July 24, 2012

"It’s too bad this is such a big deal."

"It’s too bad our society isn’t further along."
The CBS News reporter Diane Sawyer asked [Sally Ride] to demonstrate a newly installed privacy curtain around the shuttle’s toilet. On “The Tonight Show,” Johnny Carson joked that the shuttle flight would be delayed because Dr. Ride had to find a purse to match her shoes.
ADDED: "The pioneering scientist was, a statement from Sally Ride Science announced, survived by 'Tam O'Shaughnessy, her partner of 27 years.' With that simple statement — listed alongside her mother, Joyce; her sister, Bear; her niece, Caitlin and nephew, Whitney — Ride came out." Link.
"The pancreatic cancer community is going to be absolutely thrilled that there's now this advocate that they didn't know about. And, I hope the GLBT community feels the same," Bear Ride, who identifies as gay, said....

Of Sally Ride's sexual orientation, Bear Ride said, "Sally didn't use labels. Sally had a very fundamental sense of privacy, it was just her nature, because we're Norwegians, through and through."

35 comments:

Andy said...

"It’s too bad this is such a big deal."
"It’s too bad our society isn’t further along."


The exact same thing could be written about her sexuality.

BarrySanders20 said...

I never knew she was a lesbian. It was and is completely irrelevant.

Now that early 80's hair -- relevant (at least in bring back memories of high school)

Anonymous said...

She was heroic and adorable at the same time.

Godspeed!

ndspinelli said...

Since the rest of the crew were males maybe there was relevance to her sexuality[See professor post that follows this one]. Male astronauts are notorious horndogs. It may have been a practical solution to a legitimate concern.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Every time I hear her name I think of this song.

I had no idea of her sexuality and why should I care?

As a young woman of almost the same age....I was very proud of her ability.

edutcher said...

Pancreatic cancer is a bad way to go, but notice there haven't been too many astronettes (as they were once called) since.

PS Remember Shannon Lucid, the 50-year old woman (divorced, IIRC) they sent up in the space station? I always wondered if that was because they wanted to find out about sex in zero G. She wouldn't have gotten pregnant and there was no man in her life.

Apparently, Ms Ride wouldn't have worked out.

Known Unknown said...

Bear Ride,

Oh ... nevermind.

Fernandinande said...

"American Woman Who Shattered Space Ceiling"

Men did everything worth mentioning, including the politicians who pandered to the feminists.

I never knew she was a lesbian. It was and is completely irrelevant.

It's not irrelevant because the hormones associated with sexuality are also associated with math and spacial abilities.

Cedarford said...

Keep in mind that while she was with NASA, she dated guys, and was married to a guy astronaut 1982-87.

She probably was a lesbian the whole time by preference, but only hooked up with a lesbian she had known from her college tennis team days - after she was done with space flight and shortly before leaving NASA.

William said...

Sally Ride was such a great name for an astronaut. Mickey Mantle was the greatest name for a ballplayer, and no astronaut will ever have a cooler name than Sally Ride.

Sydney said...

Do you suppose she gave them permission to publicly discuss her sexuality after her death?

LordSomber said...

I have to differ -- Columbia pilot Willie McCool had the cooler name.

MadisonMan said...

Sally had a very fundamental sense of privacy, it was just her nature, because we're Norwegians, through and through

If only more people were private that way.

Curious George said...

"William said...
Sally Ride was such a great name for an astronaut. Mickey Mantle was the greatest name for a ballplayer, and no astronaut will ever have a cooler name than Sally Ride."

Sorry, that would be Buzz Aldrin

Andy said...

If only more people were private that way.

I only see this sentiment expressed in discussions of queer people. See, for instance, Anderson Cooper.

Curious George said...

"MadisonMan said...
Sally had a very fundamental sense of privacy, it was just her nature, because we're Norwegians, through and through

If only more people were private that way."

But then we wouldn't get graphic details of titus's sex life or learn Hatboy likes to take it in the ass.

Andy said...

