Metro Milwaukee Friendship Group

The Metro Milwaukee Friendship Group (MMFG) was organized in March 1987 by a group of gay men seeking to create a social club that offered an alternative to Milwaukee’s bar scene and was not centered on sports. Key organizers included Greg Schatzle, Bill Shaw, and Larry Merkl.

MMFG operated informally for its first few months, before holding a July 30, 1987 kickoff event at the Blue Door Café on Brady Street. Organizers were surprised when a large crowd of gay men and lesbians attended. The unexpected turnout, which filled the bar to capacity, demonstrated the need for a non-bar, non-sports social option in Milwaukee.

MMFG soon began hosting monthly activities and publishing a monthly newsletter. Jon Tschachler coordinated the social calendar during the organization’s first year, followed by Dave Glenn in the second year and Robin Richards in the third. The group organized monthly parties, dining outings, and movie nights, along with seasonal camping trips and special events hosted by individual members.

Activities included group outings to Old World Wisconsin, the House on the Rock, and the Schlitz Audubon Center, as well as Mardi Gras celebrations and other social gatherings. From 1988 through 1991, MMFG maintained a busy schedule of monthly events and successfully recruited new volunteers to take over its leadership and coordination roles each year.

By mid-1991, however, the organization struggled to find enough volunteers to staff its activities. Bob Moore, president of GAMMA, approached MMFG about merging their organizations. The MMFG board initially rejected the proposal because members wanted to preserve the group’s separate identity. As volunteer participation continued to decline, however, the board eventually reconsidered.

In mid-1992, MMFG agreed to transfer its membership to GAMMA. MMFG members were automatically given paid GAMMA memberships through the next membership cycle, and the organization transferred its membership records and contact information to GAMMA. 

And then, MMFG ceased operations.

Ironically, one of MMFG’s original purposes was to provide the non-recreational activities that GAMMA didn't offer. Following the merger, GAMMA expanded its own social programming by incorporating many activities MMFG pioneered.  Today, GAMMA has shifted its focus entirely to social events, leaving its legacy of sports and recreation activities in the past.