Openly lesbian Wisconsin Representative
Tammy Baldwin will be hard at work Thursday as she celebrates her
48th birthday.
Baldwin became the first openly gay
person elected to the House in 1998. She is also the first female
representative elected from Wisconsin.
An avid supporter of gay rights,
Baldwin has been at the forefront of securing equal benefits for the
spouses of gay federal employees. Her Domestic Partnership Benefits
and Obligations Act has already secured the approval of a House
committee, as has a companion bill in the Senate.
Baldwin is one of only three openly gay
representatives in Congress. The other two are Massachusetts
Representative Barney Frank and freshman Representative Jared Polis
of Colorado. There are no openly gay senators.
“[Baldwin] will be working in our
Madison, Wisconsin office during the day,” Press Secretary Jerilyn
Goodman said in an email.
But depending on the weather, Baldwin
will either fly back to Washington or enjoy a birthday dinner with
her longtime partner in the evening.
Here's hoping for a bit more snow.
Happy birthday, Rep. Baldwin!