Articles tagged with: biography
Daniel Hernandez Jr., national hero (LGBT History Month)
University of Arizona student and congressional intern Daniel Hernandez Jr. garnered national recognition when he saved the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at the mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011. President Obama acknowledged him for his heroism. Bent Alaska presents his/her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Daniel Hernandez Jr.
“I don’t think I’m a hero—the heroes are people who spend their entire lives trying to help others.”
University of Arizona student and congressional intern Daniel Hernandez Jr. (born January 25, 1990) garnered national recognition when he saved the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at the mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011. President Obama acknowledged him for his heroism.
Raised in Tucson, Arizona, Hernandez has two younger sisters. His mother is a Mexican immigrant and his father is a first-generation Hispanic American. Hernandez became politically energized in response to Arizona’s immigration policies and worked on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Thereafter, he began his studies in political science at the University of Arizona. While attending college, Hernandez served as a campaign manager for State Representative Steve Farley, the minority leader in the Arizona State House.
Hernandez is an openly gay member of Tuscon’s City Commission on GLBT Issues. He worked with the Arizona Students’ Association to lobby the state legislature for students to be excused on Election Day to vote.
Hernandez met Congresswoman Giffords while working on her 2008 election campaign. He began as her congressional intern shortly before Giffords and 18 other people were shot — 6 of them fatally — on January 8, 2011.
Hernandez is credited with saving the congresswoman’s life. He stepped into harm’s way and used his emergency medical training to keep Giffords alive until the paramedics arrived. In his words, “It was probably not the best idea to run toward the gunshots, but people needed help.” His actions resulted in President Obama and others calling him a national hero. He rejects the honor in the belief that any good person would have done exactly the same.
On January 12, 2011, Hernandez spoke to a crowd of more than 27,000 people and 500 media outlets at “Tucson: Together We Thrive,” the memorial event for the shooting victims, receiving at least three standing ovations during his speech:
One thing that we have learned from this great tragedy is, we have come together. On Saturday, we all became Tucsonans. On Saturday, we all became Arizonans. And above all, we all became Americans….
…I must humbly reject the use of the word ‘hero,’ because I am not one…. The real heroes are the people who have dedicated their lives to public service…. They are the people who we should be honoring.
At the event, President Obama acknowledged Hernandez and invited him as the guest of the president and first lady to the 2011 State of the Union.
Hernandez sexual orientation and ethnicity quickly became points of interest in his story — as highlighted in the title and subtitle of a Salon piece about him, “The Giffords shooting’s gay, Hispanic hero: Daniel Hernandez helped save the congresswoman’s life — and yes, his sexuality and ethnicity matter.” A Los Angeles Times opinion article pointed out the the differences in treatment experience by Hernandez and an earlier gay hero, Oliver Sipple, whose thwarting of an assassination attempt on President Gerald Ford in 1975 was eclipsed by controversy about his sexual orientation after he was outed (reportedly with the encouragement of Harvey Milk) by a San Francisco newspaper. Huffington Post reported that “Arizona’s controversial anti-immigration law, SB 1070, those with Hispanic names — like the Mexican-American Hernandez, who is a naturalized citizen — could be asked for papers if a police officer reasonably suspects the person is in the country illegally, a determination the law largely leaves to the officer’s discretion.”
Equality Forum presented Hernandez with the 2011 National Hero Award. He resides in Tucson and plans to devote his career to public service.
Here, via PBS Newshour, is Hernandez addressing the January 12 memorial service in Tucson in honor of the victims of the January 8 mass shooting. Watch:
For more about Daniel Hernandez Jr., visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or the Time magazine articles about him.
Photo credit: Daniel Hernandez Jr. Photo by Equality Forum.
Michael Guest, diplomat (LGBT History Month)
Michael Guest is the first openly gay Senate-confirmed U.S. ambassador. He was nominated by George W. Bush. After serving for 26 years, Guest resigned from the State Department due to its discriminatory policies toward same-sex couples. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Michael Guest
“Leaders are judged not only by the challenges they tackle, but by those they fail to address.”
Michael Guest (born October 26, 1957) is the first openly gay Senate-confirmed U.S. ambassador. He was nominated by George W. Bush. After serving for 26 years, Guest resigned from the State Department due to its discriminatory policies toward same-sex couples.
Born in South Carolina, Guest received a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Furman University, and a master’s degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia. In 1982, Guest joined the State Department as a Foreign Service officer. During his early career, he was part of a delegation that facilitated the reunification of Germany.
