#madison wi

[shakespearefreak]

I finally got all the pieces of Virginia's "Meet Outfit" and did a little photoshoot! (The indoor photos were taken at the historic Hotel Ruby Marie here in Madison WI, where they very kindly allow cosplayers and other photographers to use their beautiful vintage decor as a backdrop!)

Oh, and because I'm super proud of her jewelry, some closeups and info on each:

This is the pendant on her necklace; it was inspired by Victorian-era mourning jewelry, which often contained hair or other parts of the deceased loved one. If you look closely, you may notice her father's photo is actually Jim Beaver as Carter Cushing in Crimson Peak (Edith Cushing was one of my main inspirations for Virginia). I edited the photo for that "vintage" feel. The hair, which is meant to be from her father's beard, was actually taken from Captain's tail! 😅

I made her ring using a blank DIY ring from Etsy and a skull charm intended for nail art

Her bracelet is made from real Jet beads (I made it by taking apart a human-sized bracelet and restringing part of it). Jet was a very popular stone for mourning jewelry in the Victorian era.

[uwmadarchives]

50 Years Ago: APA Removes "Homosexuality" From DSM Diagnoses

Written by Bailey Watson, LGBTQ+ Archive Student Processing Assistant

12/18/2023

December 15, 1973 - By a vote of 5,854 to 3,810, the American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in the DSM-II Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Content advisory: This post discusses the history of homosexuality in Western psychiatry and may contain offensive language or topics.

Last Thursday marked 50 years since the APA (American Psychiatric Association) removed “homosexuality” from its list of mental disorders. This change was made to the DSM-II Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the current edition as of 2023 is the DSM-5-TR). The long history of homosexuality being included with physical and mental disorders dates back to the 19th century with Western European theorists working towards an understanding of same-sex attraction, leading to the coinage of the term “homosexuality” or “homosexual.” While these early theories positioned same-sex attraction or desires as unnatural, other theorists of the same decades aimed to prove that homosexuality was not abnormal but instead a natural variance of human sexuality.

Photo Dr. Franklin Kameny from David Carter papers, Collection no. uac 183,  Box 5, Folder 49. 

The conversation around homosexuality as a disorder took a turn during the post-WWII period in the United States, during a phenomenon referred to as the “lavender scare.” This period, parallel to the “red scare” was a reaction to the Cold War policies and politics, resulting in the massive purge of homosexuals or suspected homosexuals from the federal government, and even further down to local governments (see here for information on UW-Madison’s history with the gay purges). Similarly, communists and suspected communists were also barred or purged from public service and government-contracted sectors. 

In response to these purges, the early gay rights movement, then known as the homophile movement focused on organizing and protesting the conditions that made up the lavender scare. These conditions included the DSM’s classification of homosexuality as a diagnosable disorder. To the early homophile movement, as to some early theorists, homosexuality was perfectly natural, and therefore they could not pose a threat to national security. 

One aspect of activism from this period was addressing the DSM's use of homosexuality as a diagnosable disorder. The homophile movement argued that sexuality had no bearing on mental health, and by stigmatizing the gay community, the DSM and APA were adding to the problem. Furthermore, by diagnosing people as "homosexual" the APA created a way to dismiss those voices and placed a barrier on the conversation on who was fit to participate in society freely and who was not.

Finally, in 1973 after years of protest and activism, the influence of activism, including the voice of Dr. Franklin Kameny (pictured above) and internal changes led to a new definition of mental disorder within the APA and thus removed homosexuality from diagnoses. A win for the homophile movement and a change that brought lasting and positive impacts to many people's lives, even 50 years later.

References and for further consideration:

Drescher, Jack. 2015. "Out of DSM: Depathologizing Homosexuality" Behavioral Sciences 5, no. 4: 565-575. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs5040565 (open access)

For more on Kameny and the early homophile movement, explore the David Carter papers, uac 182, located in the Madison LGBTQ+ Archive (housed at the University Archives, Steenbock Library)

[beautyinwisconsin]

Gleam at olbrich gardens in Madison. Every year in the fall, artists from all over put up art installations at olbrich gardens in Madison. I've never been but I'll probably put it on my yearly list as it is a new thing every year.

[bumblechub]

my local botanical garden had their corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) bloom yesterday. they advertise it by putting a giant sign outside that says "BIG STINKY FLOWER" and their visiting hours. I didn't get to see it this time because the line was around the block and an estimated 4 hour wait, so I drew this fan art instead :)

[drethelin]

The inside of the Capitol Dome in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. 

