November 10: Phyllis Lyon & Del Martin, Pioneer Lesbian Activists

Del Martin 

 

b. May 5, 1921

d. August 27, 2008

 

Phyllis Lyon 

 

b. November 10, 1924

"Two extraordinary people ... that have spent the greater part of a half century ... fighting for their right to live the way so many of us, frankly, take for granted."

 – San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom

Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon founded the first lesbian organization in the United States and have fought for more than 50 years for the rights of lesbians and gays. On June 16, 2008, Martin and Lyon became the first gay couple to be legally married in California.

Martin and Lyon both earned degrees in journalism. While working as journalists in Seattle, the two became romantically involved. The couple relocated to San Francisco and moved in together on Valentine’s Day 1953.

In 1955, finding it hard to develop a social network in San Francisco, Martin, Lyon and a small group of women founded the first lesbian organization, called the Daughters of Bilitis. The name was inspired by Pierre Louys’s “Songs of Bilitis,” a collection of poems celebrating lesbian sexuality.

Though it was intended to be a secret society, Martin and Lyon wanted to make the Daughters of Bilitis more visible. The group began publishing a monthly magazine, called The Ladder, which was the first-ever lesbian publication. As editors of the magazine, they capitalized the word “lesbian” every time it appeared.

In 1964, while fighting to change California sex laws criminalizing homosexuals, the couple joined religious and gay community leaders to form the Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH). This organization was at the forefront of the movement to gain religious support on gay rights issues. Both women served on the founding CRH board of directors.

In 2004, when gay marriage was offered in San Francisco, Martin and Lyon were the first to wed. A California appellate court ruling subsequently invalidated their marriage. Then in May 2008, a California Supreme Court decision provided same-sex couples the right to marry. On June 16, 2008, they were the first same-sex couple married in California. The wedding was officiated by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Martin and Lyon have published two books together, “Lesbian/Woman” (1972) and “Lesbian Love and Liberation” (1973). On their 50th anniversary, the documentary “No Secret Anymore: The Times of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon” premiered. In 2005, the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association inducted Martin and Lyon into the LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame for their pioneering work on The Ladder. In 2007, they received the 2007 Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Pioneer Award.

Bibliography

“Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon.” (The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Religious Archives Network).

Kornblum, Janet. “Gay Activists Blaze Trail for half century.”  USA Today. March 4, 2004

“Lesbian Pioneers Wed at San Franciso City Hall.” CNN.  June 17, 2008

Streitmatter, Rodger.  “Phyllis Lyon & Del Martin.”  National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association: LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame.  June 5, 2008

Articles

Gordon, Rachel. “Lesbian Pioneer Activists See Wish Fulfilled.” San Francisco Chronicle. June 16, 2008

Marshall, Carolyn. “Dozens of Gay Couples Marry in San Francisco Ceremonies.” The New York Times. February 13, 2004

McKinley, Jesse. “Same-Sex Marriages Begin in California.” The New York Times. June 17, 2008

Books

Lesbian/Woman (1972)

Lesbian love and liberation (The Yes book of sex) (1973)
Battered Wives (1976)

Other Resources

No Secrets Anymore: The Times of Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon (2003)

Groundspark: Igniting Change Through Film.  Del Martin and Phyllis Lyons's Wedding Video

Related articles

• Queer Ministry & Reconciliation (queertheology.blogspot.com)

Senator Penny Wong (1968 – ) Australian. Politician

b.  5 November 1968

Australian Labor Party senator for South Australia and the Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Wong is the first openly gay member of the Australian federal cabinet, and the first Asian-born federal minister.

Born in Malayaysia, she arrived in Australia as a child. As an immigrant from a minority ethnic group, she faced many difficulties (including at times direct racial abuse)but overcame these, to forge a successful career in law, as a barrister and solicitor in Adelaide and an adviser to the Carr Government in New South Wales, before entering politics. She has been open about her sexuality since 2002, and was the first sitting member of the Australian Labor Party to "come out" while still in parliament.

