Was Ride's identity as both gay and female an embarrassment of riches?

[Cancel 2018. 3]

But for some reason the fact that Ride's live-in relationship with O'Shaugnessy was only revealed when she died, bugged commenters like Andrew Sullivan who managed to find feminist secrecy in Ride's and O'Shaughnessy's promotion (O'Shaugnessy was the head of Ride's company) as a woman first and a lesbian second.

"Feminists," he writes on the Daily Beast, citing no examples, "often 'inned' lesbian pioneers, or the lesbians closeted themselves. This was not because they were in a reactionary movement; it was because they were in a progressive movement that did not want to be 'tarred' with the lesbian image."

For social liberals, Sally Ride's posthumous out-coming is a luxury problem in the extreme. She was the first female, the youngest and the first gay in outer freaking space—and a major force in space policymaking. What's more, Ride alone served on the two presidential commissions that investigated both the 1986 Challenger crash and the 2003 Columbia accident, which together killed fourteen astronauts. Without fear or favor, Ride concluded that NASA made the same errors in judgment both times.

Is it more important than any of this that, having been married briefly to a man, Ride eventually settled down with a woman? Ride's identity as both gay and female is an embarrassment of riches that presents an irresistible opportunity, it seems, to kvetch rather than celebrate a life astoundingly well led.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout...xual-orientation-nothing-space-212649158.html

 

[Damocles]

Are you nuts? This woman was amazing, why would it matter if she was a lesbian? It takes nothing away from the amazing accomplishments of this extraordinary human being. She's been somewhere I'll likely never go, and was a force in a small community that has. One of my heroes really.

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

dude....not my opinion. i'm in agreement with you. read the last paragraph of the OP.

 

[Damocles]

I was talking more to the author than to you personally.

 

[blackascoal]

But for some reason the fact that Ride's live-in relationship with O'Shaugnessy was only revealed when she died, bugged commenters like Andrew Sullivan who managed to find feminist secrecy in Ride's and O'Shaughnessy's promotion (O'Shaugnessy was the head of Ride's company) as a woman first and a lesbian second.

"Feminists," he writes on the Daily Beast, citing no examples, "often 'inned' lesbian pioneers, or the lesbians closeted themselves. This was not because they were in a reactionary movement; it was because they were in a progressive movement that did not want to be 'tarred' with the lesbian image."

For social liberals, Sally Ride's posthumous out-coming is a luxury problem in the extreme. She was the first female, the youngest and the first gay in outer freaking space—and a major force in space policymaking. What's more, Ride alone served on the two presidential commissions that investigated both the 1986 Challenger crash and the 2003 Columbia accident, which together killed fourteen astronauts. Without fear or favor, Ride concluded that NASA made the same errors in judgment both times.

Is it more important than any of this that, having been married briefly to a man, Ride eventually settled down with a woman? Ride's identity as both gay and female is an embarrassment of riches that presents an irresistible opportunity, it seems, to kvetch rather than celebrate a life astoundingly well led.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout...xual-orientation-nothing-space-212649158.html

Simply stated, it's a glaring demonstration that gay people are just like everybody else.

Nothing special about being straight.

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

Simply stated, it's a glaring demonstration that gay people are just like everybody else.

Nothing special about being straight.

humanely speaking....absolutely true. add in beliefs, then not true.

 

[blackascoal]

humanely speaking....absolutely true. add in beliefs, then not true.

Belief based on ignorance should be ignored. I can't account for what Neanderthals believed .. only for what makes sense for humanity.

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

Belief based on ignorance should be ignored. I can't account for what Neanderthals believed .. only for what makes sense for humanity.

then we are back to beliefs. it is a never ending mental battle. for me, i prefer to narrow it down to legal principles. i have my own biases and beliefs, however, as to society, i hold somewhat separate beliefs, in that, what i believe is a sin, is not necessarily wrong or a sin for someone else. i am no judge.

your automatic reaction with "based on ignorance" shows me that you also share of the ignorant beliefs. you're one of the very few people i've met on the interwebs that i wish i could meet offline. if you met me and hung out with me and some friends, i have no doubt we actually would understand each other. maybe not agree, but understand.

faith is not always ignorance. to believe so, is to be as ignorant as those who believe that only faith has knowledge. the bible only says - blessed are those who have not seen, yet have faith. and the bible gives great respect to abraham becaue of his faith. the bible never says, faith alone, is knowledge. in fact, it challenges readers to reason with the creator.