Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Barbara Gittings: Gone But Not Forgotten


I made this montage illustration for an article in Central Mass. Pride magazine that paid tribute to the late Barbara Gittings (1932 – 2007). Gittings was a champion of the civil rights movement for the LGBT community in the 50s, 60s and 70s. In the 70s she was instrumental in getting the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from being classified as a form of mental illness. Gittings received several honors for her tireless work as an activist for LGBT civil rights, including awards from the American Library Association and The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Shortly after her passing in 2007, a memorial service was held in honor of Gittings in Philadelphia. When the director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Matt Foreman spoke at the service, he said of her efforts for the LGBT community, "What do we owe Barbara? Everything."

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