In 1982, Wisconsin became the first state to enact a gay rights law prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation. In 1966, Wisconsin had the first public call by a political body for abolition of restrictions against queer people so they could have “freedom of action.” Before Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, Midwest cities including Madison had openly gay elected officials. While the focus on the gay liberation movement is focused predominantly on America’s coasts, real progress was made right here in the Badger State.
The history of the LBGTQ+ community in Wisconsin is extraordinary, despite being largely untold.
