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Loading ...Home of gay activist Frank Kameny named DC landmark
02.27.2009 4:24pm EST
(Washington) The Washington, D.C., home regarded as the epicenter of the city’s gay rights movement is being designated a historic landmark.
The home belongs to 83-year-old Franklin E. Kameny, who is considered the “father of gay activism” by the Historic Preservation Review Board.Kameny fought in World War II, earned a doctorate and then moved to D.C. to work as an astronomer. But he was fired by the Army Map Service in 1957 for being gay.
In 1961, Kameny argued to the U.S. Supreme Court that a federal policy calling homosexuals a security risk was “no less odious than discrimination based upon religious or racial grounds.” It was the first civil rights claim in a U.S. court based on sexual orientation.
Kameny says he’s touched by the recognition.
I feel good learning about Frank Kameny, coming out is a hard process for many of us and I can’t even imagine what he must have gone through coming out in the 50’s. I feel bad that heroes like him many times go unnoticed. I wish there was a wiki website of only gay history.
He is famous amongst the middle-aged and older gays who have lived in the city of DC for some time. I have heard him speak in DC. He was truly a pioneer for the gay rishts movement from long time ago. His gay rights activism had much of its origins in his being fired by the US Government for being gay long time ago.
He and his gay rights papers and documents are items of historic importance to the gay rights movement. He feared that someone would just unwittingly toss the stuff away and a certain amount of gay history documentation connected with him would be lost. I think he donated some things to insure their preservation after he was gone.
Hey ossy. What a great idea. A Gay history website. I would love that.
when I read how hard it was to “come out”in the 60’s i curdle in anger. He COULD not. so he asked his sister to do it. He gave her no help with the suicide threats and the difficulties.
When he says matter -0f-factly that he bought the house in 1984 I curdle in anger. He had NO MONEY. He called his mother and DEMANDED money. His sister invested the money. He got a large legacy when his mother died. Big secret. Hesecretly squandered the money.
His mother pampered him; his sister deserves gratitude but instead gets constant abuse and insults. She has been called “venemous”. wearing “hob-nailed boots’. Much much much more over a 40y4 period.
Now he is supporting sex with animals, misquoting the declar. of indep to justify bestiality, pornography and perversion. He craves fame and will do anything to get it.
He has left me alone with 3 cancers, family responsibilies; could not come to my husband’s funeral.
His obsession overrides everything. Sex is all. I don’t believe it.