Madison Alliance for Homosexual Equality (MAHE) | Wisconsin Historical Society

Historical Essay

Madison Alliance for Homosexual Equality (MAHE)

Madison Alliance for Homosexual Equality (MAHE) | Wisconsin Historical Society
Dictionary of Wisconsin History.

 

November 5, 1969 saw the first meeting of the first public gay and lesbian organization in Wisconsin, the Madison Alliance for Homosexual Equality (MAHE). By early 1970, MAHE had become a politically active group organizing many "firsts" for gay citizens of Wisconsin. These included the first public gay meetings, first gay dances, the first appearance of openly gay individuals on television and radio, the first public gay protest, first gay workshops, and the first gay phone hotline. Later in 1970, the group evolved into an even more politically active organization called the Gay Liberation Front.

UW-Madison historian Scott Seyforth, personal communication based on interviews with eyewitnesses and on Daily Cardinal articles.

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