Just after the anniversary of the Moon landing, America’s first woman in space, Sally Ride, has died at 61 of cancer.
If ever a woman *really* broke the glass ceiling, that would be Ride, Sally Ride. I’m sure she inspired many a young girl (and perhaps a few young boys as well) to dare to go after great dreams. Requiescat in pace, Sally.
UPDATE: In her obituary Sally “came out” in a fashion, being listed as being survived by “Tam O’Shaughnessy, her partner of 27 years.” It wouldn’t be worth mentioning except to say that I hope as much as she was an inspiration to every American, and more especially yet to female Americans, that she will serve as a particular hero and role model to lesbian Americans too.
That’s a tremendous pile of social handicaps she overcame, but in the end it’s as a tremendously accomplished human being, above and beyond nationality or gender or sexual orientation, that she made her mark.
