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Barbara Gittings, 1932–2007
Barbara Gittings died Feb. 18. During her long activist career, she worked wonders for lesbian rights and visibility.
Gittings was the first president of the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, a groundbreaking lesbian society in the ’50s. She also served as editor of its magazine, The Ladder.
She was also a key figure in the effort to remove homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s list of mental disorders, and she worked with the American Library Association to make gay-friendly materials more available. Here’s a great biography if you want to learn more.
Gittings is survived by Kay Lahusen, her partner of 46 years. We owe her a lot. Thank you, Barbara.