San Francisco Pride has announced lesbian icon Sally Miller Gearhart as the recipient of the Heritage of Pride, Pride Freedom Award, as chosen by the SF Pride Board of Directors, for outstanding contributions to advancing civil rights and freedom for LGBTQ people.
“I am honored to receive the Heritage of Pride – Pride Freedom Award since I am familiar with the good works of San Francisco Pride. As an old timer who was present at our very first gay march, I am especially astounded by how far we’ve come — and by what we have gone through to get here,” noted Gearhart on hearing about her award.
Gearhart is a nationally renowned gay and lesbian rights activist, author and teacher, who grew up in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. She became the first open lesbian in the country to obtain a tenure-track faculty position at San Francisco State University in 1973. While at SF State, she helped establish one of the first women and gender studies programs in the U.S., and continued teaching until her retirement in 1992.
Gearhart fought alongside Harvey Milk in the epic 1978 battle that defeated California Proposition 6, known as the Briggs Initiative. As Milk’s debate partner, Gearhart famously debated John Briggs, attacking the initiative to ban homosexuals and lesbians from teaching positions.
Both the legacies of Sally Gearhart and Harvey Milk suffered an injustice when this important fact was excluded by Dustin Lance Black from the widely acclaimed 2008 feature film MILK, where Black received a screenplay Oscar.
Sally was however appropriately featured in the Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk (1984), some years before.
Gearhart has authored or co-authored numerous works including “Loving women/loving men; Gay liberation and the church,” “Feminist Tarot,” and “The Wanderground.” Her personal and academic papers are housed at the University of Oregon, where the Sally Gearhart Fund for Lesbian Studies has been established in her name. Gearhart is also an acclaimed author of feminist science fiction.
This year’s SF Pride theme is “For Racial and Economic Justice” – Parade at 10.30 AM on Sunday June 26, 2016. www.sfpride.org
#SFPRIDE #FORracialANDeconomicJUSTICE
By Melanie Nathan, Commissionermnathan@gmail.com
Written by Melanie Nathan in her private capacity: (Note: Though I am on the Board of Directors of San Francisco Pride, the views expressed in this article are my personal views and not in my capacity as a member of this Board or any other organization.)
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Reblogged this on FeistyAmazon and commented:
Sally Gearhart is my favorite author and The Wanderground completely woke me up to Lesbian.possibility on Land in Community and have felt that at Michfest!!! Also I have met her, she is a true Lesbian pioneer and gentle kind womon!!!!
I just read that Dr Sally was honored by San Francisco Pride. So deserved. She was my college advisor for a time and I had four classes with her. I thought I might not survive.(S) Demanding, insightful, direct, specific and radiating beautiful light, she changed my life in the most healthy and positive ways. Her contribution to me and so many others continues decades later. “God have you that great voice John, use it.”
Then one day we ran into each other in the administration building. “John may I talk to you?..I’ve been watching you. Something is really bothering you. Three things you can do about. Change it if you can. Worry, fret, deny it and make yourself miserable. Or if you can’t change it, get this is the way it is and dig it. Goodbye. I have a meeting. See you in class.”
Weeks later I was digging my interest in certain fit, smart, attractive guys. Still am! Using the voice loudly more than ever to rally against the Trump/Pence mess…..Dr. Sally is a treasure.