Wisconsin Wisconsin’s Attorney General is taking heat for using state funds to attend an anti-LGBTQ conference, WPR reports: Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel came under fire from Democrats on Tuesday for reports he was paid to speak at an anti-LGBT group’s conference last year. According to state records first reported on by the Associated Press, […]

Wisconsin Milwaukee has become the first city in Wisconsin to ban conversion therapy, Wisconsin Public Radio reports: Milwaukee officials sent the mayor a proposal to prohibit therapists and counselors from trying to change a minor’s sexual orientation. The vote Tuesday came amid a charged environment in city hall as supporters of the ban applauded and […]

Wisconsin A campaign to change the way LGBTQ youth view themselves launches in Milwaukee, Madison 365 reports: To that end, Milwaukee-based artist Lex Allen helped Diverse and Resilient create a campaign to help youth realize they are beautiful. Lex Allen wrote a song called “Colors in Bloom” and a music video to coincide with it […]

Iowa Iowa senators pass a bill that would prevent higher education institutions from sanctioning student groups that discriminate based on sexual orientation, LGBTQ Nation reports: The Iowa senate passed a bill that could ban universities from enforcing anti-discrimination policies in student clubs late last night. All 29 Republicans voted in favor of it and all […]

Iowa Iowa City is working on expanding its definition of gender identity away from just male and female, KCRG reports: Iowa City may soon change it’s definition of gender identity. Right now, it’s still only male or female. City council voted Tuesday night 7-0 to change that. “We’re thinking about inclusion and we want to […]

South Dakota Republican lawmakers in South Dakota have introduced legislation aimed at preventing gender identity and transgender issues from being discussed in the state’s schools, the Argus Leader reports: South Dakota lawmakers are set to consider what students should be taught about gender identity and whether schools should write and make public their transgender bathroom […]

South Dakota Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether has joined Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination, the Argus Leader reports: Mayor Mike Huether has signed on to a national campaign to bolster anti-discrimination efforts for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. In a news release Thursday, Sioux Falls City Hall announced Huether is among 275 mayors from 48 […]

Iowa Controversy continues at the University of Iowa as a Christian group sues after the University revoked it’s status as a student group following anti-LGBTQ discrimination. KCRG has reactions from LGBTQ community members on campus: Alex Bare is the Outreach Director for Spectrum UI, the first LGBT university club in the United States. He says […]

Wisconsin A transgender student who was discriminated against by the Kenosha Unified School District has won a $800,000 settlement from the school, Kenosha News reports: The Kenosha Unified School Board has settled a lawsuit with a transgender former student who said the district discriminated against him, including monitoring trips to the boys restroom. The board […]

Regional Data The Williams Institute is out with the annual estimate of LGBT population by state. In our region, Minnesota had the highest percent of adults identifying as LGBT at 4 percent. Wisconsin had 3.4 and Iowa had 3.2. North Dakota had 2.4 percent, and South Dakota was the nation’s lowest with 2 percent. The […]