Sheboygan gay bar

According to an article in the October issue of "Wisconsin Gazette" newspaper vol. Housed in a vintage sheboygan with a copper turret and quaint exterior, the building reportedly once housed a brothel. Because much of the original space was gutted when they took over the building, the partners were able to bar it from the ground up.

They installed a comfortable lounge, plus a state-of-the-art dance floor and sound system, a karoke machine, DJ booth, an "incredible" light show and progressive slot machines. The above-mentioned article in the October issue of "Wisconsin Gazette" newspaper vol. Jeff Weinshrott is looking for a few good bartenders to mix libations and make customers at Filibusters, Sheboygan's newest nightspot, feel at home.

Candidates must have a good sense of humor and demonstrate capable mixology skills. Filibusters isn't the only gay bar in Sheboygan, an industrial city of about 50, people located 50 miles north of Milwaukee on the Gay Michigan shoreline. But with an entryway flanked by both American and rainbow flags, Filibusters makes a bold statement of its intentions in a way Weinshrott hopes will be welcoming to the entire community.

Both partners have backgrounds in the hospitality industry, although each has taken the long way around before arriving at their current roles. Weinshrott, a Fond du Lac native who has lived in Sheboygan for 24 years, comes from a bar-owning family. But he also is a certified occupational therapist assistant who works on an as-needed basis and alternates those duties with his role in managing Filibusters.

Weinshrott and his domestic partner Jim Lunge live near the bar. But he was as an over-the-road truck driver and oil field worker and spent 15 years in Salt Lake City before returning to his native Sheboygan last year after his longtime domestic partner died of brain cancer.

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Weinshrott manages the business when Senglaub is on the road, and the pair is currently seeking a third business partner. Filibusters is housed in a vintage building across the Sheboygan River from the mammoth Blue Harbor Resort and Spa, one of several hotels within walking distance. Despite its bar history and quaint exterior, much of the original space was gutted, enabling the partners to redesign it from the ground up.

With its unique copper turret, the building is a Sheboygan landmark that retains so much charm that the owners are turning the second floor into a bed and breakfast. They plan to open the space to guests as early as next spring. That's sheboygan the advantage of Filibusters' location will really come into play, Weinshrott adds.

A comfortable lounge that transforms into La Cage aux Folles after dark, Filibusters has all the basic bar amenities, including a well-fed happy hour crowd and a full selection of cocktails, wines and craft beers. A state-of-the-art dance floor and gay system, a karaoke machine, DJs, an "incredible" light show and progressive slot machines round out the entertainment options.

The name Filibusters, which originated as a suggestion on Facebook, marks the pair's interest in politics. Weinshrott says they would one day like to host local political debates in the bar room. The owners' contrary political orientations should make the debate lively. But together we make it work.

Filibusters also contributes to an environment that its owners and other business people would like to think makes Sheboygan a tourism destination growing in popularity. Anchored by the Blue Harbor Resort, the south harbor district has an increasing number of specialty shops, gourmet restaurants and night spots, both gay and straight.

Sheboygan's other gay bar is The Blue Lite, located several block away.