A 50-year gay rights pioneer, Frank Kameny, passed away Tuesday at the age of 86.
If you don’t know who Kameny is yet, you should! He’s single-handedly the only reason you have the rights you do!
Back in ’57, Kameny was working for the United States government as an astronomer when he was fired for being gay. But unlike most men at that time, he didn’t hang his head and accept his dismissal. He decided to stir up some shit! He went to the Supreme Court to fight for his rights, and organized the first ever gay rights march in front of both the White House and the Independence Hall in 1965.
Over the years, Kameny has been praised by both the gay dating community and their straight supporters alike for being the leader of a group that changed society. The legalization of gay marriage and the ability for gay couples to adopt children are both acts that can be traced back to the tireless effort Kameny put towards his fight for gay rights.
When President Barack Obama signed the directive stating that all federal employees can extend their benefits to their same-sex partners back in 2009, and more recently when Obama signed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Kameny was invited to stand in the Oval Office, and was able to usher in a new era of gay rights that he helped pave the way for.
“I suppose you can say at this point, I have become one of the creators of the United States,” he said to the Associated Press last year about his many accomplishments.
Kameny passed away on National Coming Out Day, a day he was present for when it was made official. He’ll be remembered by the gay community as a leader and will be celebrated during his public memorial service that is being planned for early November.
