With Pride … and Joy! (2009)
As June is upon us, and Gay Pride is celebrated
around the country, I am reminded of the history and struggles
of a community once ostracized, and a people often treated
as second class citizens. 40 years ago, the Stonewall Riots
gave way to what allows us today, to march, congregate, and
celebrate. For those of you too young to remember, this wasn’t
a group of highly organized individuals or a slick, marketed
event … it was a group of marginalized human beings
who were sick and tired of "respectable" society
using that marginalization as a pretext for further harassment
and abuse. While the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought
back, a line was drawn, and a message was sent. "You
may think anything you like of us," it read. "But
you will no longer make our lives any more difficult than
they already are without a fight. We will not go quietly.
We will fight with anything we have at our disposal be it
a spike heel, a broken beer bottle, or high profile lawyers
and campaign contributions. And eventually, we will win.
Because we are right, and our cause is just."
Our fight is not over. Our pride is steeped
with diversity and awareness. The road is a difficult one
and each day we are reminded that hatred, bigotry and ignorance
exist. Take a step, with pride and with some of that anger
that those who marched before you had as you continue to
further our fight for equality and freedom. Take a step,
with your families, loved ones, partners, children and friends
and put a face to our cause. Take a step and support the
businesses and organizations who offer places of refuge,
celebration and community. Take a step and contribute in
any way that you can to the causes that continue to impact
our community. As we train for the upcoming ACT7 AIDS Ride,
I implore you to support us or any of the hundreds of riders
in any way that you can—and specifically embrace the
important work the the AIDS Network does here in Madison,
and for our surrounding communities. As Madison prepares
for our Pride—in mid-August—I invite you to celebrate,
march, and congregate with us. Be Joyful. Be proud. And remember … We
are right, and our cause is just.
Dino & Jason
A Year of Wags!
It’s hard to believe that next weekend marks
our one year anniversary! It has been an amazing journey,
stopping along the way to make new friends, reconnect with
old and establish a new way of celebrating our community,
it’s members and diversity! The upcoming month promises excitement,
celebration and reflection as we once again hold our annual
St. Patrick’s Parade Day After Party … not only will
we host the Minotaurs along with parade revelers, we’ll mark
our anniversary in true WOOF’S style as well! “MEGA WOOF!”
collects the music and good times from the boys who brought
you SPIT NYC as we revisit the sounds, the sights, and the
memories of our SPIT parties with a visual recap of events … If
it’s dancing your after, don a pair of Nasty Pig and join
our “Dance-Off with Your Pant’s-Off” contest … all
will receive a pair of briefs for entering, and can compete
for prizes … afterwards settle into the thumping sounds
of our resident DJ, Omar! All in all, the month will allow
us to say thank you to our customers and friends for a great
year and also make way for WOOF’S ’09!
We’ve got an exciting line-up of new and
exciting events, parties and happenings on tap. Celebrate
the end of winter with our spring equinox ritual at “Rites
of Spring” party in March. Don’t miss the “Red Ribbon Affair”
Pre-and After Parties-in April. Compete for cash prizes in
our weekly pool and Wii tournaments! And watch for new and
exciting weekly happenings … Remember, we did it at
WOOF’S … First!
With gratitude and a deep-seated commitment
to make WOOF’S even more exciting in year two, Dino & Jason
Holiday 2008
As the year draws to a close we want to extend a heartfelt holiday greeting for happiness, peace and goodwill to all of our friends, family and customers! As we come together with friends and family to celebrate this holiday season, we hope you’ll remember those we’ve loved and lost, and look ahead to a new year filled with hope and promise. Thank you all for your support, friendship and patronage throughout the past year!
