# Steve Endean

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**Stephen Robert** "**Steve**" **Endean** (August 6, 1948 – August 4, 1993)[1] was an American [gay rights activist](/source/Gay_rights_activist), first in [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota), then nationally. Endean was the first lobbyist for LGBTQ rights at the Minnesota State Capitol. He was the director of the [Gay Rights National Lobby](/source/Gay_Rights_National_Lobby) in 1978, and he started the [Human Rights Campaign Fund](/source/Human_Rights_Campaign) in 1980, serving as its first executive director. He also created the Fairness Fund, a LGBTQ rights organization, whose primary focus was on [grassroots](/source/Grassroots) [political lobbying](/source/Political_lobbying).

## Early life

He was born in [Davenport, Iowa](/source/Davenport,_Iowa), to parents Robert and Marilyn Endean, and from 1954 to 1959, lived in Illinois.[2][1] He graduated from Lincoln High School in [Bloomington, Minnesota](/source/Bloomington,_Minnesota) in 1966.[1] In 1967, he attended [College of St. Thomas](/source/College_of_St._Thomas) in [St. Paul, Minnesota](/source/St._Paul,_Minnesota) for one year. He then attended the [University of Minnesota](/source/University_of_Minnesota) from 1968 to 1972, majoring in [political science](/source/Political_science).[3] He lived in Bloomington, before moving to Washington DC in 1978.[4] He came out to his parents when he was 22 years old, by giving them a letter telling them he was gay.[2]

## Career

His first foray into politics was in 1970, when he was an aide to the [Wendell Anderson](/source/Wendell_Anderson) for governor campaign, and then a year later he was the scheduling coordinator for the [Harry Davis](/source/W._Harry_Davis) [mayor campaign](/source/W._Harry_Davis#Mayoral_run).[1] In 1971, Endean founded the Minnesota Committee for Gay Rights (later Gay Rights Legislative Committee), and became the first gay and lesbian rights [lobbyist](/source/Lobbyist) in Minnesota a year later.[1] Endean recalled that in those early days of the 1970s, he was jeered at by some Minnesota lawmakers, when he was lobbying legislators for support of a LGBTQ rights bill.[5]

In 1973, Endean started lobbying the [Minneapolis City Council](/source/Minneapolis_City_Council) to include protection for gay rights in the Minneapolis anti-discrimination ordinance.[1] At the time, he was working out of the office of then 6th Ward Alderman, Earl Netwal.[1] Endean's persistent efforts eventually lead to a 10–0 vote to ban discrimination on the basis of "affectional or sexual preference".[6]

Along with the Minnesota Committee for Gay Rights and Democratic legislators, Endean opposed trans-inclusion and public accommodations in a statewide gay rights bill, giving as their reason the belief that the bill would not pass with such inclusion.[7] In the 1970s, he served as co-chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Gay Task Force (later [NGLTF](/source/NGLTF)).[1] In 1978, he became the director of the [Gay Rights National Lobby](/source/Gay_Rights_National_Lobby).[1][8] In 1980, he started the [Human Rights Campaign Fund](/source/Human_Rights_Campaign) (HRC), and served as its first executive director.[9][3]

In December 1986, Endean created the Fairness Fund, a LGBTQ rights organization whose objective was focused on [grassroots](/source/Grassroots) [political lobbying](/source/Political_lobbying).[10] In 1988, the Fairness Fund merged with the HRC.[10] In 1991, he created the National Endorsement Campaign, an effort to get straight political leaders and media figures to endorse [LGBT rights](/source/LGBT_rights). Also in 1991, he published his memoir, *Into the Mainstream*.[3] In 1993, he was present at the [Minnesota State Capitol](/source/Minnesota_State_Capitol) when the Legislature passed the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which banned LGBTQ discrimination in housing, employment, and education.[11] The law included those same protections for the transgender community, the first such state inclusion in the country.[11]

## Personal life

In 1985, Endean was diagnosed with [AIDS](/source/AIDS).[3] Due to his declining health, he retired on disability in 1991.[3] He died of AIDS-related complications on August 4, 1993.[3] He was a member of the [Metropolitan Community Church](/source/Metropolitan_Community_Church).[12]

## See also

- [Table of years in LGBT rights](/source/Table_of_years_in_LGBT_rights)
- [Timeline of LGBT history](/source/Timeline_of_LGBT_history)

## References

1. Endean, Steve (2006). [*Bringing Lesbian And Gay Rights Into The Mainstream: Twenty Years Of Progress*](https://archive.org/details/bringinglesbiang0000ende/mode/2up). New York: [Harrington Park Press](/source/Harrington_Park_Press). ISBN 978-1-56023-525-5.

