February 26, 2025 | Andy Hartman

Ritchie T. Martin Jr: learning to trust the journey

As a gay Black youth, he found himself at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. Today, he's leading the center's future.

Ritchie T. Martin Jr.

“Don’t let your past determine who you become.”

Ritchie T. Martin Jr., the executive director of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, is still on a journey to find himself.

And he’s okay with that.

“I can celebrate who I was then and who I am now,” he said. “I can finally feel comfortable in my skin and cozy with who I am.”

That’s a big accomplishment for somebody who felt, for a long time, that there was a big gap between who he actually was, and who people wanted him to be.

Martin, a Milwaukee native, was born in the mid-80s and grew up on Milwaukee’s East Side.

Martin grew up in a loving two-parent household. He was close to both his parents, but especially his dad.

“I was really blessed to have both mother and father in the household. And my father was one of my mentors who really taught me what it was to grow up and be a successful young man, regardless of what education and career pathway I chose,” he said.

A child preacher in pumps

Their family was very religious growing up.

“My parents raised me in the Church of God in Christ, one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world,” he said.

Being raised in a “deeply rooted Christian household” meant Martin would continue in the legacy of serving the Church. He was eventually licensed to preach at only 15 years old.

He was later ordained and served the church as an elder first, and later served in the capacity as assistant pastor. In addition, Martin has served in various capacities at the local, state, and national level. For Martin, that created a gap in his identity he had to bridge.

“By day I was this young, phenomenal preacher who people sought out."

"And then by night, I’m slipping into my mom’s pumps, putting on her makeup, and playing in her good Sunday hair,” he said with a laugh.

Despite being a child preacher, he wasn’t a saint growing up.

“Those were some of my best years, but I was mischievous. I’m transparent about it, but I got in some trouble growing up,” he said.

“I try to look back on my experiences and remember the lessons I’ve learned," said Martin.

"I want to ensure I am providing the needed mentorship for this current and future generation, so they do not make the same mistakes I made.”

Finding a chosen family

It was around this time Martin started getting connected to the Milwaukee gay scene.

“I couldn’t wait until school let out. I would leave right away and make the pilgrimage to the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center with my friends and we would sit there for hours until the center closed,” he said.

“It wasn't just about hanging out—it was our safe place. It was where I felt I could be who I really was.”

And from there, Martin started branching out and hitting the clubs. That’s where he met his gay godparents and started forming his chosen family.

“I was 14, walking around Gayhawks [gay bar on the city’s North Side] with short fire-red hair, wearing lace-up pumps, a blue jean skirt, and a tank top,” he said.

That’s when he met his gay godparents, Eloise and Jan McPike, and their daughter, Tracy.

“Tracy looked at me and said, ‘You pretty! But you don’t belong here,’” Martin said.

They ended up taking Martin under their wing. Through the McPike family and others in the gay club scene Martin met Tyler Infiniti, who became his “gay parent.”

Tyler told Martin, “You’re feisty. And you’re going to be my daughter. Your name’s going to be Kiki.”

Martin wasn’t thrilled with the name.

“But Tyler explained to me later that ‘Kiki’ was feisty, it was zesty. It became my alter ego,” Martin said.

“And Tyler was one of those gay parents who thought he was your real parent. If he saw you doing something out of line he would pop you upside the head and say, ‘Girl, get your life together.’”

“These folks taught me it was okay to be gay and be successful at the same time,” he said.

Finding success and charting a journey Martin was determined to be successful.

He served as a volunteer director at PrideFest for eight years, first handling volunteers and ultimately managing the health and wellness area.

Ritchie T. Martin Jr.

While living in Austin, Texas and working as the chief program officer for a nonprofit, Martin was later recruited as the chief public health officer of Allies in Hope, the oldest HIV-prevention nonprofit in Texas.

Later in 2023, Martin was named the inaugural Chief Human Services Officer overseeing the Clinic, Housing and Supportive Services, and Prevention and Priority Populations.

