Monday, November 06, 2017

Today in 2012: Tammy Baldwin Elected First Openly Gay U.S. Senator

LGBTQ pioneer Tammy Baldwin is a United States Senator from the state of Wisconsin. She has accomplished a great many firsts. 

On this day, November 6, in 2012, Baldwin was elected the first openly gay U.S. Senator. She is also the first woman elected to represent Wisconsin in the Senate. 

In 1992, Baldwin was elected to Wisconsin's 78th Assembly District. She was the first openly lesbian member of the Wisconsin Assembly and one of  only six openly
 gay politicians in the country at the time. In early 1994, she proposed legalizing same-sex marriage in Wisconsin. In 1995, she proposed domestic partnerships in Wisconsin.

In 1998, Baldwin was the first woman elected to Congress from Wisconsin. She was also the first openly gay woman elected to the House of Representatives.

For 15 years Baldwin's domestic partner was Lauren Azar; in 2009, the couple registered as domestic partners in Wisconsin. They separated in 2010.

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