In August 2011, she announced that she and her partner, Sophie Allouache,are expecting a baby. The child was conceived by IVF with the help of an anonymous sperm donor, but done outside of her home state of South Australia, where IVF treatment for gay couples is illegal. Nevertheless, the news made hardly a ripple in Australia - a measure of how easily gay and lesbian relationships are now accepted in Australia. Although the influence of the Catholic Church is strong and Australia remains a generally socially conservative country, it has also become a very tolerant country, content to leave decisions on personal morality as just that - strictly personal.

Wong was named by the Australian LGBT site "Same Same" as one of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians. In 2007, 2008, and 2010. Controversially, she was initially reluctant to go against her party's officially declared stance against same-sex marriage - which may explain her otherwise surprising ommission from the list in 2009. She has since dropped her reluctance, and has become a firm advocate for changing the party policy (which it may well do at the federal conference in December 2011). Her entry on the Same Same website notes that subsequently, as soon as nominations opened for the 2010 list, nominations for Wong came pouring in.

Sources:

Penny Wong , Wikipedia

Penny Wong Same Same Top 25
Penny Wong: Australia's Non-story of the week. BBC News

Related articles

• Neal Blewett (1933 - ) Australian Politician (itsaqueerworld.blogspot.com)

1 September Lily Tomlin, Actor

b. September 1, 1939

Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed.

Lily Tomlin is an accomplished actress, comedian, writer and producer who has won numerous awards including six Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards and a Grammy Award. She has been involved in many performing arts genres including film, stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, Broadway and television. She starred on "The West Wing" and "Murphy Brown" and also appeared on "X-Files" and "Will and Grace."

Tomlin attended Wayne State University as a premed student until her elective classes in theater arts inspired her to pursue a career as a performer. She started as a stand-up comedian in New York City.

In 1966, Tomlin debuted on television on the "Garry Moore Show." After a few appearances on the "Merv Griffin Show," she joined the comedy series "Laugh-In" in 1969. Ernestine, her character on "Laugh-In," captivated audiences and earned her a Golden Globe Award in 1972. Tomlin worked on comedy television specials with her partner, Jane Wagner. The duo's six specials, produced over the next nine years, netted them three Emmy Awards, the first for "Lily" in 1974.

"Nashville" marked Tomlin's entrance into film in 1975. Two years later, she starred on Broadway in "Appearing Nitely," a show written and directed by Wagner. Another Wagner show, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," became a major Broadway hit in 1985. Tomlin won a Tony Award in 1986 for her lead role.

Returning to television in 1993, Tomlin starred in "And the Band Played On," an HBO special about AIDS. From 1994 to 1998, she entertained children with her role as Mrs. Valerie Frizzle on "The Magic School Bus." In addition to her featured roles on "The West Wing" and "Murphy Brown," Tomlin continued to appear in hit movies such as "The Kid" (2000) and "I Heart Huckabees" (2004).

Tomlin officially came out to Gay TV in 2000. Her relationship with Wagner had been openly acknowledged for the majority of its existence.

Tomlin and Wagner started the Lily Tomlin Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, which provides art exhibits, theatre and other programs. The Center donates to services for people with HIV/AIDS and funds programs at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

Related articles

• Happy Birthday to the brilliant Lily Tomlin! (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Lily Tomlin works for health care, gay rights (variety.com)
• Their Best Role: Lily Tomlin (cinematical.com)

Lynn Lavner

"There are 6 admonishments in the Bible concerning homosexual activity and our enemies are always throwing them up to us usually in a vicious way and very much out of context. What they don't want us to remember is that there are 362 admonishments in the Bible concerning heterosexual activity. I don't mean to imply by this that God doesn't love straight people, only that they seem to require a great deal more supervision." 

-from Butch Fatale

In a world where "going mainstream" has become the end of the rainbow for many performers, Lynn Lavner happily remains a minority of one. "My songs and humor are drawn", she says, "from my own experience as a short, left-handed, Jewish, lesbian from New York". The quick-witted Lavner, clad in black leather and who stands five feet tall, plays the piano, sings and tells hilarious comic monologues.

