The USA’s First Female Astronaut Comes Out as a Lesbian in Her Obituary

Posted by Derek Lactaoen on Jul 24, 2012 in This Day In Gay | 7 comments

When it comes to doing things big, not many people could do them bigger than Sally Ride.

After all, she was the first female astronaut for the U.S., joining NASA in 1978 and first going into space in 1983, then again in 1984.

And in a grand gesture that leaves me teary eyed and awestruck, Ride came out today as a lesbian in her obituary after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

The pioneering scientist was, a statement from Sally Ride Science announced, survived by “Tam O’Shaughnessy, her partner of 27 years.”

With that simple statement — listed alongside her mother, Joyce; her sister, Bear; her niece, Caitlin and nephew, Whitney — Ride came out.

Our condolences go to her family and to her partner Tam O’Shaughnessy. We’re saddened to have lost this great figure of scientific pioneering for the country, for women, and for the LGBT community, but so long as I’ve got a freak flag to fly, we won’t soon forget Sally Ride.

I think it’s time to go stargaze.

(Via Buzzfeed, photo via Today’s Document)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002154521196 Kristen Leigh Anne

RIP Sally Ride
JOE RAWLEY

”
Our condolences go to her family and to her partner Tam O’Shaughnessy. ”

Don’t you think Tam IS her family? When my grandmother died, nobody said “My condolences to your family and your grandfather.”

Sounds like even in the gay community we need to get used to considering a gay couple a family!

Daniel Lopez

It was a benign statement, and this article isn’t the place for your cheap grab at attention.

JOE RAWLEY

No, you missed the point of my comment, Daniel.

In straight society, we regard a partner as family, but in gay society, we still separate them.

http://profile.yahoo.com/7OPFCMRG42ID5QHLKXDCYHSSZQ Lylli

What’s the point of stating that now that she’s dead? I doubt it’s her way of saying lesbian necrophiliacs are free to violate her body.
http://profile.yahoo.com/IFDOEI6NBX4DRHILLZ6UM6ZOPA Michael

This country is turning into Sodm and Gomora all over again… They didnt care back then either, all they wanted was to appease their own selfish desires just like we are doing today. The time approaches when america to will be destroyed by the hand of GOD in one form or another… You can already see it coming… when a sitting president gives his approval of gay marriages you know the time is near.

Hot Stuff

Um… where are you getting this information from? A VERY old book with no titled Author on the front page?

See, in statistics class I learned that for data to be reliable, it has to be up-to-date (Umm… is 2000 years classed as recent? How about no?) and complete (None of the pages or words were changed or erased… whoops! That one fails the test too…).

One last thing; if you are a troll or an Extreme Christian (I can’t tell the difference in this case) then let me point out one final thing…. you spelled ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ incorrectly.

(Sorry if I’m being offensive to anyone, but this guy is a real jerk.)

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