SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN (1962–)

 

Fourteen years after being the first openly lesbian member of Congress, Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay US senator (in 2012). In 1993, she called for her home state of Wisconsin to legalize gay marriage. That hasn’t happened yet, but Baldwin’s progressive record is a beacon for her colleagues. Her letter to leadership, printed below, reveals how far-reaching the issue of gay marriage is in American politics.