Billed as "America's most politically - incorrect entertainer", she has taken her original brand of music and comedy to 41 states and 7 foreign countries, bowling over audiences and critics alike. While her act is gay in content, her appearance is aimed at playful parody of stereotypes with a universal appeal to anyone with a sense of humor.

Truly a crossover act, Lavner has performed at events as diverse as the 25th Anniversary GALA for the National Organization for Women to pride celebrations and college campuses nationwide. She has retired from Brooklyn to Florida where she lives with her lover of many years Ardis Sperber.

Discography

• Ladies! Don't Spit and Holler!, 1981 (available on vinyl only)
• Something Different, 1983 (available on vinyl and cassette)
• I'd Rather Be Cute, 1986 (available on vinyl and cassette)
• You Are What You Wear, 1988 (available on CD, vinyl, and cassette)
• Butch Fatale, 1992 (available on CD and cassette)

Nancy Drolet, Canadian hockey player

b. August 2, 1973

Born in Drummondville, Quebe, Nancy Drolet is a Canadian ice hockey player, and was named Sport Federation Canada Junior Athlete of the Year in 1992. Also an accomplished softball player, she was a member of the Canadian National Softball team in 1990 and 1991, and furhtermore played for Team Quebec at the 1991 Canada Winter Games.

She came out publicly in 2002, and in 2009,married her long-time partner Nathalie Allaire in Quebec.

Nancy Mahon, Philanthropy Advocate

b. July 25, 1964

In public health, sometimes the farthest distance is the one that is most important to travel.

After graduating magna cum laude from Yale University in 1986, Nancy Mahon attended New York University's School of Law, where she served as editor of the Law Review. She developed an interest in criminal law and became a leading criminal justice expert.

Rufus Wainwright - singer/songwriter

b. July 22, 1973

"It’s important for famous people to be an example for gay teens."

Known for his unique style and daring artistic endeavors, Rufus Wainwright is one of the most accomplished singer/songwriters of his generation. He has produced six albums and is the recipient of two Juno Awards and five GLAAD Media Awards.

Wainwright’s musical talent was shaped by his folksinger parents, Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III. He was born in Rhinebeck, New York, and holds dual United States and Canadian citizenship. After his parents divorced, he spent most of his youth with his mother in Montreal.

At age 14, Wainwright broke into the entertainment world with a song he composed and sang in the film "Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller," earning him a Juno Award nomination for "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year." That same year, he was sexually assaulted by a man he met at a bar. Deeply disturbed by the attack, he remained celibate for seven years.

In 1998, following the release of his first album, Wainwright was named "Best New Artist" by Rolling Stone. He composes music for theater, dance and opera, and has contributed to numerous film soundtracks, including "Moulin Rouge" and "Brokeback Mountain." Additionally, he has acted in "The Aviator" and "Heights," among other films.

As a collaborator, Wainwright has worked on albums with music greats Rosanne Cash and Elton John. John hailed him as "the greatest songwriter on the planet." His first opera, "Prima Donna," premiered in 2009 at the Manchester International Festival and was the subject of a documentary film that premiered on Bravo! in 2010.

Despite fame and success, Wainwright struggled with crystal meth addiction, a habit he eventually recovered from in 2002. With two decades of performing under his belt, Wainwright assures his fans that he won’t be retiring any time soon: “I am a self-sustaining, vibrant, long-term artist, and I’m not going away!” 

Bibliography

• "About Rufus Wainwright.” The Official Community of Rufus Wainwright. 20 May 2010.
• "Kitty Empire talks to Rufus Wainwright." The Guardian. 21 May 2010.
• Brown, Lane. "The Inquisition: Rufus Wainwright.” Spin Magazine Online. 19 May 2010.
• Ganz, Caryn. "Rufus Wainwright.” Interview Magazine. 19 May 2010.
• "Rufus Wainwright Biography.” Contactmusic.com. 19 May 2010.
• "Rufus Wainwright Biography.” Biography.com. 19 May 2010.

