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Remembering Barbara Gittings (1932-2007)
LGBT Rights Pioneer
LGBT rights pioneer Barbara Gittings died on Sunday, February 18th after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
A well-known photograph from the landmark 1965 march in Washington, DC shows Barbara carrying a sign stating “Homosexuals should be treated as individuals.” This pre-Stonewall march is regarded by many as seminal to the birth of the Gay Rights Movement.
She is noted as a leader of the New York Chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis and served as editor of it’s newsletter, The Ladder. Barbara is also remembered for her role in the campaign leading to the American Psychiatric Association’s removing its “mental disorder” designation of homosexuality in 1973.
Additionally, she was widely recognized for her role in the American Library Association’s Gay Task Force, and she received the organization’s highest honor, lifetime membership, in 2003.
She is survived by her partner Kay Lahusen.
I had the chance to learn of Barbara’s work thanks to the many lesbian feminists who nurtured me through my coming out years. Special thanks to those who are librarians for speaking of her so frequently and with reverence over the years. – Betty
* Link to Philadelphia Inquirer Obituary
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