Lesbian activist (and gay rights activist and women’s movement activist and battered women activist) Del Martin died in the hospital yesterday at 87. Del is one of the strongest women in our modern day.
Thanks to that judge in California, Del Martin and her partner of 55 years Phyllis Lyon were able to legalize their relationship. I almost teared up reading the line in the linked article: “Her wife, Phyllis Lyon, was by her side…”
Farewell, Pioneer…
I honestly don’t know what to say. That was poignant, jayjay; thanks for posting it.
In the back of my mind, I’m hearing Vanessa Williams singing, “Sometimes the sun gores round the moon…”
I am so sad to hear the news, but so happy they were FINALLY able to legally wed before she passed away.
I am heartened by recent polls that show the November proposition to ban Gay and Lesbian marriages in California show a slight majority of Californians are now against that proposition and for the right to allow these marriages to continue to be officially legal.
I hope when people cast their vote in November, they think of Del and Phyllis and realize that true love and commitment between two people is not determined solely by their sexual orientation.
Oh gosh. I teared up when I first read about their story (when they actually got married.)
Now I’m tearing up again. RIP Del.
I just wanted to correct something…the article said that Lyon and Martin were partners for 55 years, but it was closer to 58, as they met in 1950. The 55 year quote may have been recorded in 2004, when they first married under Mayor Newsom’s same-sex marriage initiative.
QFT.
They moved in together Valentines Day 1953, that’s probably where the 55 years comes from.
I was coming to post about this wonderful woman, but you beat me by 45 minutes. 
The entire gay and lesbian community (especially in CA) owes her a debt of gratitude. The most powerful tribute to her I can imagine is to defeat prop 8 and not give up the right to marry that she has fought for for the last 6 decades.
Farewell Del, your fight will not be forgotten.
They met in 1950, wiki says they didn’t become lovers until two years later and moved in together in 1953.
Regardless of the quibble, she was apparently a great woman, and apparently had a wonderful and lasting marriage - if it was only legally one for a brief period in time. I think stories like this help humanize gay people and help people realize that its love and partnership - not what sort of sex you have - that really creates a marriage. And if its important for straight people to marry who they love, it isn’t less important for gay people.
Hell, yes.
Rest now, Del- you have done the heavy lifting for so long.
It is people like Del Martin who make me wish I believed in a supreme being so that I could know that for her decades of work and her decades of love she would be sitting at the right hand of said supreme being.
I hope Mayor Newsome orders the city flags to fly at half-staff in her honor.
He did. I read that in a different article than I linked in the OP…can’t remember which newspaper or news service it was on now, though.
Oh, god, I teared up at this, I really did.
My sister was never able to legalize her relationship before she died.