Coming out in about 1970, Don Schwamb joined several early gay organizations, including the Gay Peoples Union, and frequented now-legendary bars such as the River Queen, the Factory, the Wreck Room, and Rod's (Madison). Over the years he held leadership roles or other roles in numerous Milwaukee LGBT organizations, notably as president of CCF, president of GAMMA, first vice president of ARCW, and roles in the Milw LGBT Community Center, BESTD Clinic, and others. He is also a building preservationist.
Don founded the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project in 1994 as a personal hobby, collecting periodicals and personal recollections when he realized no organization was trying to document and preserve local LGBT history, creating a website in 1997 to better organize and cross-link documentation. Originally calling it the 'Milwaukee LGBT History Project', he soon recognized that the close relationships between the drag, leather and other communities spanned the state, and changed the name to the 'Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project'. Using the nucleus of a small temporary group that did a few oral histories, he later worked with a few other volunteers to create the annual Pridefest History display for over 10 years. But he continually transformed all of this work to his personal website to make data available year-round, which forms the nucleus of today's History Project archive.
Don has always embraced collaboration and working with others to preserve and disseminate factual information about Wisconsin’s LGBTQ community without charge to the public. In 2006, local LGBTQ historian Michail Takach joined forces with Don, writing numerous articles and several books. In 2021, they incorporated and began forming a formal Board of Directors and a Community Advisors program.
Although no longer involved in running the organization, he continues to provide archival guidance and digital support to the History Project.
