OT: Gay rights pioneer Del Martin dies at 87 faylinn_drake once showed me a very sweet and loving picture of an old couple who were sitting very close together, holding each other's hands. Their foreheads touched. They were two lesbians called Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, famous for their gay-rights activism that has spanned decades.
This year, on June 16, she and her partner of 55 years, Phyllis Lyon, were legally wed. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom officiated. Theirs was among the first same-sex nuptials in California.
"Her last act of activism was her most personal - marrying the love of her life," said Kate Kendell, a longtime friend of the couple and executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
"Ever since I met Del 55 years ago, I could never imagine a day would come when she wouldn't be by my side," Lyon, 83, said in a statement. "I am so lucky to have known her, loved her and been her partner in all things.
"I also never imagined there would be a day that we would actually be able to get married," Lyon said. "I am devastated, but I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed."
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df_chipz) wrote,
determined