All roads lead (back) to Milwaukee

In October 2023, Martin’s journey was directed back to Wisconsin -- when he accepted the offer to serve as the interim executive director of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center.

Martin doesn’t sugarcoat it: The Center was facing major problems.

“Like any other nonprofit, it’s gone through financial challenges, leadership challenges and the loss of trust from the community. But it’s weathered all those challenges in its 28-year history and it’s still standing,” he said.

Martin chalks up the Center’s resilience to the founders’ passion.

“There is something about the foundation that our elders laid, which is why I ensure in all that I do, I honor the past. Honoring the past involves learning from history, understanding its impact on the present, and using those lessons to shape a better future, without getting stuck in the past."

"I would be remiss if I didn’t pay homage to the founders of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, because it’s something about the fire that they had that still can and should fuel our generation and generations to come."

"And it keeps us going. When most organizations experience what we’ve experienced they collapse. But nope, not us. We are still here."

"There’s something about us and we just think, ‘We must figure this out. We’ve got to keep these doors open.’”

It helps that Martin has a devoted crew behind him that makes the mission of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center come alive each day.

“We’ve got a board, a plethora of community members, stakeholders and volunteers that believe in the mission of the organization. A committed staff that is just amazing. They all make it work.”

This hardworking group was able to save the Center from the brink of financial collapse in April 2024.

“We were literally days away from having to shut our doors, and the community showed up in ways I never thought possible,” he said.

“Steve MacArthur, and DeShanda Clark, two of our board members, got connected with a grant that would match our $25,000. We went to work and we raised enough to get the matching grant."

Lesson learned: never give up.

“I don’t know if it was because something in me saw what the Center did for me as a kid. But I know there’s something in the Center that can do that for a kid today."

"A kid who may be stuck -- like I was -- growing up in the Church and trying to figure out who they are. And being afraid of who they are."

"Sometimes, the Center’s the only place they know they can be who they are.”

In December 2024, Martin was named as the permanent executive director of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center.

"I am very fortunate that the board recognized, based on the criteria they were assessing, the view and vision for the future, and the strategic issues, that I was the best match for the job."

"When you're put in this position, what you want is to be valued for your ability to lead, and to do the work that you're being asked to do. I'm a whole person and happen to have this huge responsibility -- and I am blessed with it."

The future of activism

It’s that passion and perseverance Martin thinks will be central to our survival in the next few years.

"All of these organizations and businesses now matter more to the history of our community than ever before," said Martin.

"We're fighting for our rights, and honestly, for our lives in so many different places. There are 527 anti-LGBT bills in the United States legislature, and 10 of those bills come from Wisconsin. I dare not forget the Executive Orders such as Sex Discrimination, Transgender Military Ban, Removing Protections for LGBTQ Youth in Schools, and so many more."

“Passion is a must. It’s got to be at the forefront of everything we do,” he said. "And we’ve got to be prepared for not just 4 years, but possibly 12 years of this evil hatred that is making every attempt to dismantle the decades of advocacy and work."

“It will not be a linear path. It will be filled with challenge, but if we’re passionate and continue to fight for equal rights, we can rise above.”

Above all, Martin thinks the future of activism is about being true.

“Be authentic. Be genuine. Don’t make it about you,” he said.

“Activism doesn’t necessarily mean having a mic in your hand. It doesn’t necessarily mean having to be the first one to act or speak."

"Sometimes, advocacy is about taking to the back and supporting another in the front."

Martin’s grateful for his experiences and proud of his journey.

“Years ago, you could not have told me I would be leading this awesome organization,” he said.

"To be honest, it was not in my career pathway. But sometimes, life brings around a full circle moment."

His advice for the next generation of activists?

“Be inspired to feel and achieve your own. Whatever your background, then and only then, will you see your greatest achievement of all."

Ritchie T. Martin Jr.