When will GAY really be OK?

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What Tammy Baldwin’s win means for U.S. politics and Wisconsin.

By Ryan Klund

As a Wisconsinite I grew up with both of the state’s senate candidates in this Senate election, Tammy Baldwin and Tommy Thompson.

I remember Thompson’s rule as Governor during my childhood and Baldwin’s first win in 1998, being the first openly gay assemblywoman elected to US House of Representatives. 

Baldwin’s win last night gives the United States and Wisconsin reason to be proud.

She is now the first openly gay US Senator ever elected and won in, what looked to be, a state welcoming republicans to big political seats.

We Wisconsinites, especially those in Madison and Milwaukee, have openly supported gay rights, despite our inability to allow same-sex marriage.

Madison is a town with a large, sprawling gay culture. 10% dances are frequently held at the UW-Madison Union and in Milwaukee we have the ‘Fruit Loop’ a group of gay bars on the city’s Southside.  Even the ever-conservative Sheboygan has a popular gay bar in its downtown.

Senator-elect Baldwin now represents a furthering change of ideology for the rest of the country.

President Barak Obama changed his stance. (Even Romneysupported civil unions (I think?)) Several states allow same-sex marriage; Maryland and Maine passed its measures to allow it last night.

These questions still remain.

When will Wisconsin make it official by joining the ranks of other states allowing basic rights to all?

When will Americans love, protect and serve all sections of our society equally?

And really, when will gay be okay?