In 2001, Secretary of State Colin Powell swore in Guest as ambassador to Romania. At the ceremony, Powell recognized Guest’s life partner, Alex Nevarez. Advocates expressed hope that this would herald a more inclusive State Department attitude towards LGBT employees and their partners.
Guest’s work in Romania was characterized by condemning corruption, advocating for the rule of law and aiding preparations for Romania’s entry into NATO. When Guest’s ambassadorship ended, Romanian President Ion Iliescu presented him with the Order for Faithful Service in the Rank of Grand Cross.
Guest ended his 26-year career with the State Department in December 2007 after having sought, without success, to end the State Department’s discriminatory treatment of the partners of gay and lesbian Foreign Service Officers in foreign postings. In his farewell speech at his retirement ceremony, he publicly criticized Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:
For the past three years, I’ve urged the Secretary and her senior management team to redress policies that discriminate against gay and lesbian employees. Absolutely nothing has resulted from this. And so I’ve felt compelled to choose between obligations to my partner, who is my family, and service to my country. That anyone should have to make that choice is a stain on the Secretary’s leadership, and a shame for this institution and our country.
Since I’m leaving over this matter, I ask that you indulge me for a moment. It’s irrational that my partner can’t be trained in how to recognize a terrorist threat, or an intelligence trap. How is that in our overseas communities’ interests, or in those of the Department? It’s unfair that, because we’re not married and indeed cannot marry, I have to pay his transportation to my assignments. It makes no sense that partners cannot sit in otherwise vacant seats to learn the informal community roles expected of them as Ambassadors’ or DCMs’ partners. Why serve in dangerous or unhealthful places, if partners’ evacuations and medevacs are at issue? And shouldn’t gay and lesbian partners have separate maintenance allowances, when employees answer the call to duty in Iraq and elsewhere? Does their service and sacrifice somehow matter less?
I’ve spoken with many, but not all, of you about this over time. To those who are hearing this for the first time, I want to make clear that this is not about gay rights. Rather, it’s about the safety and effectiveness of our communities abroad, of the people who represent America. It’s about equal treatment of all employees, all of whom have the same service requirements, the same contractual requirements. It’s as much a part of transforming diplomacy as any issue the Secretary has chosen to address. And fundamentally, it’s about principles on which our country was founded, principles that you and I are called upon to represent abroad — principles that in fact are symbolized by this flag, which ironically has been offered to my partner.
Upon Barack Obama election as President of the United States, Guest served on the State Department’s transition team. He advised Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on discriminatory State Department policies, helping influence Secretary Clinton to change policies to provide equal benefits for same-sex couples. In May 2009, he, along with 23 other LGBT rights advocates, coauthored the Dallas Principles, a set of eight guiding principles for the achievement of full LGBT equality.
Guest received the Leadership Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Christian Herter Award for Constructive Dissent from the American Foreign Service Association. He also received the State Department’s Charles E. Cobb Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development, the Meritorious Honor Award, and five Superior Honor Awards.
Guest is the senior advisor and cofounder of the Council for Global Equality, which works to advance an American foreign policy inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity. He was married in 2011 by U.S. District Court Judge Joe Gale, who is the first openly gay Senate-confirmed federal judge. Guest and his husband reside in Washington, D.C.
Guest continues to be engaged in international diplomacy. He headed the U.S. delegation to the Warsaw portion of the OSCE Review Conference in September and October 2010. OSCE — the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe — is the world’s largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization; the conference reviewed the progress made by member states in implementing commitments relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, democracy, and tolerance and non-discrimination. As the Review Conference wound down, Ambassador Guest was interviewed about the role of the OSCE, the value of such conferences, and the importance of NGO access. Watch:
For more about Michael Guest, visit the senior staff page at the Council for Global Equality, his LGBT History Month page, or his Wikipedia article.
Photo credit: Ambassador Michael Guest of the United States speaking during a session on elections at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Review Conference in Warsaw, Poland, 1 October 2010. Photo by OSCE/Curtis Budden; used in accordance with Creative Commons Attribution – No Derivative Works license.
Lady Gaga, singer (LGBT History Month)
Lady Gaga is a world-famous performance artist and singer. She is best known for her chart-topping singles and outrageous costumes. She has had three consecutive best-selling albums and one of the highest-grossing tours. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Lady Gaga
“I’m just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time.”
Lady Gaga (born March 28, 1986) is a world-famous performance artist and singer. She is best known for her chart-topping singles and outrageous costumes. She has had three consecutive best-selling albums and one of the highest-grossing tours.