Music by Rufus Wainwright

• Rufus Wainwright Albums
• “Moulin Rouge” Soundtrack
• “Brokeback Mountain” Soundtrack

Video of Rufus Wainwright

• All I Want: A Portrait of Rufus Wainwright

Websites

• Rufus Wainwright on MySpace
• Rufus Wainwright: NPR

Rufus Wainwright’s Social Network

• Rufus Wainwright’s Facebook Fan Page
• Rufus Wainwright’s Twitter Page 

Related articles

• More of the OUT 100 revealed: Actress Meredith Baxter, singer Rufus Wainwright and Tony winners Levi Kreis and Nathan Lane! (pinkbananaworld.com)
• An Incomplete History of Rufus Wainwright's Musical Pedigree (seattleweekly.com)
• Kylie Minogue & Rufus Wainwright Perform Together In NY (pinkisthenewblog.com)
• Rufus Wainwright Take Cues From Mozart, Nina Simone on Current Tour (spinner.com)

Sharon J. Lubinski, U.S. Marshal

b. July 11, 1952

"Hopefully my coming out will dispel any myths that you can’t be gay and in uniform."

In 2010, Sharon J. Lubinski became the USA’s first openly gay United States Marshal. She is the first female to hold this post in Minnesota. 

A native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Lubinski received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1974 and a master’s degree from Hamline University in 1992.  She has served 32 years in law enforcement, including 12 years of command experience as precinct commander of downtown Minneapolis and deputy chief of patrol. From 2006 to 2010, Lubinski managed the Minneapolis Police Department’s daily operations as assistant chief of police. 

Melissa Etheridge, Singer

b. May 29, 1961

“What do they know about this love anyway?”

Melissa Etheridge is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer and songwriter. She came out at the 1993 Triangle Ball, the Clinton administration’s inaugural gala for gays and lesbians, when she exclaimed, “Gee, I’m really excited to be here, and I’m really proud to have been a lesbian all my life!” 

She was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and studied at The Berklee School of Music in Boston. Etheridge moved to Los Angeles and evolved from a bluesy sound to her renowned rock/alternative style.

Etheridge shot to stardom with her trademark blues-rock hit “Come to My Window,” for which she received a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. With its powerful lyrics, the song became an anthem for gay rights. 

In 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she gave one of her most memorable performances with Janis Joplin’s hit, “Piece of My Heart.” She exposed her head, left bald from chemotherapy. 

Etheridge’s songs have not only entertained, but have helped heal in times of tragedy. Her songbook includes “Scarecrow,” a tribute to Matthew Shepard; “Tuesday Morning,” dedicated to the memory of Mark Bingham, a hero of 9/11; “Four Days,” about those devastated by Hurricane Katrina; and “I Run for Life,” an anthem for breast cancer survivors. 

Julie Cypher, Etheridge’s long-term ex-partner, gave birth to their two children. After their breakup, Etheridge exchanged vows with actress Tammy Lynn Michaels. In 2006, Michaels had twins.

In 2006, Etheridge received the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which honors openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the community. “I Need to Wake Up,” featured in the film “An Inconvenient Truth,” won an Academy Award for Best Original Song (2007).

May 19: Carolyn Bertozzi, Scientist

b. May 19, 1966

Hopefully people can look at me and realize that it's okay to be open in their lives and be themselves and do great work and make contributions to the world as scientist.

Carolyn Bertozzi is the youngest scientist to receive the MacArthur "genius" award. A Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at Berkeley, she oversees a cutting edge research lab. She has a reputation as an outstanding professor and mentor.

The daughter of a physics professor, Bertozzi worked summer jobs at MIT. Her early interests included sports and music.

Bertozzi found her niche in organic chemistry during her sophomore year at Harvard University. She graduated summa cum laude and received an award for best senior thesis. She completed her graduate studies at University of California, Berkeley, receiving her Ph.D. in 1993.

