Abigail Swetz’s (MPA ’19) favorite part about her role as executive director at Fair Wisconsin is that every day is different from the last. As Wisconsin’s only statewide LGBTQ civil rights and political advocacy organization, Fair Wisconsin works to build a fair, safe, and inclusive Wisconsin for all LGBTQ people by advancing and protecting LGBTQ civil rights through lobbying, legislative advocacy, grassroots organizing, coalition building, and electoral involvement. “We are a rather small but mighty (some would say scrappy) team, so I wear a lot of hats and spend my days doing policy analysis, communications, political strategizing, organizing, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and board outreach,” Swetz says. “I envision Wisconsin as a state where the entire LGBTQ+ community can thrive and live authentically and love publicly,” Swetz says. “That’s going to take some work.”
In the face of potential threats to the LGBTQ community at the federal level, Swetz says that Fair Wisconsin’s work at the state and local levels is about to be more important than ever as the organization looks to fight for LGBTQ rights and protections here in Wisconsin. “That feels pretty daunting, but our community has faced seemingly insurmountable challenges, and I know we’ve got this – because we’ve got each other – because we’ve got us,” Swetz says.
Swetz left her career as a middle school teacher to study at the La Follette School, where she learned the importance of collaboration and acquired the skills to get it done. “Policy, public administration, advocacy, and especially politics are team sports,” Swetz says. After leaving the education field, Swetz worried that she would never find a job as interesting and fast-paced as being a teacher, but she has found the wide range of responsibilities in her role at Fair Wisconsin to be fulfilling in a similar way. “During the 2024 election, I remember going from a writing session with my co-author of an editorial in defense of the humanity of trans Wisconsinites, to approving Get Out The Vote ads that were going to appear on LGBTQ+ dating apps, to making fundraising calls, and then ending the day with a board meeting,” Swetz says. “Never a dull moment.”
“Bring your whole self to this work, including skills and experiences that might not have an obvious connection to policy,” Swetz advises. “If it’s a part of your life, it’s connected to policy (and politics, for that matter).” Swetz also wants students looking to pursue work in political advocacy to get creative in their thinking. “Building political power is about more than elections, especially for marginalized communities for whom some avenues to power are less available than others,” she says. “Push boundaries. Critical thinking is key. Creative thinking is even better.”
Alumni in the Spotlight
To celebrate La Follette’s 40th anniversary, we are highlighting alumni throughout 2024 who influence policymaking at the highest levels in government, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations across the country and abroad.