Born Stefani Germanotta, she is the first of two daughters born to working class parents in Yonkers, New York. She describes her younger self as an “artsy, musical-theatre, nerdy girl who got good grades, who learned the tricks of self-reinvention, and [had] a look that veered between a bit too sexy and a bit strange.” Raised Roman Catholic, she graduated from Convent of the Sacred Heart School before attending New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She left the school after two years to work on her musical career. In 2005, she was signed by Def Jam Recording and worked as a songwriter for Britney Spears and The Pussycat Dolls.
Lady Gaga has won five Grammy Awards and holds two Guinness World Records. She was named 2010 Artist of the Year and the top-selling artist of 2010 by Billboard. In 2010, Time magazine named her Most Influential Artist, and in 2011, Forbes listed her among its World’s Most Powerful.
Openly bisexual, Lady Gaga is an outspoken LGBT equality advocate. She spoke at the 2009 National Equality March in Washington, D.C., calling it “the single most important event” of her career. She was a leading activist for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Through her music, concerts and demonstrations, she continues to fight for LGBT rights.
Here’s Lady Gaga’s speech at the National Equality March on October 11, 2009. Watch:
For more about Lady Gaga, visit her website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.
Photo credit: Lady Gaga speaking at the National Equality March, 11 Oct 2009. Photo by Ryan J. Reilly (ryanjreilly on Flickr), cropped by DynaBlast; used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
Aaron Copland, composer (LGBT History Month)
Aaron Copland was a world-renowned composer, teacher, writer and conductor. He was a key figure in forming the early 20th century American style of music and composition. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Aaron Copland
“To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.”
Aaron Copland (born November 14, 1900, died December 2, 1990) was a world-renowned composer, teacher, writer and conductor. He was a key figure in forming the early 20th century American style of music and composition.
The youngest of five children, Copland was born in Brooklyn to Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Encouraged by his mother, he became interested in music. His older sister taught him to play the piano. At 16, Copland began lessons with composer Rubin Goldmark, who introduced him to the American style of music.
After graduating high school, Copland played and composed works for dance bands. Inspired by modern European music, he moved to France and attended the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau. There he studied under Nadia Boulanger, who was his muse throughout his time in France.
Copland’s compositions are famous for rejection of the neo-Romantic form and his creation of a unique American style. He composed a wide variety of music, including piano and orchestral arrangements, ballets, and Hollywood film scores. His compositions for film include “Of Mice and Men” (1939), “Our Town” (1940) and “The Heiress” (1949), which won him an Academy Award for best score. His score for Martha Graham’s ballet “Appalachian Spring” (1944) earned him a Pulitzer Prize.
During the communist witch hunts of the 1950s, Copland was brought before Congress and questioned about whether he was affiliated with the Communist party. Although he was cleared of charges, Hollywood blacklisted him. His composition “A Lincoln Portrait” was withdrawn as part of the inaugural concert for President Eisenhower.
Copland dedicated the remainder of his life to composing, conducting and teaching. He had a major influence on the style of the next generation of American composers. His protégé, Leonard Bernstein, is considered the best conductor of Copland’s work.
Copland died in North Tarrytown, New York (now known as Sleepy Hollow). His estate established the Aaron Copland Fund for Composers, which annually bestows over $500,000 in grants.
“Fanfare for the Common Man” is one of Copland’s most famous works, written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Eugene Goossens. Here is is performed by the New York Philharmonic. Listen:
For more about Aaron Copland, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.
Photo credit: Aaron Copland. Library of Congress.
Dan Choi, soldier & activist (LGBT History Month)
Lt. Dan Choi is a West Point graduate, Iraq War veteran and Arabic linguist. He was the nation’s leading activist for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Dan Choi
“Action and sacrifice speak much more loudly than the best crafted, eloquent speech.”
Lt. Dan Choi (born February 22, 1981) is a West Point graduate, Iraq War veteran, and Arabic linguist. He was the nation’s leading activist for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).
Choi was born in Orange County, California, and raised in an evangelical Korean-American household. His father is a Baptist minister; his mother is a nurse. Inspired by the film “Saving Private Ryan”
After graduating from West Point with degrees in Arabic linguistics and environmental engineering, Choi served as an Army infantry officer in Iraq. In 2008, he transferred from active duty to the Army National Guard. That same year, Choi and a group of West Point alumni founded Knights Out, an organization supporting the rights of LGBT soldiers.
In 2009, Choi appeared on the “The Rachel Maddow Show” and said something that would change his life forever: “I am gay.” Within a month, the U.S. Army notified him that he was being discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
When he received his discharge papers, Choi knew he had to fight back. He wrote an open letter asking President Obama to repeal the policy and reinstate him, calling his discharge “a slap in the face.”