In 1996, Bertozzi joined the UC Berkeley faculty. Her research focuses on the glycobiology underlying diseases such as cancer and inflammatory disorders. Believing she can link sugar molecules' structures with the presence or absence of disease, Bertozzi developed a unique system to track cell development. Her research team has published over 98 articles. Nature and Angewandte Chemie, an influential chemistry journal, have praised Bertozzi's work.

Co-editor of "Glycochemistry: Principles, Synthesis, and Applications," Bertozzi is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. In 2001, UC Berkeley honored her with its prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award.

Bibliography

“Body Stuff: Carolyn Bertozzi.” Chemical Heritage Foundation: Women in Chemistry. June 30, 2007

Carlson, Brian. “Bertozzi Research Group.” University of California, Berkeley. June 30, 2007

Gardiner, Mary Beth. “The Right Chemistry.” HHMI Bulletin. Vol. 17, Winter 2005. June 30, 2007

Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston

b. May 17, 1956

"The voters of Houston have opened the door to history. I know what this means to many of us who never thought we could achieve high office."

In 2009, when Annise Parker was elected, Houston became the largest city in the US with an openly gay mayor. Houston is the fourth most populous city in the United States.

Annise Parker was born and raised in Houston. Her mother was a bookkeeper, and her father worked for the Red Cross. Annise received a National Merit Scholarship to Rice University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and sociology.  

After graduation, Parker began a 20-year career as a software analyst in the oil and gas industry. In 1997, she won a seat on the Houston City Council, making her Houston’s first out elected official. In 2003, Parker was elected city controller. She served two additional terms before being elected mayor.

Parker’s mayoral triumph didn’t come without a fight and controversy. Conservative groups criticized Parker for her “gay agenda” and distributed fliers featuring Parker and her partner, asking the question, "Is this the image Houston wants to portray?" Parker campaigned with her partner, Kathy Hubbard, and their three children.

Despite the attacks, Parker won the election in a city that denies its employees domestic partner benefits, and in a state where gay marriage and civil unions are constitutionally banned.

Parker was recognized as Council Member of the Year by the Houston Police Officers Union. In 2008, Houston Woman Magazine named her one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women. 

Bibliography

"Annise Parker.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 3 June 2010.

"Houston Elects Annise Parker.” The Advocate. 3 June 2010.

James, Randy. "Bio: Annise Parker, Newly Elected Mayor of Houston. TIME. 3 June 2010.

McKinley Jr., James C. "Houston Is Largest City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor.” The New York Times. 3 June 2010.

Olson, Bradley. "Houston Makes its Choice; Parker Makes History.” Houston Chronicle. 3 June 2010.

Videos of Annise Parker

Annise Parker on CNN

Associated Press: Houston Elects Openly Gay Mayor

Websites

Annise Parker for Houston

City of Houston Mayor’s Office             

Annise Parker’s Social Network

Annise Parker’s Facebook Fan Page

Annise Parker’s Twitter Page

Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, Military Officer

b. March 24, 1943

"I wear my uniform at every inappropriate moment to remind people of gays and lesbians who have to serve in silence in the military."

In 1992, Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer became the highest-ranking military officer discharged on the basis of sexual orientation. Cammermeyer was dismissed as chief nurse of the Washington State National Guard after disclosing she was a lesbian during a routine security clearance interview. She challenged the U.S. military’s ban on homosexuals in federal court. In 1994, she was reinstated as chief nurse, making her one of the few openly gay or lesbian members of the military.

Cammermeyer was born in Oslo, Norway, during the Nazi occupation. Her parents sheltered Norwegian resistance forces. Cammermeyer credits her parents’ courage as her inspiration for defending civil liberties.

In 1951, Cammermeyer’s family moved to the U.S. She became a citizen in 1961 and joined the U.S. Army Student Nurse Program. After receiving her B.S. in nursing from the University of Maryland in 1963, Cammermeyer reported for active duty.

