THE RELEVANT QUEER: Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Senator & First Openly LGBTQ Woman Elected to Congress

“There will not be a magic day when we wake up and it’s now okay to express ourselves publicly. We make that day by doing things publicly until it’s simply the way things are.”

TRQ: Tammy Baldwin, Born February 11, 1962

United States Senator Tammy Baldwin was born on February 11, 1962. Baldwin is both the first woman elected to represent Wisconsin in Congress, and the first openly LGBT woman elected to Congress.

Baldwin was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Soon after her birth, her parents divorced. Her mother raised Baldwin in her grandparents’ home until the age of 9, when her mother remarried. Baldwin’s understanding of white privilege grew from the harassment of her African-American stepfather when accompanying his family in public.

“Having a seat at the table matters and I think we will see a Senate that is more reflective of America.”

— Tammy Baldwin

First of her class at Madison West High School she graduated in 1980, Baldwin studied at Smith College graduating with a double major in government and mathematics in 1984 and the University of Wisconsin earning a law degree in 1989. During these years she began her political career and practiced law three years.

Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, acknowledges the role Baldwin has had in inspiring others to follow her example in seeking political office. “It is hard to make the commitment to run for office if you do not see yourself reflected in who is serving… her breaking that ceiling made every LGBT person believe that we were maybe finally past the time where our sexual orientation would be a liability.”

Unsurprisingly, Baldwin has long championed LGBT rights. In a 1993 interview with The Milwaukee Journal, Baldwin described Bill Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as a “concession to bigotry.” In 1994 she proposed a bill to legalise same-sex marriage in Wisconsin. In the United States Senate, Baldwin has led efforts to pass hate crime legislation and extend benefits to same-sex partners of Federal employees.

Baldwin’s record is particularly strong on health care, the environment and education. Recently, she helped introduce legislation raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 and introduced legislation to improve access to maternity care while also growing and diversifying the perinatal health workforce.

“The growing gap between those at the top and everybody else has been at historic highs in recent years. The absence of upward mobility for hard-working families demands action and it is past time to raise the minimum wage.”

— Tammy Baldwin

In June 2020, Queerty named Baldwin as of the 50 heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people.” For 14 years, Baldwin served in the United States House of Representatives. She has served the Senate for nearly ten years.

About the Authors

Troy Wise is currently a PhD student at UAL Central St Martins and teaches fashion and graphic design at London College of Contemporary Arts. His background is in marketing and is founder and co-editor of Image Amplified. He lives in, and is continually fascinated by, the city of London.

Rick Guzman earned his most recent MA at UAL Central St Martins in Applied Imagination in the Creative Industries. He currently holds two MA’s and an MBA in the New Media, Journalism and International Business fields. Co-editor at Image Amplified since its start, he lives in London, is fascinated by history and is motivated by continuing to learn and explore.

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Sources:

Tammy Baldwin

GLBTQ Archive

Politico

CNN

Madison