Choi sent his West Point graduation ring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. It was a reminder to the senator of a promise he made to repeal the ban on gays and lesbians in the military.
Choi became the leading activist and national spokesman for the repeal of DADT. His media savvy drew attention to the issue. In 2010, he was arrested three times for handcuffing himself to the White House fence during protests.
Later in 2010, Choi was invited to the White House to witness President Obama signing the bill repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into law. Afterward, Senator Reid invited Choi to his office, where he returned Choi’s West Point ring.
“The next time I get a ring from a man,” Choi responded, “I expect it to be for full, equal American marriage.”
Choi continues to advocate for LGBT civil rights and for veterans’ health benefits. He is a graduate student at Harvard University. He resides in New York.
In March 2009, Lt. Dan Choi said “I am gay” on Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show. Watch:
Lt. Choi was interviewed again by Rachel Maddow in May 2009, after he was discharged from the Army for being gay. Watch:
For more about Dan Choi, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.
Photo credit: Lt. Dan Choi at New York City pride march, 27 June 2010. Photo by Boss Tweed (on Flickr); used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
Rita Mae Brown, author (LGBT History Month)
An author and screenwriter, Rita Mae Brown is best known for her semi-autobiographical lesbian-themed novel, Rubyfruit Jungle. She is a groundbreaking activist for lesbian and civil rights.. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Rita Mae Brown
“Don’t ask to live in tranquil times. Literature doesn’t grow there.”
An author and screenwriter, Rita Mae Brown (born November 28, 1944) is best known for her semi-autobiographical lesbian-themed novel, Rubyfruit Jungle
An only child, Brown was adopted and raised in York, Pennsylvania. At age 11, her family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Brown’s interest in political activism began with the black civil rights movement. In 1964, after losing her scholarship at the University of Florida due to her involvement in a rally, Brown was forced to drop out of school. She hitchhiked to New York where she lived in an abandoned car before enrolling at New York University (NYU).
At NYU, Brown cofounded the Student Homophile League. In 1968, she joined the National Organization of Women (NOW). She worked there until a schism over whether or not to support lesbian issues caused her to resign in February 1970. She says she was “kicked out” for raising the gay issue. Betty Friedan is largely blamed for Brown’s expulsion from NOW. Years later, Friedan publicly apologized and admitted her actions were wrong.
After severing ties with NOW, Brown became a member of Lavender Menace, an informal group of radical lesbian feminists formed to protest the exclusion of lesbians and lesbian issues from the feminist movement at the Second Congress to Unite Women in New York City on May 1, 1970. Brown was also a member of the Redstockings, a radical feminist group. She helped form the lesbian feminist newspaper Furies Collective. Thereafter, she earned a Ph.D. in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C.
In addition to more than 50 books
Brown lives on a farm outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. She is a Master of Fox Hounds and advocates for animal rescue.
In December 2009, Rita Mae Brown sat down with Emmy-winning interviewer Ernie Manouse (InnerVIEWS) for a wide-ranging discussion on her memories of the Civil Rights Movement, the qualities that go into being a good writer, and her often rocky relationship with the National Organization for Women. Watch:
For more about Rita Mae Brown, visit her website, LGBT History Month page, Wikipedia article, or 2008 interview in Time Magazine.
Photo credit: Rita Mae Brown at Carroll Community College, Westminster, Maryland, 12 Nov 2005. Photo by Bryan Costin (bcostin on Flickr); used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
Keith Boykin, commentator (LGBT History Month)
Keith Boykin is a political commentator, a New York Times best-selling author and a veteran of two presidential campaigns. He is the editor of The Daily Voice and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC and BET. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Keith Boykin
“I’m not on a show with a pink triangle or rainbow flag—which means that being gay is just a part of who I am.”
Keith Boykin (born August 28, 1965) is a political commentator, a New York Times best-selling author and a veteran of two presidential campaigns. He is the editor of The Daily Voice and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC and BET.
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Boykin became politically focused working on local campaigns while in high school. At Dartmouth he was the editor of the daily newspaper and graduated with a B.A. in government.
After college, Boykin worked on the Dukakis presidential campaign. Thereafter, he attended Harvard Law School and continued working on campaigns, including the 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton. Boykin worked as special assistant to the president and served as President Clinton’s liaison to the LGBT community.
Boykin is a commentator on major political talk shows. In 2004, he starred on Showtime’s “American Candidate” and hosted BET’s “My Two Cents.”
Keith Boykin is working on a fourth book, For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Still Not Enough. He lives in New York City.
Joe Hawkins, host of Keeping It Real Online TV, interviewed Keith Boykin in 2008. Watch:
For more about Keith Boykin, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.
