Former Astronaut Sally Ride Chose Privacy Over Gay Causes - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Former Astronaut Sally Ride Chose Privacy Over Gay Causes

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USATODAY.COM - Sally Ride lived her life with integrity and by being true to herself, cultural analysts say, paving the unique way for how she wanted to let the public know about her sexuality.

In the Tuesday obituary for Ride, who died at age 61 following a short battle with pancreatic cancer, her female partner of 27 years, Tam O'Shaughnessy, is listed first as a survivor. Then the obituary mentions her mother and other family members. Ride had been married to a fellow astronaut for five years, from 1982 to 1987. The news about O'Shaughnessy came as a surprise to those who didn't know her and raised difficult-to-answer questions about the intensely complex and private issue of coming out and throwing your name behind gay causes. click here to read more

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