Sherman Park Rainbow Association

Founded in 1993, the Sherman Park Rainbow Association (SPRA) was Wisconsin's first known LGBTQ neighborhood organization. Based in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood, SPRA primarily provided a social and community network for gay and lesbian residents of the area while also occasionally participating in LGBTQ civil rights issues.

SPRA held monthly meetings and organized regular social activities, including picnics, potluck dinners and holiday parties. These gatherings helped create a sense of community for LGBTQ residents living in and around Sherman Park at a time when neighborhood-based LGBTQ organizations were still uncommon.

The organization also worked with other Milwaukee LGBTQ organizations and community groups. SPRA collaborated with PrideFest, the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin and the Domestic Partnership Task Force, connecting neighborhood residents with broader efforts within Milwaukee's LGBTQ community.

SPRA also developed a close relationship with the Sherman Park Community Association (SPCA), its mainstream neighborhood counterpart. SPRA members served on the SPCA's Board of Directors and participated in neighborhood initiatives, including the neighborhood watch, a neighborhood housing survey and ShermanFest. Through these activities, SPRA members helped demonstrate that LGBTQ residents were an active and invested part of the broader Sherman Park community.

The organization remained active for nearly a decade. As participation declined, however, SPRA eventually dissolved in 2002. 

The UWM Archives holds the Sherman Park Rainbow Association Collection.