LPAC beneficiaries have not been finalized, although candidates such as Baldwin and campaigns to defeat ballot measures that would ban same-sex marriages or restrict access to abortions are likely to be recipients of donations.

However, the group’s aim to give lesbians an influential voice in mainstream politics is ground-breaking, said chairwoman Sarah Schmidt, a scion of the family behind Midwest petroleum distributor U.S. Venture Inc.

Unlike the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which supports gay candidates, and Emily’s List, which is dedicated to electing Democratic women who support abortion rights, LPAC plans to promote men and women from either major party as well as ballot initiatives.