Del Martin

"The sex act itself is neither male nor female: it is a human being reaching out for the ultimate in communication with another human being." -Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon

I learned from Jessie Daniels on Twitter and then from the San Jose Mercury News that Del Martin died today. Del Martin was a lesbian feminist author and activist. She was a founding member of the Daughters of Bilitis, the first out lesbian on the board of the National Organization of Women, and a key organizer in the efforts to decriminalize and demedicalize homosexuality. She dedicated much of her work to fighting discrimination and violence against women.

She and Phyllis Lyon, her partner, were the first couple to be married in San Francisco when same-sex marriage became legal in California on June 16, 2008. They were 87 and 83 respectively and had been together for more than 50 years. Lyon was with Martin when she died today in San Francisco.

Guest Book for Del Martin