Astronaut gay

In life, Sally Ride became famous as America's first woman in space — and in death, she's now added to her fame as the first acknowledged gay astronaut. The revelation came in a low-key way. The announcement of Sally Ride's death made her the first openly gay astronaut, albeit posthumously. Why are there no others?. Ride was married to fellow astronaut Steve Hawley from to In a statement after her death, Hawley said Ride was a very private person who found herself a public persona.

We examine the space industry's historical treatment of LGBTQ+ people, why there has never been an out LGBTQ+ astronaut, and more for Pride Month Two other NASA astronauts, both women, have been revealed to be gay since Ride’s death: Wendy Lawrence and Anne McClain.

did sally ride have kids

Ride, the first American woman in space, also became NASA’s first LGBTQ+ astronaut when her relationship with Tam O’Shaughnessy became public after Ride’s death. In life, Sally Ride became famous as America's first woman in space — and in death, she's now added to her fame as the first acknowledged gay astronaut. The revelation came in a low-key way: Monday's obituary from Sally Ride Science, the educational venture she founded a decade ago, referred to Tam O'Shaughnessy as "her partner of 27 years.

In an email today, Sally Ride's sister, Bear Ride, explained why the former astronaut kept quiet about her sexual orientation. She wanted to get the job done. Her personal feelings were just that: personal. Not right or wrong — simply Sally. Everyone who knows her well really got that about her.

Here's the essay that Bear Ride has been sending around as a tribute to her sister:. Sally died peacefully on July 23rd after a courageous month battle with pancreatic cancer. I was at her side. We grew up in Encino, CA. Our parents, Joyce and Dale Ride, encouraged us to study hard, to do our best and to be anything we wanted to be. In Newsweek quoted our father as saying, 'We might have encouraged, but mostly we just let them explore.

Our parents taught us to explore, and we did. Sally studied science and I went to seminary. She became an astronaut and I was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. Her integrity was absolute; her spirit was immeasurable; her approach to life was fearless. Sally died the same way she lived: without fear. Sally's signature statement was 'Reach for the Stars.

Sally had a very fundamental sense of privacy, it was just her nature, because we're Norwegians, through and through. People did not know she had pancreatic cancer, this is bound to be a huge shock. For 17 months, nobody knew, and everyone does now. Her memorial fund is going to be in support of pancreatic cancer. Sally never hid her relationship with Tam.

They were partners, business partners in Sally Ride Science, they wrote books together, and Sally's very close friends, of course, knew of their love for each other. We consider Tam a member of our family. I hope it makes it easier for kids growing up gay that they know that another one of their heroes was like them. Sex has always been a tricky topic for astronauts : In the old days, they worried that if they didn't conform with the "Right Stuff" stereotype, they wouldn't be picked for spaceflights.

Issues such as alcohol abuse or marital problems often were swept under the carpet. Is it any surprise, then, that no active or former astronauts have publicly announced that they're gay? Men and women have been working together on U. Why not straights and gays? Maybe Sally Ride's low-key way of coming out will represent one small step toward greater acceptance and acknowledgment of the LGBT contribution to the space effort.