# A Leading Gay Activist Dies

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-leading-gay-activist-dies/133903>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 25, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-leading-gay-activist-dies/133903 "2002-10-25T21:16:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-leading-gay-activist-dies/133903/1 "2002-10-25T21:16:13Z")

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[Harry Hay](http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20021025_9.html)

Hay formed the Mattachine Society which proposed that the GLBT community is actually a cultural minority. Without him, we wouldn’t be nearly as free as we are now. Many of my left winger friends knew him and his partner personally and he will be sorely missed.

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**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-leading-gay-activist-dies/133903/2 "2002-10-25T22:51:45Z")

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A true pioneer.

But what a life, though.

I just hope gays and lesbians today realize how tough it must have been for him and others to be out in the 50s and 60s. Let alone lead a fight against ignorance and intolerance.

He will be missed.

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**Author:** ![NotWithoutRage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NotWithoutRage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotWithoutRage)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-leading-gay-activist-dies/133903/3 "2002-10-25T23:24:42Z")

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Thank you, Mr. Hay, for making life better for my family,

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**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-leading-gay-activist-dies/133903/4 "2002-10-26T05:41:10Z")

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No amount of clapping will make that fairy come back! _dammit_

This is the man I’m remembering this Samhain!