june 17.2005 ’ jUSt OUt 5
gwiout
She graduated from Cleveland State
University with a degree in psychology in
1970, left the convent and became the
drummer for a girl band, The Satin Dolls.
Soon thereafter, she packed up her drums
and moved to New York to pursue doc
toral studies in organizational develop
ment at Yeshiva University. She became
enmeshed in the burgeoning gay and les
bian rights movement, attending the
political meetings and social events at
the Firehouse, joining the Gay Activists
Alliance and driving once a week to
Albany to lobby state legislators on gay
issues.
In 1972, fnistrated with the sexism of
the male-dominated alliance, she founded
Lesbian Feminist Liberation, taking most
of the women from the alliance with her
and establishing one of the first organized
lesbian voices within the women’s move
ment. Two years later, O’Leary and Bruce
Voeller, then executive director of the
National Gay Task Force, negotiated an
agreement for co-gender management of
the national gay movement.
Feminist leader Gloria Steinem, who Tireless activist Jean O'Leary worked across
constituencies to reach feminists, queer activists,
worked often with O’Leary, issued this
AIDS activists and Democratic leaders.
statement: “Jean O’Leary was a link of
kindness and humanity and inclusive pol
itics who helped the women’s movement to rec zations to focus on the legal and civil liberties
ognize the universal cost of homophobia, and ramifications of the AIDS epidemic.
the gay movement to see that marginalizing the
“Jean’s activism spanned so many move
voices of lesbians would only diminish its power. ments: the women’s movement, gay and lesbian
I know she will be with us as long as we remem rights, AIDS activism as well as Democratic
ber what she taught us, but 1 and thousands of Party politics,” said Sean Strub, founder of POZ
others will always miss her spirit.”
magazine. “Her early AIDS activism through
In her role at the task force, and through her NGRA, particularly in expediting access to new
close friendship with presidential adviser Midge treatments, saved many lives. Her passing is a
Costanza, O’Leary organized I977’s historic loss for all people who are ill, disadvantaged or
first-ever meeting of gay rights advocates at the suffering and all people who treasure justice.”
White House. She also became the first openly
Bob Hattoy, a Democratic Party and AIDS
gay person appointed to a presidential commis activist who spoke at the 1992 Democratic
sion when Jimmy Carter tapped her for the National Convention, added: “Jean taught gay
National Commission on the Observance of men about feminism, she taught lesbians about
International Women’s Year. In that role, she AIDS, she taught feminists about gay and les
negotiated the inclusion of gay and lesbian bian issues, and she taught Democrats about
rights on the agenda of the 1979 International everything. She personified the use of power
Women’s Year conference held in Houston.
with grace and purpose.”
Costanza, who was with O’Leary at the time
In 1987, The Los Angeles Times referred to
of her death, said: “1 will always remember Jean’s O’Leary’s group as “aggressive defenders of the
first call to me at the White House requesting a rights of AIDS patients” and noted litigation
meeting with the president. With the courage against the several federal agencies, including
and tenacity so typical of Jean, she demanded the Food and Drug Administration, that
that I hold a meeting in the White House to dis NGRA initiated to expedite and broaden the
cuss federal government policies that specifical access of people with HIV to promising new
ly discriminated against gays and lesbians. Her treatments.
arguments were persuasive, anti I scheduled the
In founding National Coming Out Day with
meeting for March 26, 1977. Because of this his psychologist Rob Eichberg in 1987, O’Leary
toric gathering of gay and lesbian leaders in the noted that “coming out is critically important to
White House, a national discussion was held to our community and to our movement. Our
review and begin to correct the anti-gay policies invisibility is the essence of our oppression. And
by federal government agencies. Many changes until we eliminate that invisibility, people are
were made, anti many dixirs were opened as a going to be able to perpetuate the lies and myths
about gay people."
result of Jean’s perseverance."
In recent years, O’Leary and her business
O’Leary' was also active in Democratic Party
politics, including her election in 1976 as the partner, Palm Springs City Councilor Ginny
first-ever openly lesbian delegate to a national Foat, ran a consulting firm specializing in voter
political convention. She served on the Demo contact and candidate consulting.
In addition to Phelps and their daughter,
cratic National Gommittee for 12 years, includ
ing eight on that group’s Executive Committee, Victoria, she is survived by their son, David De
the first openly gay or lesbian person to serve in Maria; his life partner, James Springer; and their
that capacity. In 2004, U.S. Sen. Dianne Fein son, Aiden DeMaria. She is also survived by her
stein appointed O’Leary as an at-large member brothers, Jim and Ken; sister, Diane Urig; and
nieces and nephews.
of the California Democratic State Committee.
Phelps said: “I am proud to have been with
O’Leary spent most of the 1980s building a
San Francisco group, Gay Rights Advocates, Jean during the last 12 years of her life, and 1 am
into one of the largest national gay and lesbian proud of Jean’s political accomplishments. She
activist organizations, National Gay Rights set an example of community involvement for
AdvtKates. As head of NGRA, she pursued our 15-year-old daughter, Victoria, and instilled
“impact litigation” and won important victories in her the importance of political activism.”
A memorial service will be held at the Los
protecting gay people from discrimination in
employment, housing and other areas. In 1985 Angeles Gay and Lesbian Community Services
NGRA became one of the first adv<x:acy organi- Center.
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