The Roxy was at 209 Pine St., in an area now occupied by Baylake City Center.
In Green Bay in the mid-1970s, the Roxy Cocktail Lounge, Gail's Bar and The Manhole were some of the first openly LGBTQ bars in the region. A lot of (LGBTQ) organizations that exist today were born out of people sitting in a bar saying ‘Enough is enough. It’s a big part of our history, our culture. “Movements, organizations, so much was born out of the bars. “Gay bars have been such an integral part of our history,” Tenpenny said. Justis Tenpenny, communications director for Rainbow Over Wisconsin, a community organization supporting LGBTQ groups in the region, said LGBTQ bars and clubs gave rise to groups like Center Project, which became the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, now a part of Vivent Health. RELATED: Approaching its eighth anniversary, the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce looks to certifications to further support LGBTQ businesses RELATED: LGBTQ History Month: Wisconsin has one remaining LGBTQ publication, still dedicated to covering the community
Starting in the 1970s, a handful of bars and clubs in Green Bay, Appleton, Sheboygan and Oshkosh openly welcomed LGBTQ clientele, offering safe and supportive places for a population that struggled to find acceptance and felt isolated and rejected by the dominant, straight culture.
