REPRESENTATIVE BILL LIPPERT (1950–)

 

Before gay marriage, there were Vermont civil unions—an attempt to create a separate and somewhat equal version of marriage that would be accessible to people in same-sex relationships. Representative Bill Lippert, of Hinesburg, Vermont, was and is an instrumental figure in creating civil unions. In 2000, he was a lone out gay figure in the Vermont legislature. Lippert’s words were spontaneous, coming in the eighth hour of a twelve-hour floor debate. In this interview (conducted by We Do! researcher Devorah Shubowitz on May 7, 2013), Representative Lippert reveals what prompted him to give personal testimony on the Vermont House floor on March 15, 2000.