William B. Turner grew up in Oklahoma City, OK. After graduating from Grinnell College in Iowa, he earned a Ph.D. in U.S. history from Vanderbilt University. He published his dissertation as A Genealogy of Queer Theory, and, with two co-editors, Creating Change: Sexuality, Public Policy, and Civil Rights. He then earned a JD at the University of Wisconsin. He has published seven law review articles.