At her request, in 1967, Cammermeyer was deployed to Vietnam where she served as head nurse of a neurosurgical intensive care unit. She calls this time in her life “the most extraordinary experience any military nurse could have been a part of.” Cammermeyer was honored with the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service. In 1985, she was named Nurse of the Year by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In 1964, Cammermeyer married a fellow soldier and had four sons. The couple divorced after 15 years. In 1989, Cammermeyer met her life partner, Diane Divelbess.

Cammermeyer’s autobiography, “Serving in Silence” (1994), received critical acclaim.  The book was turned into a made-for-TV movie, executive produced by Barbra Streisand and starring Glenn Close. The film generated more than 25 million viewers and received three Emmy Awards and the Peabody Award. It was one of the first television movies about a gay person. 

Cammermeyer retired in 1997 after 31 years of service. She serves on the Military Advisory Council for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and is an outspoken advocate for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Bibliography
Bateman, Geoffrey W. “Cammermeyer, Margarethe (b. 1942)” GLBTQ: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Culture. 2004
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/cammermeyer_m.html
Cammermeyer, Margarethe. “Biography.” June 6, 2008
http://www.cammermeyer.com/bio.htm
“Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer Biography.” HRC-Atlanta. 1998
http://www.hrc-atlanta.org/98Dinner/grethebio.htm
Quindlen, Anna. “Public & Private; With Extreme Prejudice.” The New York Times.  June 24, 1992
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DD1F3DF937A15755C0A964958260
Van Biema, David. “Military Ins and Outs.” Time. June 13, 1994 
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980890,00.html
Articles
Egan, Timothy.  “Lesbian in Uphill Race for Congress.”  The New York Times.  July 22, 1998  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9400E5DA1639F931A15754C0A96E958260&scp=12&sq=margarethe%20cammermeyer&st=cse
Mathews, Linda.  “She Asks, She Tells.”  The New York Times.  May 15, 1996
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E1D61239F935A25756C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&&scp=14&sq=margarethe%20cammermeyer&st=cse
Schmitt, Eric.  “Pentagon Ordered to Reinstate Nurse Forced Out as a Lesbian.”  The New York Times.  June 2, 1994 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E3D6103BF931A35755C0A962958260&sec=&spon=&&scp=10&sq=margarethe%20cammermeyer&st=cse
Books
Serving in Silence (1994)
http://www.amazon.com/Serving-Silence-Margarethe-Cammer-Meyer/dp/B000R9H0KM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216846572&sr=1-2


Other Resources
Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story (1995)
 http://www.amazon.com/Serving-Silence-Colonel-Margarethe-Cammermeyer/dp/B000GI3S00/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1216847124&sr=8-2
Websites
Official Margarethe Cammermeyer Website
http://www.cammermeyer.com

New NYC center caters to gay and lesbian seniors

 (AP) NEW YORK - New York City celebrated the opening Thursday of what city officials say is the nation's first full-service senior center designed specifically for the gay community.

A standing-room-only crowd of more than 200 people attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the SAGE Innovative Senior Center in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

"This is long overdue," said Lillian Barrios-Paoli, commissioner of the city Department for the Aging. "We are beyond thrilled."

The center is operated by the Department for the Aging and SAGE, a 34-year-old social service agency. SAGE stands for Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders.

Robert Philipson, a 77-year-old retired jewelry salesman, said he started going to bereavement counseling at SAGE after he lost his partner of 50 years.

"When you find yourself alone at 77 and you've built your life around another person, you are at somewhat of a loss as to where to go next," he said. "SAGE filled that gap."

-full report at  CBS News

'via Blog this'

Sherry Harris, Pioneer City Councillor.

b. February 27, 1965

All real and lasting change starts first on the inside and works it way through to the outside. Politically speaking, each person being the change we wish to see in the world is the only stance that can make a lasting difference. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

Believing it impossible to win election as an out lesbian, many people warned Sherry Harris against running for Seattle City Council. In 1991, Harris proved her skeptics wrong. She defeated a 24-year incumbent councilman and became the nation's first openly lesbian African-American city council member.Prior to politics, Harris pursued a professional career in engineering. In 1980, she received a B.S. in Human Factors Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She worked as a project engineer for PNW Bell Telephone Company. 


