The passing of an important gay rights activist

Back when I lived in San Francisco, I was involved with the Commission on the Status of Women and other political groups advancing equality for women.  As part of that work, I got to meet Dianne Feinstein and also a very sweet lesbian couple named Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.  They had been together since 1950, and when Gavin Newsom, mayor of San Francisco, legalized gay marriage, they were the first couple to be married in 2004.  The California Supreme Court voided that marriage, but in 2008 they got married for the second time, again as the first couple to do so, when the California Supreme Court ruled it was legal.  Newsom officiated both times.  Phyllis passed away today and was preceded by Del in 2008 shortly after their marriage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Martin_and_Phyllis_Lyon

The Wikipedia article mentions the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, a gay political organization in SF.  One day a friend of mine, I'll call her J,  and I went to a reception at Dianne Feinstein’s house.  It was sponsored by the Alice B. Toklas organization.  My friend J was from Kansas and had been a bit sheltered in some ways, so I broke up laughing when she came over to me half-way through the meeting and whispered, “I think there are lesbians here!!!”  She had never heard of the Toklas group, and it took her a while to notice that some of the ladies were incredibly obvious about their orientation - motorcycle leathers, huge key rings, burr haircuts, etc.  

Anyway, I really liked Del and Phyllis and I’m sorry they are gone.

          Phyllis               Del