Photo credit: Keith Boykin. Associated Press, licensed for LGBT History Month via the Equality Forum.
Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter (LGBT History Month)
Dustin Lance Black is a screenwriter, director and producer. In 2009, he received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Milk,” about openly gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Dustin Lance Black
“I heard the story of Harvey Milk and it gave me hope that I could live my life openly as who I am.”
Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is a screenwriter, director and producer. In 2009, he received an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “Milk”
Black grew up in a devout Mormon household in San Antonio, Texas. After his mother remarried, he moved to Salinas, California. As a young boy, Black knew he was gay. He believed he would be “hurt and brought down” because of it and that he was going to hell. He says his “acute awareness” of his sexual orientation made him gloomy and sometimes suicidal.
Black’s recent works include the screenplay for “Pedro”
In 2009, Black topped The Advocate’s list of the “Forty under 40” most influential openly gay people. He is an outspoken LGBT activist, serving on the boards of The Trevor Project and the American Foundation for Equal Rights. Black frequently speaks about gay rights to college students across the country.
He resides in Los Angeles.
In May 2008, YouTube videographer castrointhestreets ran into Dustin Lance Black at the unveiling of Harvey Milk’s new statue in San Francisco’s City Hall, and interviewed him. Watch:
For more about Dustin Lance Black, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.
Photo credit: Dustin Lance Black at the 81st Academy Awards, 22 Feb 2009. Photo by Greg Hernandez (greginhollywood on Flickr), used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
John Berry, government official (LGBT History Month)
John Berry is the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He is the highest-ranking openly gay federal employee in U.S. history — and has a mountain in Antarctica named after him! Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
John Berry
“Each time we act against discrimination, we add a ring of life to the American tree of liberty.”
John Berry (born February 10, 1959 ) is the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He is the highest-ranking openly gay federal employee in U.S. history.
Born in Rockville, Maryland, Berry is the son of two federal government employees. His father served in the U.S. Marine Corps and his mother worked for the U.S. Census Bureau.
Berry earned his Bachelor of Arts in government from the University of Maryland and a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University. His first federal government job was as legislative director for U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer. Thereafter, he served as deputy assistant secretary for law enforcement at the U.S. Treasury Department.
After two years as director of government relations at the Smithsonian Institution, Berry was appointed assistant secretary for policy, management and budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior in the Clinton administration.
Prior to joining the Obama administration, Berry pursued his interest in environmental conservation as the director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and subsequently as director of the National Zoo.
In 2009, President Obama appointed Berry to his current position, where he is responsible for recruiting, hiring and benefits policies for 1.9 million federal employees.
With Berry’s appointment came accolades from the LGBT and mainstream communities. “The selection of John Berry is a meaningful step forward for the LGBT community,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Humans Rights Campaign. John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, described Berry as the “perfect choice for the OPM. He’s smart, courageous, and has all the right experience in policy and in politics.”
In 2009, Berry served as the keynote speaker for the International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference in San Francisco.
One of the few Americans to stand on both the North and South Poles, Berry’s government career has taken him around the globe and literally to the ends of the earth. There is a mountain in Antarctica named after him: the Berry Bastion.
In December 2010 John Berry recorded a video for the It Gets Better Project. Watch:
For more about John Berry, visit his LGBT History Month page or Wikipedia article.
Photo credit: John Berry, official portrait, 13 April 2009, United States Office of Personnel Management.
Alison Bechdel, cartoonist (LGBT History Month 2011)
Alison Bechdel is a celebrated cartoonist and author of the long-running comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For. Her groundbreaking graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, was awarded the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.
Alison Bechdel
“The [comic] strip is about all kinds of things, not just gay and lesbian issues—births, deaths and everything in-between happen to everyone.”
Alison Bechdel (b. September 10, 1960) is a celebrated cartoonist and author of the long-running comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For. Her groundbreaking graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, was awarded the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book.
A native of central Pennsylvania, Bechdel and her siblings grew up in a small town. Her parents both taught at the local high school and her father, the subject of her first memoir, was the town’s mortician. Bechdel attended Oberlin College, where she graduated with a B.A. in 1981.
Dykes to Watch Out For was published in 1983 and became a syndicated comic strip in 1985. With her signature subtle wit, Bechdel took on the complex and often stereotyped world of lesbian relationships through her comic alter ego, Mo. The strip has become a cult classic.
Bechdel resides outside of Burlington, Vermont.
Alison Bechdel was interviewed by MiND TV about her bestselling graphic memoir Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
For more about Alison Bechdel, visit the Dykes to Watch Out For website, the Alison Bechdel page on Amazon.com
