In 1962-1963, UW-Madison went through a "Gay Purge," in which the Dean of Men, the Department of Protection and Security (now UWPD), and psychiatrists at the Student Health Clinic worked together to seek out queer students in order to discipline and "treat" them. Throughout these few years, gay students were expelled, stripped of funding and scholarships, and were forced to submit to conversion treatments. 

During this time, Dr. Annette Washburne, Washburne House's namesake, was a professor at UW-Madison's school of medicine. Although she was the first female full professor at the UW's school of medicine and contributed to the founding of the Neuropsychiatry department, she also created the "guidelines" for the university's actions during the "Gay Purge." She claimed that "homosexuals" were dangerous and should be "discouraged" from continuing their education. More information about this time in UW-Madison's history and Dr. Washburne's involvement can be found here: https://publichistoryproject.wisc.edu/gay-purge-persecution/ 

Although UW claims to be committed to diversity and claims that they "condemn" these actions, only a small chunk of the University's staff and students know about these acts of institutional violence. Not only do more people need to be educated, but the university needs to be held accountable. Changing Washburne House's name is the least they can do.