Minnesota LGBTQ+ history is often centered on the Twin Cities, but a new book is shining a spotlight on a movement that grew in northern Minnesota and neighboring Wisconsin. Remember the Main: The Gay Bar That Started a Movement in the Northland chronicles the story of Bob Jansen and the Main Club, a gay bar that opened in Superior, Wisconsin, in the 1980s. Author Meg Gorzycki says the venue became a refuge and organizing hub for queer people during a time when openly identifying as gay often carried significant risks.
Jansen opened the bar after winning a legal settlement following his dismissal from a job for being gay. According to Gorzycki, the Main Club became more than a nightlife venue, serving as a gathering place for community-building, advocacy, and coalition-building efforts. Gorzycki described Jansen as “a social worker with a liquor license,” crediting him with helping connect people and inspire activism across the region.
The book also explores broader civil rights struggles in northern Minnesota during the 1970s and 1980s, including battles against discrimination, sexual violence, and barriers facing LGBTQ+ people, women, Native Americans, and other marginalized communities. The book will be out this month.
