Why Aren't There Any Openly Gay Astronts?

WHY SALLY RI WAED UNTIL HER ATH TO TELL THE WORLD SHE WAS GAY

In life, Sally Ri beme famo as Ameri's first woman space — and ath, she's now add to her fame as the first acknowledged gay revelatn me a low-key way: Monday's obuary om Sally Ri Science, the tnal venture she found a ago, referred to Tam O'Shghnsy as "her partner of 27 years." A spokwoman for Sally Ri Science, Terry McEntee, s * when did the first gay astronaut make it to space *

And led some to qutn what Ri’s life may have been like a ls homophobic, sexist world. )Photographer Mackenzie Calle has spent years documentg what means to be an LGBTQ astront through her project, The Gay Space photographs explore Ri’s boundary-breakg exploratn of space—and some of the acplishments that have ma her an in of science, women’s history, and LGBTQ wore this uniform on her historic first ri to space on June 18, 1983, wh the STS-7 space shuttle missn. Amerin Library AssociatnIn life, Sally Ri beme famo as Ameri's first woman space — and ath, she's now add to her fame as the first acknowledged gay revelatn me a low-key way: Monday's obuary om Sally Ri Science, the tnal venture she found a ago, referred to Tam O'Shghnsy as "her partner of 27 years.

"Bear, a gay Prbyterian mister, tak a different approach. "I'm a rather out-there advote for LGBT [lbian-gay-bisexual-transgenr] rights — my partner and I have even been arrted a uple of tim public prott! I hope mak easier for kids growg up gay that they know that another one of their hero was like them.

Is any surprise, then, that no active or former astronts have publicly announced that they're gay? Why not straights and gays? (I'm g the term "gay" here as admtedly aquate shorthand for the LGBT muny.

WHO WAS THE FIRST GAY ASTRONT?

The announcement of Sally Ri's ath ma her the first openly gay astront, albe posthumoly. Why are there no others? * when did the first gay astronaut make it to space *

Only one is publicly known to have been gay or bisexual — Sally Ri — and she kept private until her ath, yterday (July 23), when her obuary on the Sally Ri Science anizatn's webse stated that Ri was survived by Tam O'Shghnsy, her "partner of 27 years. "I hope mak easier for kids growg up gay that they know that another one of their hero was like them, " Bear Ri, who intifi as gay, told Buzzfeed Rights Campaign print Chad Griff ncurred, tellg Buzzfeed, "The fact that Sally Ri was a lbian will further help round out Amerins' unrstandg of the ntributns of LGBT Amerins to our untry.

But the lack of even one openly gay or lbian astront the history of Amerin spaceflight may reflect the culture at the NASA astront office. Still, the fact remas that no astronts have ever e out as gay or lbian, while many astronts clu mentn of their hbands, wiv or children on their NASA official bgraphy pag. )Cassutt said even though he spects there are or have been some other gay or lbian astronts, and spe of the progrs ma on LGBT issu, "I don't expect anyone the current rps to be 'out' any time soon, assumg anyone is gay.

* when did the first gay astronaut make it to space *

' While there are a great many more people who are openly gay today, we are not yet to a pot of universal acceptance, " he is also the fact that 219 of the 330 current and former astronts served the ary, acrdg to NASA. Ary operated unr a "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy om 1993 until 2011, unr which gay and lbian servicemen and women had to rema closeted or risk expulsn.

SALLY RI FIRST OPENLY GAY ASTRONT

The repeal of DADT last year allowed gays and lbians to serve openly the U. Sally Ri, the first woman space, now also serv as the first openly gay astront.

GAY ASTRONTS: A FAL FRONTIER

“I hope mak easier for kids growg up gay that they know that another one of their hero was like them, ” said her sister, Bear Ri. Ary operated unr a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy om 1993 until 2011, unr which gay and lbian ary workers were to keep their sexualy private or be expelled. The lack of even one openly gay or lbian livg astront the history of Amerin spaceflight may reflect the culture at the NASA astront office.

Gay Astronts: A Fal Frontier - KOSMICA Instute

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WHY SALLY RI WAED UNTIL HER ATH TO TELL THE WORLD SHE WAS GAY

WHO WAS THE FIRST GAY ASTRONT?