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12 Lesbians Who Made History

We have these women to thank for making headway in normalizing lesbianism in social, political, and professional settings. Not only are they incredibly talented and courageous women in general, they have broken barriers both for women and the lesbian community as a whole. In honor of Women’s History Month, here is a list of 12 groundbreaking female professionals who play (or played) for our team. While there are many, many others, these choices were made because they are women we haven’t talked about in a while, or featured recently on AfterEllen. (with the exception of Ellen. We always mention Ellen, for obvious reasons ;)) Sally Ride After secretly sharing 27 beautiful years of love with her partner, Tammy O’Shaughnessy, this NASA astronaut was finally outed as a lesbian in her obituary after her death in 2012. Along with being the first publicly known lesbian astronaut and the first woman in space, she established NASA’s Office of Exploration serving as the first director. A lot of firsts happened because of Sally Ride and her legacy lives on in the heart of every woman who strives to earn equality in male-dominated professions. Angela Davis Professor emeritus, public figure in civil rights activism, and feminist author Angela Davis told Out Magazine that she is a lesbian during a 1997 interview. She is often cited for her indirect involvement in the controversial Marin County courthouse incident for which all charges against her were acquitted with judges determining that she was not guilty. She continues to be an inspiring figure to activists, feminists and recently appeared in the 2016 documentary 13th discussing mass incarceration. Jane Addams Scholars have produced convincing evidence that Mary Rozet Smith was Addam’s lifelong lesbian love. During 1931 Addams was the first woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for establishing the first social services center for low-income workers and newly settled immigrants with Ellen Gates Starr. Eleanor Roosevelt She is more publicly known for being the First Lady of the United States during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. Less commonly known is Eleanor’s romantic relationships with other women. There are archives of love letters she exchanged with New York City news reporter Lorena Hickok whom she met during an interview. There is also room for speculation of the depth of her relationship with legendary pilot Amelia Earhart, whom she was very close to throughout their lives. A shero of the White House, she was a leader in the 1920’s women’s movement, served as chair of the Democratic National Committee for its’ platform on women’s issues, and published the book It’s Up to the Women. Roosevelt has been quoted as saying, “I became more of a feminist than I ever imagined.” Pamela K. Chen Photo Credit: Michael Key

The first openly gay Asian-American judge to serve federally — appointed by former president Barack Obama in 2012. She has received the Susan B. Anthony Award and the U.S. Department of Justice Director’s Award for tackling issues with human trafficking. Ellen DeGeneres Photo via EllenTV.com

The entertainment industry was forever changed when she decided to tell America that their beloved main character for their favorite TV show Ellen was, in fact, gay. Her coming out as a lesbian was so transformative that this very website’s name is based on this powerful icon who gave the lesbian community an official voice. She initially faced discrimination from both viewers and advertisers, but today The Ellen DeGeneres Show has won 36 daytime Emmy Awards and was officially renewed during 2016 for three more seasons until 2020. Laurel Hester Photo Credit: Heidi Gutman

Three weeks before her last breath, Laurel Hester’s pension benefits were finally approved for extension to her domestic partner Stacie Andree on January 25, 2006. This policy change paved the way for marriage equality which the Supreme Court ruled legal in all 50 states on June 26, 2015 deeming a ban on marriage between same-sex couples as unconstitutional. Barbara Jordan As the first lesbian and Southern African-American to be elected as a congresswoman for the U.S. House of Representatives, this woman is groundbreaking. Jordan met her partner of 20 years, Nancy Earl, during a camping trip in the 1960’s. According to A&E History.com, “While in Congress Jordan worked on legislation promoting women’s rights, supported the Equal Rights Amendment and cosponsored a bill that would have granted housewives Social Security benefits based on their domestic labor.” … “Breaking barriers even in death, she became the first African-American to be buried among the governors, senators and congressmen in the Texas State Cemetery.” Tammy Baldwin Tammy Baldwin was the first openly gay Senator in U.S. History. Upon joining the U.S. Senate, Baldwin stated, “This is a big day for gay women in America, and really, for all communities who aren’t the typical straight, white, wealthy men elected to Congress.” A self-described progressive, Baldwin voted against the Iraq war, is a proponent of LGBT health care reform, advanced women’s rights, and supported minority rights. Rachel Maddow

The first lesbian host of a primetime news show in the United States. She was also the first openly gay person in the U.S. to receive an international Rhodes Scholarship. She accomplished hitting a record of the highest TV ratings for The Rachel Maddow Show on March 14, 2017, with 4.13 million viewers on MSNBC — the second highest ratings the network had ever achieved. Barbara Gittings  

Known as the mother of the Gay Civil Rights Movement, Barbara Gittings pioneered American gay rights activism in the 1950’s alongside her partner Tobin Lahusen of 40 years. Among many other accomplishments, Gittings was a key part of the removal of homosexuality as a “mental illness” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual by meeting with the American Psychiatric Association and engaging in protests. She was a part of the very first gay picket lines at the white house fighting against the discrimination of LGBT people during the employment process. Sappho Photo via Tate

Providing a record of ancient lesbian love, this Greek Hellenistic poet from the Isle of Lesbos poured out her desires on paper that has survived in fragments. Despite the complete lack of context available, it is difficult to dispute the gayness of words like these, present in her writings: “Aphrodite has overcome me with longing for a girl.”

 

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