1. Grow, Doug (August 6, 1993). ["Death Be Not Proud, For A Legacy and Spirit Can Live On"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-steven-endean/128179951/). *[Star Tribune](/source/Star_Tribune)*. p. 3B. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240227195944/https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-steven-endean/128179951/) February 27, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

1. Eaklor, Vicki L. ["Endean, Steve (1948-1993)"](http://www.glbtqarchive.com/ssh/endean_s_S.pdf). *[glbtq Encyclopedia Project](/source/Glbtq.com)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201126124331/http://www.glbtqarchive.com/ssh/endean_s_S.pdf) November 26, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-04-23.

1. McGrath, Dennis J (September 28, 1991). ["Campaign Urges Leaders To Sign Up Against Gay Bias"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/418309627). *[Star Tribune](/source/Star_Tribune)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240227200924/https://www.proquest.com/docview/418309627) February 27, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

1. Schneider, Karen . (April 22, 1993). ["Ten Years On, Gay Activists Acquire Clout, But Differences Remain Within Their Movement"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/384202586). *[Seattle Times](/source/Seattle_Times)*. p. A3. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240227200719/https://www.proquest.com/docview/384202586) February 27, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

1. Margolin, Emma (2016-06-02). ["How Minneapolis became the first city in the country to pass trans protections"](http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/how-minneapolis-became-the-first-city-the-country-pass-trans-protections). *[MSNBC](/source/MSNBC)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191106135450/http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/how-minneapolis-became-the-first-city-the-country-pass-trans-protections) November 6, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-02-12.

1. Griffin Jr., Carl (May 7, 1975). "No Compromise Gay Coalition May Sink Rights Bill". *[The Advocate](/source/The_Advocate_(magazine))*. No. 163. p. 4. [ISSN 0001-8996](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0001-8996)

1. Lambert, Bruce (1993-08-06). ["Stephen R. Endean, 44, Founder Of Largest Gay Political Group"](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/06/obituaries/stephen-r-endean-44-founder-of-largest-gay-political-group.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190423113706/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/06/obituaries/stephen-r-endean-44-founder-of-largest-gay-political-group.html) April 23, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-04-23.

1. Von Drehle, David (November 23, 2003). ["Same-Sex Unions Move Center Stage; After a Decade on Fringe, Gay Marriage Enters American Consciousness"](https://www.proquest.com/docview/409560504). *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)*. p. 1A. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230714010705/https://www.proquest.com/docview/409560504) July 14, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

1. ["25 Years of Political Influence: The Records of the Human Rights Campaign"](https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/HRC/exhibition/changingroles/changingroles_31.html). *[Cornell University](/source/Cornell_University)*. 2006. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230714010703/https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/HRC/exhibition/changingroles/changingroles_31.html) July 14, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

1. Preston, Joshua (2016). ["Senator Allan Spear and the Minnesota Human Rights Act"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/24898874). *[Minnesota History](/source/Minnesota_History_(journal))*. **65** (3): 76–87. [Minnesota Historical Society Press](/source/Minnesota_Historical_Society). [ISSN 0026-5497](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0026-5497). [JSTOR 24898874](https://www.jstor.org/stable/24898874). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230714010705/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24898874) July 14, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

1. ["Stephen Endean Dies"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1993/08/06/stephen-endean-dies/6d1f780d-c5a5-4e62-a061-c6b9ad757c99/). *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)*. 1993-08-06. [ISSN 0190-8286](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0190-8286). [OCLC 1330888409](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1330888409). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210614060845/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1993/08/06/stephen-endean-dies/6d1f780d-c5a5-4e62-a061-c6b9ad757c99/) June 14, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

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