Allan Spear remembered as his book is published

by Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Minnesota state Sen. Allan Spear was a trailblazer. Spear, who served as president of the Minnesota state Senate, was also one of the first openly gay legislators in the country. He represented a Minneapolis district in the state Senate from 1973-2000.

When Spear died in 2008, he left a manuscript of an autobiography he had been working on. That book has just been published, and it's called "Crossing the Barriers."

Spear shared the manuscript with his friend and political colleague Lee Greenfield, who himself served in the Minesota House for more than 20 years. Greenfield talked with MPR's Tom Crann about Allan Spear, his book and his legacy.

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, 11/19/2010, 4:49 p.m.