AB70- Wisconsin's Gay Rights Law

On February 25, 1982, Wisconsin became the first U.S. state to protect lesbians and gay men from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. One year later, the legislature legalized all sexual relations between consenting adults, including those between same-sex lovers. These landmark achievements were the result of a fifteen-year struggle carried out by progressive lawmakers and s.

Finally, the original documents from the archival files of David Clarenbach are online at the Wisconsin Historical Society's website. They include the text of the bill, the governor's statement upon signing it, statements from the churches that supported the bill, some press coverage, and more. (The history of that effort is also nicely summarized in a March 1982 article "AB70 A Look Behind the Scene", published in "Wisconsin's Escape" magazine (see pages 20-24).