[robinruns]

Conversations I didn't plan on having with Shandy today: watch out for bears

I expect bears where I live up in the middle of nowhere (because we do have them, and bobcats), but not down here in the city!

[justcandace]

I'm re-recording my first album for its 10 year anniversary. I'm super proud of it and I'm thrilled that my best friends helped me make it. Over a dozen people have donated and many more have supported me in other ways, such as sharing this GoFundMe and offering words of encouragement.... but here we are, weeks away from the album being finished. There's still so much to do, I'm getting nervous, and I really want to celebrate this, you know? But the intrusive thoughts often break through and it's easy for me to sink into that mindset of "who gives a shit?"... and it's hard to ask for money or attention. I'm terrified of sounding ungrateful.

So if you could share this, or send some boss gurl vibes my way, I'd appreciate it. ✨️

[shakespearefreak]

Evette and I went to my favorite local beach again yesterday! 🏖️ This time she wore Gran E’s vintage sunflower swimsuit 🩱🌻 from her story (or as close an approximation as I could find on Etsy). We waded in the shallows 🌊 for a bit, then Evie pulled her hat down over her eyes and sunbathed ☀️ while I went swimming (I kept a close eye on her, of course).

.....

“Wow, the lake here is really beautiful!” Evie said, looking out over the expanse of blue water. Then she saw Marley’s frown. “What?”

Marley sighed. “Today it’s beautiful, and this beach especially is usually nice, but we actually have a lot of problems with the lakes here, especially after a heavy rain. Madison was built on marshland, so when it rains a lot, we have a high risk of flooding, and all that water sweeps things from the city into the lakes, like pesticides and fertilizer. Then, if it gets hot right after a rain, we’ll get blue-green algae blooms from the fertilizer that got washed into the lake combined with the heat.” Marley saw Evette looking worried. “It’s totally fine today, I checked the water quality online before we left. Plus, it’s obvious when the water is bad: it gets cloudy and green, and you can smell it. I just wish our city government cared more about cleaning up our lakes.”

“Why don’t you do something yourself, like how my friends and I organized a cleanup of the Anacostia River?”

“Well, it’s more difficult than just trash in the water. The big problem is the pesticides and chemicals and stuff, so the best solution would be making stricter regulations on that sort of thing and enforcing them.”

“Well…” Evette said thoughtfully. “Maybe just talking about it, like you’re doing with me, can help at least a little. Raising awareness of the reasons this happens could make individuals less likely to use harmful pesticides on their gardens, and also put pressure on your local politicians to prioritize environmental regulations.”

Marley nodded. “I like that idea.” They paused, then grinned. “For now, since it’s nice, let’s get in the water!”

[uwmadarchives]

Krewe of Madison attends Mardi Gras

by Bailey Watson, LGBTQ+ Student Archive Processing assistant 02/13/2024

In 2005, Mardi Gras came early. On February 8th, instead of 2024's February 13th, a group of Wisconsinites under the name "Krewe of Madison" traveled to New Orleans and partook in the festivities.

Adding to the fun, custom beads were designed and became a part of the annual New Orleans tradition, some even being included in Madison's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Each set of beads included a theme. From a callback to Wisconsin's beloved "Cheese Head" to Pirates and more, each of the five sets held in this collection is unique and colorful.

According to "The Mardi Gras Picayune" edition of the Krewe's informal newspaper, there were seven distinct sets of beads by 2004. "Anyone who shows up wearing all seven sets will receive a bottle of champagne," challenges the Krewe.

The Hula theme fits the 2003 celebration of Dan Curd's 55th birthday, which took place in Maui, Hawaii.

To learn more about the Krewe of Madison's many, many adventures check out the R. Richard Wagner papers (uac 201) held in the LGBTQ+ Archive at UW-Madison's Steenbock Library.

[runaway90s]

[magically-cozy]

Milwaukee Library Example of a small eclectic enclosed medium tone wood floor living room library design with red walls, no fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

[bloody-vampire-lolita]

Library Living Room Milwaukee Example of a small eclectic enclosed living room library with red walls, a stone fireplace, no fireplace, and no television.

[jenny123scm]

Invest in windows that will help you save money that are built to last for as long as you live in your home! We’d be happy to provide a free estimate. Just call AHT Wisconsin Windows toll-free at (888) 874-9339, or click here to schedule a free, no obligation in-home estimate.

[drethelin]

[robinruns]

Madison nooooo