could be for gay AA groups to find places to meet. As the 94 Group grew, so did the need for additional meeting space. But the challenge went beyond finding a room for a weekly meeting. Members recognized that Milwaukee's LGBTQ recovery community needed a place where people could build friendships, socialize and support one another in an alcohol- and drug-free environment.

Ten years after the first 94 Group was established, a Steering Committee began laying the groundwork for what would become the Galano Club. The committee eventually became the organization's first Board of Directors. For several years, members met weekly at Summerfield Methodist Church while holding events and raising money with an ambitious goal: to establish a clubhouse of their own.

In 1983, the Galano Club opened its first location at 1428 North Farwell Avenue. As membership and activities grew, the Club moved to 2408 North Farwell Avenue in March 1989.

The Club's mission extended beyond traditional recovery meetings. It created a place where LGBTQ people participating in AA, Al-Anon and other 12-Step programs could find fellowship with others who understood their experiences. Although the membership was primarily gay, the Club welcomed everyone seeking recovery.

In December 2001, the Galano Club entered another chapter in its history. On December 7, it moved to 315 West Court Street, on the second floor of Milwaukee's LGBT Community Center. The move was intentional: by becoming more visible within the broader LGBTQ community, the Club hoped to reach more people seeking recovery in a safe, supportive and nonjudgmental environment.

At its heart, Galano was never simply a meeting place. It was a community built around the idea that recovery is stronger when people do it together.

At its height, the Club reported nearly 125 active members and hosted 24 12-Step meetings each week, with nearly 200 people coming through its doors for meetings, fellowship and social activities. It offered a rare combination of recovery, friendship and community.  The Galano Club has always been a place where LGBTQ people could work on their holistic health, without having to leave an important part of themselves at the door.

Today, the Galano Club is located at 7210 W. Greenfield Avenue in West Allis. The organization provides support for alcohol, drug, sexual compulsion, and other forms of addiction. A seven-member Board of Directors, elected by the membership, provides leadership, while unpaid volunteers handle the day-to-day work of running the organization. Keeping the doors open depends on members showing up, taking responsibility and contributing whatever they can.

The Galano Club's history is ultimately a story about LGBTQ people creating the institutions they needed. What began with a small AA group struggling to find meeting space grew into a dedicated recovery community sustained by generations of members and volunteers.