Abstract: In her July 2010 interviews with Eric Trekell, Carrie Kruse discusses her role as a member of the LGBT community in Madison from the 1980s to the late 2000s. She chronicles the importance of local Madison influences, family, and her education in her choice to come out as a lesbian early in her career at UW. She then describes how she has participated in the political activism of the community and how the LGBT community has been transformed throughout its history. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the LGBT Oral History Project, a part of UW-Madison?s Oral History Program. Key Words: Madison WI; feminism; Room of One?s Own; Lysistrata; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Earlham College; Lesbian Variety Show; Hotel Washington; School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS); OutReach; 2006 same-sex marriage ban; commitment ceremony; game night; Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN); Madison West High School; political activism.