Founded in 1987, the Lambda Rights Network (LRN) was a non-profit, non-partisan corporation that advocated on behalf of lesbian and gay issues with government officials and the general public. Formed with the immediate goal of opposing state legislation that eroded the protections guaranteed to lesbians and gays under Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law, the group later dedicated itself to promoting equality in many areas: alternative families, criminal justice, health care, housing, political participation, and public accommodations. LRN sponsored "Community Speak Outs" that brought together public officials and members of the gay and lesbian community; held candidate forums for federal, state, and local races; met with public officials; gathered information about local hate crimes; and networked with other local gay and lesbian organizations. The organization dissolved in 1993.

The UWM Archives LGBT Collection holds a considerable amount of the Lambda Rights Network's papers. UWM Archives has this description of LRN in their collection description:

Lambda Rights Network (LRN) formed in 1987 in response to the proposed Senate Bill 301/Assembly Bill 527, colloquially known as the "Rawhide Amendment" after its main proponent, the Rawhide Boys Ranch. This proposed legislation sought to exclude religious non-profits from Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law. Despite the efforts of LRN and other groups and individuals, the Wisconsin Legislature adopted the religious exemption in February 1988 (Assembly Bill 916). LRN incorporated in 1989 and continued operating until 1993. During this period, the group dedicated itself to promoting equality under the law in many areas: alternative families, criminal justice, health care, housing, political participation, and public accommodations. LRN sponsored "Community Speak Outs" that brought together public officials and members of the gay and lesbian community; held candidate forums for federal, state, and local races; gathered information about local hate crimes; met with public officials; and networked with other local gay and lesbian organizations. Additionally, LRN initiated a hotline to report incidences of violence against gays and lesbians, and conducted surveys to assess the needs of LRN members and the community as a whole.