But then we wouldn't get graphic details of titus's sex life or learn Hatboy likes to take it in the ass.

Conflating sexual practices with sexual identity is one of the particularly dumb arguments that bigots like to make.

Christopher in MA said...

If only more people were private that way.

I only see this sentiment expressed in discussions of queer people. See, for instance, Anderson Cooper.

Really, Hat? I suspect that if you unplugged your ears, you'd hear a lot of people wishing hetero fame whores like the Kardashians would exercise a little Sally Ride-sort of privacy.

Christopher in MA said...

Let me rephrase that: hetero multi-marriage, multi-partner fame whores, etc.

buwaya said...

One tragic thing -
She has no descendants

veni vidi vici said...

"I only see this sentiment expressed in discussions of queer people. See, for instance, Anderson Cooper."

Obviously, you weren't around for Al Gore's "dive down Tipper's throat" excess of PDA at the convention in 2000... But yeah, many people consider Al a queer sort of fellow, indeed.

traditionalguy said...

She is Norwegian through and through.

What happens trapped behind the Glacier stays behind the Glacier.

What did the Vikings guys think their women were doing while they sailed everywhere and slaughtered at will for loot?

Andy said...

Obviously, you weren't around for Al Gore's "dive down Tipper's throat" excess of PDA at the convention in 2000

You're conflating sexual activity with identity.

SPImmortal said...

Obviously, you weren't around for Al Gore's "dive down Tipper's throat" excess of PDA at the convention in 2000

You're conflating sexual activity with identity.

------------

No, nobody's conflating anything. You just have a strong need to create a false separation between sexuality and sexual practices, because the sexual practices of most gay males are repulsive.

Andy said...

You just have a strong need to create a false separation between sexuality and sexual practices, because the sexual practices of most gay males are repulsive.

Are you one of those straight people that spend all their time fantasizing about the sexuality activity of gay men?

SPImmortal said...

Are you one of those straight people that spend all their time fantasizing about the sexuality activity of gay men?

-----------

No, I'm one of the 99.9% of straight men that's grossed out by the sexual activity of gay men.

Roger J. said...

Trad guy: my thesis is that the vikings went asea because the alternative was to sit home and eat lutifisk. Raiding, pillaging and plundering seems preferable to me.

As to Dr Rides sexuality--it was her business. she was a trailblazer and blessings on her. RIP Dr Ride.

Curious George said...

"Andy R. said...
But then we wouldn't get graphic details of titus's sex life or learn Hatboy likes to take it in the ass.

Conflating sexual practices with sexual identity is one of the particularly dumb arguments that bigots like to make."

Uh, not conflating anything. Just making the correct observation that if you had the same level of privacy as Sally Ride then we would never had found out that you like to take it in the ass. But you don't. So we did.

chickelit said...

Andy R. said...
If only more people were private that way.

I only see this sentiment expressed in discussions of queer people. See, for instance, Anderson Cooper.


How do you know Cooper is gay?

chickelit said...

I mean, that's like scraping the bottom of the barrelmaker, dude.

jimspice said...

"...Hatboy likes to take it in the ass."

So this does not cross the nefarious line at Althouse?

Curious George said...

"jimspice said...
"...Hatboy likes to take it in the ass."

So this does not cross the nefarious line at Althouse?"

I don't think so, because he announced the fact that he takes it in the ass on Althouse. I mean literally, as he actually takes cock in the ass, not figuratively, meaning he is gay.

MadisonMan said...

I only see this sentiment expressed in discussions of queer people. See, for instance, Anderson Cooper.

Then you should pay more attention to what I write and to what DBQ and Palladian write.

Andy said...

Then you should pay more attention to what I write and to what DBQ and Palladian write.

You're right, I shouldn't have said "only". I forgot the lesson from the SAT to watch out for buzz words like "always" and "never", as absolutes like that are almost never true.

Instead, I should have said that I see this sentiment directed disproportionately at gay people.

heyboom said...

She was private by nature, but her privacy will now be thoroughly exploited now that she apparently doesn't need the privacy anymore.