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 Frank Kameny
by Jason Villemez
One of the founders of the modern American gay rights
movement, Frank Kameny brought a radical, take-charge attitude in place of
more assimilationist policies that plagued many early gay leaders.
A child prodigy and WWII veteran, Kameny obtained a Ph.D. in
astronomy from Harvard University in 1956 and began work for the Army Map
Service in 1957.
However, mere
months into the job, rumors circulated regarding Kameny’s homosexuality,
which culminated in his firing from the Map Service and being barred from
all civil service jobs, reflecting a McCarthy-era mandate for all
homosexuals at the time.
Kameny
fought to regain his job for five years, including a personal appeal to
the U.S. Supreme Court and a suit against the government, both of which
were denied.
Finally, in 1961, he decided to join with Jack Nichols to
establish a D.C. version of the homophile group Mattachine Society.
Reflecting both Kameny’s personal priorities and local
complaints, the Mattachine Society of Washington focused on ending sexual
orientation discrimination in civil service positions and the military.
It organized the first gay protests in front of the White House in
April 1965, in which Kameny, Barbara Gittings, and other prominent
activists participated. Kameny’s
work along with the Mattachine Society eventually led to the Civil Service
Commission to amend its anti-gay policies in 1975.
He also advised countless armed services members in coping with
anti-gay military policies.
In addition to his civil and military service
radicalism, he also battled the American Psychiatric Association in an
effort to remove homosexuality as a mental disorder, disrupting the APA
annual meeting in 1971 and fostering the eventual removal of homosexuality
from its list of illnesses.
To
top off an already growing list of achievements, Kameny became the first
openly gay person to run for Congress, using the campaign to publicize the
issue of unequal government treatment of the community.
He is one of the oldest surviving activists, celebrating his 80th
birthday last May.
©365Gay.com 2006
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