LGBT
Related: About this forumSally Ride, First (Gay) American Woman in Space, Dead at 61
Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, passed away at the age of 61, leaving behind her longtime female partner.
Ride, who suffered from pancreatic cancer, died peacefully Monday. Born in Los Angeles in 1951, Ride obtained degrees in physics and English before signing up to become a NASA astronaut in 1977; it was the first time women were allowed in space. Ride apparently wasnt out then it's unlikely an openly gay person would be allowed to become an astronaut at the time, as the government believed gays represented security risks thanks to potential blackmail situations. She was actually married to a fellow astronaut, Steven Hawley, during part of her time with NASA.
Ride was chosen to be an astronaut in 1978 and jetted out of Earth's orbit in 1983 as the first American woman to go into space. Ride was part of the Challenger mission and would attend another Challenger voyage in 1984. A third trip was halted after the deadly 1986 Challenger explosion killed several astronauts and teacher Christa McAuliffe. Ride retired from NASA in 1987, eventually becoming a college professor in California.
A hero to millions of girls and women, Ride leaves behind her partner of 27 years, Tam OShaughnessy, as well as her mother, Joyce; her sister, Bear; her niece, Caitlin, and nephew, Whitney; her staff of 40 at Sally Ride Science; and many friends and colleagues around the country, according to Ride's website.
http://www.advocate.com/society/people/2012/07/23/first-american-woman-space-sally-ride-leaves-behind-partner
Rest In Peace Sally.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)RIP, Sally.
Va Lefty
(6,252 posts)safe passage Sally Ride
longship
(40,416 posts)She was a physicist. She was prominent in the Challenger disaster investigation. She fought for science education.
I am very sad to hear this.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)I just thought her space flight pioneering was awesome.
w8liftinglady
(23,278 posts)Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)"Sally was a profoundly private person. It was just part of who she was. We chalk that up to being Norwegian," Bear said. "She had a sense of 'this is family stuff.'"
(from this story about her death)
glinda
(14,807 posts)fishwax
(29,149 posts)Evasporque
(2,133 posts)A real American...
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)A real pioneer.