The idea of an advisory group that would advocate for the legal and social equality of gay
Wisconsinites was a priority of Governor Anthony S. Earl, who wanted to see the 1982 Chapter
112, Laws of Wisconsin, become "more than words on paper." In January 1983, Governor Earl
selected Dane County Board Supervisors Kathleen Nichols and R. Richard Wagner to reach out
to gay organizations around the state and assess the needs of sexual minority communities. In
February, Nichols and Wagner reported that there was acute need for personal safety,
anti-discrimination enforcement in employment and accommodations, law enforcement
sensitivity training, and community visibility and acceptance. Governor Earl created the
council on March 29, 1983. The council met monthly and had three standing committees:
Outreach, Education and Youth; Health, Social Services and Child Custody; and Discrimination
and Legal Issues. The council dissolved itself on January 2, 1987 in protest of incumbent
Governor Tommy Thompson's promise to terminate the group after taking office.
