Karen Clark

Karen J. Clark (July 23, 1945 – June 30, 2026) was an American politician and onetime member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 62A, which included portions of the city of Minneapolis in the Twin Cities metropolitan area including portions of the Whittier, Phillips, Ventura Village, Seward, and Lyn-Lake neighborhoods. She was the longest-serving openly lesbian member to serve in a state legislature in the United States.

Political career

Advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights

Clark was a lesbian, and was one of four openly gay members of the Minnesota Legislature, along with Rep. and Speaker of the Minnesota House Allan Spear, Senator Scott Dibble and Rep. Susan Allen, a Minneapolis Democrats. While Spear, who came out in 1974 while already serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives, In 1990, Clark would serve on Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich's Task Force on Lesbian and Gay Minnesotans. In 1993, Clark played a critical role alongside Spear in passing an amendment to the Minnesota Human Rights Act that banned LGBT discrimination in housing, employment, and education. alt=Portrait of Representative Karen Clark posing with Senator Linda Berglin and Representative Peter McLaughlin in the Senate Chamber, St. Paul, Minnesota Representative Karen Clark poses with Senator Linda Berglin and Representative Peter McLaughlin in the Senate Chamber, St. Paul, Minnesota. After the Minnesota House voted on May 21, 2011, to place a gay marriage amendment referendum on the ballot in the 2012 general election, she and Dibble released a joint statement condemning the referendum. The referendum had voters decide whether a legal marriage was defined as between one man and one woman. alt=Portrait of Representative Karen Clark posing with Senator Linda Berglin in the House Chamber, St. Paul, Minnesota. Representative Karen Clark poses with Senator Linda Berglin in the House Chamber, St. Paul, Minnesota. Following the May 2011 House vote on the gay marriage amendment referendum, Clark stated: "It's a sad day for the State of Minnesota. Tonight, we've moved one step closer to discriminating against Minnesotans simply based on who they love. This amendment won't help a single family in Minnesota, and this vote is absolutely heartbreaking to thousands of people and families across our state. History will not look back kindly on this day or the people who voted for discrimination. The Minnesota I know is a place of inclusion, tolerance and love, and I truly believe the people of this great state will not vote to enshrine discrimination in our constitution..."

In 2013, after voters voted against the amendment, Clark was the House sponsor of an effort to legalize same-sex marriage. The act passed the House 75–59, as well as the Senate, and was later signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton. It took effect on July 1, 2013. (See also Same-sex marriage in Minnesota.)

Environmental advocacy Clark was vocal in supporting protesters at Standing Rock who were part of the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests. On October 28, 2016, Clark read a speech urging Hennepin County Sheriff, Richard Stanek to withdraw deputies from Standing Rock.

Immigration On May 25, 2017, Clark engaged in a hunger strike to show solidarity with protesters of a proposed public safety bill that would limit undocumented immigrants' ability to obtain driver's licenses.

Personal life and death Clark and her domestic partner Jacqueline Zita were together for 35 years, and married 11 years prior to her death.

Clark was Catholic.