The weekend of December 13th brought us our first Santa Saturday; a Toys for Tots event that helped us pay tribute to Felicia’s generosity and gift giving legacy, as well as celebrate her spirit and energy. Collected on the table, there was an abundance of teddy bears, trucks, and other assorted toys to be delivered to The Aids Network for distribution to friends and clients in Felicia’s memory. Coming together, I saw many friends, met a host of first-time visitors from the area, and introduced visiting friends to many of you; as I looked around the crowded bar I was filled with a great sense of pride and joy. Thank You all for coming together to celebrate with us and make our first Santa Saturday a holiday tradition that we hope will grow with each passing year… Happy Holidays to all. Ho! Ho! Ho!
Summer 2008
ABOUT PRIDE…
As we embark on the summer season and celebrations turn to pride events across the country the owners and staff of WOOF’S want to take a moment to say thank you for making our first 129 days in operation (yes, that’s all it’s been) a success! We are proud to offer Madison’s LGBT community an alternative experience. In these past months we’ve heard many comments and expressions of gratitude, taken many suggestions and responded with honesty, dignity and pride. We have been proud to sponsor sporting teams and events including bowling, volleyball, softball, rugby and bicycling. We have sponsored numerous charity events that have raised thousands of dollars to help in the fight against cancer, HIV/AIDS, and numerous other worthy causes. We have mourned the loss of members of our community and have tried to remember their causes in responding with respect and integrity to the charities of their choice. We have welcomed everyone to our establishment and have met many wonderful people, enjoyed what we hope will be years of friendship, camaraderie and community and done so with laughter, celebration and joy. As we look forward to marches, picnics and pride fests it is with honor that we stand as members of a community that embraces the diversity and differences of each and every one of us, that respects each individuals choices and beliefs and collectively experiences life as a celebration.
Spring 2008
THANK YOU to everyone who's come to WOOF'S this past couple of months and shown your support, shared your ideas and enjoyed the WOOF'S energy! There have been many highlights, including our St Patrick's Day/Minotaurs Rugby party, "Out of HiBEARnation" party, and our "Beg for IT" party with SPIT NYC! We've had visiting dignitaries from all walks of life come to visit… pink bunnies, leather kilted hotties, "Plushie" bears as well as a good number of hairy bears. Our most rewarding experience so far, is the positive feedback we've received from you, our customers! Making new friends/revisiting with some old, and mostly seeing just how diverse a community we really are has been truly encouraging! We've still got some refinements underway; a few more beer selections on tap as spring unfolds, a perfection of our efforts to serve you better, and a renewed commitment to indeed be a place where everyone feels at home! Watch for upcoming events including the boys from SPIT NYC, returning in MAY for more ferocious fun… MEOW MIX, WOOF'S very own "girls night out"… an outdoor seating area and expanded hours on Saturday's so you can stop in after farmer's market and relax with a cocktail to name just a few.
For Release (Winter 2007/08)
Long time Madison resident Dino Maniaci, and partner Jason Hoke (you may know them better as the guys who brought you SPAWOOF) will turn their business savvy and stylistic expertise to a new venture this spring!
Destined to become Madison's hottest new destination catering primarily to the gay community, with a focus on a sports attitude, WOOF'S will attract a more mature professional customer base. Patterned after similar bars in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Amsterdam, the venue will allow for strong involvement and community focus. Spring boarding off of Madison's ever growing gay sport's league scene—hockey, volleyball, softball as well as bowling, pool and darts—customers will all find a comfortable place for everyone. A place for gay athletes to gather, leagues to hold recruiting events, or casual gay sports fans to unwind and watch their favorite college and/or professional team(s) compete along with a selection of typical bar offerings; including select live music, guest DJs and Indie-Queer dance nights.
WOOF'S Plans on breaking the "gay bar" stereotype by creating an environment that allows all patrons (regardless of gender) to celebrate diversity and acceptance, and yes, even watch sports! Above all, WOOF'S will be a friendly, welcoming place for everyone—making it a place you will want to come back to time and again. Featuring large-screen TVs, pool tables and dart boards—as well as a unique industrial edge—will make this venue like no other in Madison. And with customized music by national and international DJs, you will never find yourself sitting in a quiet, empty bar.
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