You’ve no doubt heard by now that Sally Ride, the first American woman to go into outer space, has died of pancreatic cancer. One interesting side story to that, now reported by the Huffington Post, is that Ride had a female partner for 27 years:
Sally Ride’s death after a seventeen-month battle with pancreatic cancer has brought to light a less-reported fact about the first American woman in space: her long-time relationship with female partner Tam O’Shaughnessy.
An official statement from Sally Ride Science named O’Shaughnessy as the 61-year-old Ride’s partner of 27 years. She is also identified in a short bio on Sally Ride Science’s official website simply as the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for Content.
But because of the Defense of Marriage Act, their estate will now be taxed at a much higher rate than a heterosexual couple’s estate would be. And O’Shaughnessy is not eligible to receive Ride’s pension, if there is one. Indeed, the federal government, in lauding her achievements, can’t even recognize O’Shaughnessy as her spouse.
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steve84
July 25, 2012 at 1:43 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Straight married couples are completely exempt from the inheritance tax. In fact that’s what the Windsor DOMA case is about.
Here is her sister speaking with Cenk Uygur:
http://current.com/shows/the-young-turks/videos/sally-rides-sister-romney-and-other-politicians-cant-have-it-both-ways-praising-ride-while-denying-gay-partners-benefits
Apparently they were domestic partners in CA
Chiroptera
July 25, 2012 at 1:45 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
…Sally Ride, the first American woman to go into outer space….
Yeah, I remember that. I distinctly remember thinking, “Holy shit, it’s nineteen eighty-fucking-three and they’re just now getting around to allowing a woman to go into space?”
Well we should admire Dr. Ride’s accomplishments, especially considering the unnecessary obstacles that were in her path.
whheydt
July 25, 2012 at 1:54 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Shortly after Ride went into space it was quite easy to ask people, “Who was the first woman in space?” and have her named as the answer. Many were quite shocked when one pointed out that the correct answer is “Valentina Tereshkova.”
Yeah…Ride was the first *American* woman in space, but the Russians sent up a woman TWENTY YEARS earlier.
–W. H. Heydt
cottonnero
July 25, 2012 at 1:58 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Looks like O’Shaughnessy is the victim of DOMA here.
marcus
July 25, 2012 at 2:49 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@4 They both were of course, and of the idiotic,bigoted,and irrational views of a large segment of our population.
Gvlgeologist, FCD
July 25, 2012 at 3:04 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I think I’ve heard about some lawsuits against DOMA, but it strikes me that this would be an ideal case with which to challenge it. O’Shaughnessy, a sympathetic figure (the domestic partner of an American hero), would probably have an easier time convincing judges of the unfairness and unconstitutionality of DOMA.
steve84
July 25, 2012 at 3:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It’s not ideal case at all because they weren’t married. At most they had a domestic partnership. Even without DOMA, it’s questionable whether people in DPs and Civil Unions will be eligible for federal benefits.
In any case, SCOTUS will decide whether to take on DOMA sometime around October. They can pick between three different cases. By the time a new case would make it that far, DOMA will be gone.
Gvlgeologist, FCD
July 25, 2012 at 3:17 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well, except for “they weren’t married” it would have been an ideal case…
This does point out, though, that those who say that domestic partnerships and civil unions are just like marriage, are full of it. It also points out why the religious aspect (which so many pro-DOMA people are concerned about) is not the major issue.
Ichthyic
July 25, 2012 at 5:14 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This does point out, though, that those who say that domestic partnerships and civil unions are just like marriage, are full of it.
*ding*
winner.
I heard that argument thousands of times during the CA prop 8 extravaganza.
people who say that civil unions/domestic partnerships in the US are functionally equivalent to marriage from a legal/rights perspective are entirely ignorant.
Raging Bee
July 25, 2012 at 6:14 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ed: apologies for the OT comment, but you might want to look at this article about the accidental exposure (and failed coverup) of an NYPD safe-house — in New Jersey — being used to spy on suspicious Muslim types:
http://news.yahoo.com/confused-911-caller-outs-nypd-spying-nj-084732106.html
Randomfactor
July 25, 2012 at 6:23 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
people who say that civil unions/domestic partnerships in the US are functionally equivalent to marriage from a legal/rights perspective are entirely ignorant.
Nah. Most of them are simply lying.
podkayne
July 25, 2012 at 8:13 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
So let me get this straight… the first woman in space was an athiest homosexual? And you want more proof of Obama’s dedication to the glorification of the socialist secularist anti-Christification of the world? Why else would he have sent a homosexual into space? Now space is contaminated with homosexuality!
podkayne
July 25, 2012 at 8:19 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I mean, what will happen to the straight astronauts who go there now???
Who Knows?
July 25, 2012 at 8:43 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Greta Christina covered this the other day. Albeit from a little different point of view, the hypocrisy of Mitt Romney calling Sally Ride an American hero while actively working against her equality.
While this tread is still new, the difference in comments here is interesting.
For example,
Joel J. Adamson @42 said:
Bookworm @72 said:
When do you think the people who don’t want it mentioned that Sally Ride was a gay woman we could all be proud will show up here?
StevoR
July 26, 2012 at 3:15 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@3. whheydt :
Plus the Soviets sent up the second woman to fly in space – Svetlana Savitskaya in 1982 – too :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svetlana_Savitskaya
StevoR
July 26, 2012 at 3:35 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Svetlana Savitskaya was the first woman spacewalker as well.
Sally Ride gets the bronze for that category, gold for the American woman in space o’course – and still very impressive considering the achievement and ahead of forty-two or so others so far.
She did (help) break the glass sky and will always be remembered for that.
As for the unequal treatment of Sally Ride’s partner Tam O’Shaughnessy, terrible and a situation that should be corrected .. well, yesterday really!
dingojack
July 26, 2012 at 3:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
podkayne – The really, really, really AMAZING thing is how “Obama’s dedication to the glorification of the socialist secularist anti-Christification of the world” is sooooo strooong he managed to to it in Ronnie Ray-gun’s second term, 25 years before the former was elected President!
That ‘Obama Time Machine and Mind Control Device’™ is sure clocking up those frequent flier points!
;) Dingo
podkayne
July 26, 2012 at 7:30 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Dingo, I’ve worked out American politics you see, if its bad, blame Obama. If its good, attribute it to Reagan, or take credit yourself if possible. And thats it.
birgerjohansson
July 26, 2012 at 9:06 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Dingo, podkayne
Note that Obama caused Skylab to crash before we could send up the Space shuttle to boost its orbit.
Contrast this to the triumphant moon landings under Ronald* Reagan :-)
.
*Who totally was a WWII war hero and famous athlete.
left0ver1under
July 26, 2012 at 12:07 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Raging Bee (#10) says:
It would help if all the FtB bloggers put up an email address or a form mail page. Many do, but a fair number don’t.
RB wanted to offer a tip privately, but couldn’t except as an off-topic comment. There are other reasons for not wanting to post something publicly, but that’s as good a reason as any for having another means of contact.
barefootbree
July 26, 2012 at 2:05 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It occurs to me that so often in this country no real progress is made on an issue until some big name suffers from it, so then the ordinary Joe and Jane put a face on it they can relate to. Could O’Shaughnessy become the anti-DOMA “poster child”? It’s not a title I would wish on ANYONE, but if that’s what it takes to make progress….