L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Mourns Loss of Pioneering LGBT Activist Del Martin

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to the loss of
heroic and pioneering LGBT activist Del Martin, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian
Center's Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean issued the following statement:
"My heart goes out to Phyllis Lyon for the loss of Del Martin, her soul
mate and beloved wife, with whom she shared her life for 55 years. Del's
passing is a tremendous loss to Phyllis and to the LGBT community and to
everyone who stands for the values she cherished and fought for
throughout her life: equality and justice.
"Along with Phyllis, Del was a courageous civil rights pioneer. From co-
founding the first lesbian rights organization and publishing the first
lesbian newsletter to being among the first in California to legally marry her
same-sex partner, Del has been at the forefront of our movement.
"She helped to lay the groundwork for much of the progress we have enjoyed
and the impact of her visionary leadership will continue.
"On a personal note, Del made an invaluable difference in my life. In 1979
when I was first becoming aware of my sexual orientation, I went to my
university library in fear and desperation, searching for something that could
help me. There I found only one book on the topic, Lesbian/Woman, the book
that Del co-authored with Phyllis. I took the book off the shelf but was
afraid to check it out. So, I hid in the library and read it from cover to
cover. For the first time, I felt like I wasn't alone. Their ground-breaking
work helped me to begin to accept myself and get over my fear. I'll always be
grateful to Del and Phyllis for being there for me and for countless
other lesbians.
"You will be greatly missed, Del, but never forgotten."
In lieu of flowers, Phyllis has requested gifts honoring Del go to the
National Center for Lesbian Rights No on 8/NCLR Social Justice Fund at
http://www.nclrights.org/NoOn8. These contributions will help fight
Proposition 8, which would eliminate the right to marry for same-sex couples
in California.
About the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Since 1971 the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has been building the health,
advocating for the rights and enriching the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people. Our wide array of services and programs includes: free
HIV/AIDS care and medications for those most in need; housing, food,
clothing and support for homeless LGBT youth; low-cost counseling and
addiction-recovery services; essential services for LGBT-parented families
and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV prevention programs;
transgender services; cultural arts and much more. Visit us on the Web at:
http://www.lagaycenter.org.
SOURCE L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

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