Celebrating the Legacy of Del Martin, Rainbow Honor Walk Honoree

Today on the anniversary of her birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Del Martin (May 5, 1921 – August 27, 2008). A pioneering lesbian rights activist, feminist, journalist, and organizer, Martin helped transform the struggle for LGBTQ+ equality in America.

With her lifelong partner and wife, Phyllis Lyon, Martin co-founded the Daughters of Bilitis in San Francisco in 1955, the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States. Together, they published The Ladder, gave voice to generations of lesbian women, fought for women’s rights and elder justice, and became enduring symbols of love, courage, and liberation.

In 2004, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon became the first same-sex couple legally married in San Francisco. After that marriage was voided, they married again on June 16, 2008, when marriage equality briefly returned to California. Del Martin died just weeks later, leaving behind a legacy inseparable from the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Read the tribute to tell from SFGate at the link below:

https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Lesbian-rights-pioneer-Del-Martin-dies-at-87-3198048.php

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