Monday, February 19, 2007

BARBARA GITTINGS, 1932-2007

This just in from Rainbow History, via Karen Krahulik at the Committee for Lesbian and Gay History of the American Historical Association:

"DC’s LGBTQ community lost a long time friend and ally yesterday with the death of Barbara Gittings yesterday from recurrent breast cancer. Ms. Gittings was closely involved with DC’s Mattachine Society and with eastern regional gay organizations such as ECHO and ERCHO. An out and outspoken lesbian, she edited The Ladder, the Daughters of Bilitis magazine, in the mid-60s. She was an organizer of the early picketing demonstrations of the 1960s, a forthright ally in the campaign against the APA designation of homosexuality as a mental disorder, and involved in the development of gay student activism in the 70s. In 1971, Ms Gittings was actively involved in organizing support for Dr. (Frank) Kameny’s campaign for a seat in Congress. She and her life partner Kay Tobin Lahusen have documented much of gay activism in the 60s and 70s. Their personal archives fill an entire apartment next to their home in Delaware. Ms Gittings and Ms Lahusen had moved within the last month to Kendal at Longwoods, a retirement community in Pennsylvania.

The local and the national GLBTQ community have lost a founder and a role model. No plans have yet been announced for a memorial service. Rainbow History will be adding a memorial page to its website for anyone who wishes to contribute memories or tributes to the page (email to mark@rainbowhistory.org.)"

2 comments:

Lesboprof said...

I am so sad about her death. She is one of my sheroes!

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