The Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee and Campus LGBT Center co-sponsored a panel discussion Tuesday on the status of same-sex unions in Wisconsin.
The panel featured two same-sex couples and Glenn Carlson, executive director of the advocacy group Fair Wisconsin.
Carlson began the event by introducing some of the primary issues currently facing same-sex partners, including a lack of health-care benefits and limits on official joint guardianship of biological and adopted children.
Its interesting to think about the future and the challenges we may face,"" panelist Lilia Williams said.
The discussion accompanied an art exhibition, which combined the photographs and interviews of thirty same-sex couples from across the state. The exhibit was created in response to the 2006 state constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions.
Carlson said there are currently 211 benefits withheld from same-sex couples in Wisconsin, which he emphasized voters should focus on in addition to other matters of national concern.
""Our challenge for Wisconsin is to make sure that people across the state don't vote just in the presidential election, but vote in the down-ballot races,"" he said.
Panelists Lilia Williams and Sheltreese McCoy - a lesbian couple - and Toni Coles and Maison Cruz - transgender partners - said they have found the Madison community to be accepting, but the city's progressive perspective is not the norm throughout the country.
Carlson said there are still multiple steps to achieving equality on a state and national level, but Wisconsin is coming closer to equal-rights legislation as the more progressive younger generation registers to vote.
""If you do the math,"" he said, ""then it would be '¦ within six to eight years that we should have a sufficient number in the state of Wisconsin to be able to overturn the amendment.""
Amanda Schmitt, director of the Art Committee, said the exhibit traveled throughout Wisconsin,
Maryland and Virginia before coming to Madison. Because it is only on campus for a week and a half, Schmitt said WUDAC and LGBT planned the panel discussion in an effort to attract as many people as possible.
