In 2009, a law was passed in Wisconsin providing for a domestic partnership for same-sex couples with limited rights compared to married couples.

Until 2009, there was no legal recognition provided to same-sex couples in Wisconsin, however there was also no law explicitly banning marriage. Attempts to do so were vetoed in 2003.

President Trump's Department of Justice and the EEOC revoked protections for gender identity in employment discrimination.

In a landmark decision, Democratic President Obama's EEOC ruled that gender identity was included under Title VII protections from the Civil Rights Act (originally written to protect people based on sex discrimination).

In 1982, Republican Governor Dreyfus signed a bill giving LGB people employment discrimination protections, making Wisconsin the first state in the union to do so.

Same-sex couples are not permitted joint or second parent adoption.

On the evening of March 18th, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked the implementation of Trump's executive order banning transgender people from the military. The judge said that not only was the order unconstitutional but “a solution in search of a problem.”.

On January 27th, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that bans transgender people from serving in the military.
On February 10th, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth filed in court a memo relating to President Trump’s executive order from the previous month.

From then until March 18th, 2025, The U.S. military prohibited transgender individuals from enlisting and ceased providing or supporting gender transition procedures for service members.

In 2021, former President Joe Biden removed then-former President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.

The Trump administration enacted a new policy barring individuals with a "condition" known as "gender dysphoria." from serving in the military.

In 2011, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed by the Obama Administration. Former President Obama allowed members who were dishonorably discharged under DADT, to receive an honorable discharge.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the historic compromise signed by President Bill Clinton authorizing people who are LGBT to serve in the military provided they didn't disclose sexuality. The law also removed the ability for others in the military from asking for a service member's orientation.

The FDA announced changes to the blood donor eligibility policy in April 2020, reducing the MSM deferral period from 12 months to 3 months. The change came amid the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, where blood was needed urgently.

After a series of recommendations, the FDA has moved to a 12 months deferral.

Starting in 1983, the United States implemented a full ban on blood donations from gay men. The primary justification for the ban was the perceived high risk of HIV transmission, with health regulators identifying men who have sex with men (MSM) as a significant risk to the safety of the blood supply.

An extensive list of jurisdictions passing ordinances and measures which prohibit the practice of conversion therapy have passed in Wisconsin. In brief this list includes the 14 communities of: Appleton, Cudahy, Eau Claire, Glendale, Kenosha, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Shorewood, Sun Prairie, Superior and West Allis. Each jurisdiction maintains different variations in fines and applicability to minors and licensed professionals.

On June 1, 2021, Wisconsin governor signed an executive order prohibiting state and federal funds being used for conversion therapy which aims to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity.

State law supersedes local laws and the ban is at risk of being rendered defunct if state legislatures were to nullify the legitimacy of the scope of these laws.

A battle against conversion therapy is currently pending in the Supreme Court and it is likely to be ruled on this term with Wisconsin being the origin state of the challenge.