As Seattle City Councilmember from 1992 to 1995, Harris championed downtown interests. She promoted the expansion of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center and supported a downtown symphony hall. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Harris said, "I was raised in a city where the downtown died, and so did the rest of the city."

Harris has worked with Humanity's Team, an organization that emphasizes interpersonal connections. One volunteer who worked closely with Harris said, "She is truly a fine leader demonstrating great passion for humanity's well-being [who] displays uncompromising strength of character."

Bishop Mary Glasspool

b, February 23, 1954

A suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. She is the first open lesbian to be consecrated a bishop in the Anglican Communion.

Glasspool was born on February 23, 1954, in Staten Island Hospital, New York, to Douglas Murray Glasspool and Anne Dickinson. Later that year the Glasspool family moved to Goshen, New York, where her father served as Rector of St. James’ Church until his death in 1989. She entered the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1976 and was ordained a deacon in June 1981 and a priest in March 1982. In 1981, Glasspool became assistant to the rector at St. Paul’s Church in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, where she served until 1984. She was the rector of St. Luke's and St. Margaret's Church in Boston from 1984 to 1992, then the rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Annapolis, from 1992 to 2001, and was called to serve as canon to the bishops for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland in 2001.

Glasspool was elected a bishop suffragan on December 4, 2009, on the seventh ballot at the 115th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles in Riverside, California. On March 17, 2010, the Presiding Bishop’s Office certified that her election had received the necessary consents and she was subsequently consecrated on May 15, 2010, in Long Beach, California. Glasspool is the 17th woman and the first openly gay woman elected to the episcopate in the Episcopal Church. Her election has gained worldwide attention in the context of the ongoing debate about gay bishops in Anglicanism.

Alice Walker, Author and Feminist

b. February 9, 1944

“The truest and most enduring impulse I have is simply to write.”

Alice Walker is an award-winning writer, activist and self-proclaimed “Womanist”—a term she coined in her book “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens” (1974) to describe black feminists. The voices she brings to life in her novels, short stories and poems helped educate and inspire readers.

Walker was raised in Eatonton, Georgia, during segregation. She was the youngest of eight children born to poor sharecroppers.

Walker received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in 1965. She moved back to the South to pursue civil rights work and met Mel Leventhal. Walker and Leventhal, a Jewish civil rights lawyer, were the first interracial couple to be legally married in Mississippi. Walker had her only child during the marriage. The couple divorced in 1976.

Walker began teaching at Wellesley College in 1972. Her course, dedicated to the study of African-American women writers, was the first of its kind.

Her most famous novel, “The Color Purple” (1983), won a National Book Award and made Walker the first African-American woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In 1985, the novel was made into a movie directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover. The film earned 11 Oscar nominations. In 2005, “The Color Purple” was adapted as a Broadway musical, with Winfrey as the lead financial backer.

Walker’s awards include a Guggenheim Foundation Grant, an American Book Award, a Lillian Smith Award and an O’Henry Award. She was inducted into the Georgia Writer’s Hall of Fame and the California Hall of Fame. In 1997, Walker was named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association.

Bibliography

• “The Color Purple (1985).” The Internet Movie Database. June 18, 2008
• Danielle, Chris. Living By Grace: The Biographical Website About Author Alice Walker. April 1999
• Whitted, Qiana. “Alice Walker (b. 1944).” New Georgia Encyclopedia. May 12, 2008

Selected Works

• By the Light of My Father's Smile: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
• The Color Purple
• In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose
• Meridian
• Once
• Possessing the Secret of Joy: A Novel
• Revolutionary Petunias (Poems)
• The Third Life of Grange Copeland
• Warrior Marks: Female Genital Mutilation and the Sexual Blinding of Women
• The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart
• We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Inner Light in a Time of Darkness

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