esrosedotblog

HERO

Gerry Studds Dies at 69; First Openly Gay Congressman

I first met Gerry Studds at an election appearance in, whoa, perhaps his first campaign. Could it have been 1972? I guess so.

He was running for Rep of the District I lived in at the time—Plymouth County and surrounds in Massachusetts.

He was a breath of fresh air; an engaging and forceful personality.

I voted for him and he won.

I never saw him again until we were at a party in Provincetown; maybe 1989 or 1990. He had come out as a gay man (and so had I). He had just weathered the 'scandal' of having sex with a 17 year old ex-page.

Amazing thing. He had not resigned and had been re-elected by his essentially conservative district, nonetheless.

He was still engaging and energetic and a bit above himself on the gay scene but then we are all as vivid as we can be when we gather together. He was a nice guy.

He had been re-elected because he had paid attention to his constituency and he did the work. He was an expert on the fisheries and his district covered the entire coastline of southern Massachusetts. These were dire times for the fisherman and his supporting industry.

The thing about Studds is that he had his trouble, he sucked it up and took responsibility and he bravely kept on doing what he had been doing and ended up being the first openly gay man to serve in the Congress of the United States of America.

Notice that I did not say the first gay congressman. I said 'openly gay'.

I think that he survived for many reasons. Attention to the District was one.

The other was his ability to take responsibility for himself. He did not hide out behind a story of abuse or the claim of alcoholism (thus hiding in a rehab center). He did not show shame for being gay. Confusion, perhaps, we have all had that but not shame

The corollary of taking responsibility is that you don't have to 'take no shit' from anyone. You stand strong.

In the years since, other men—Barney Frank in particular—came out and survived.

Gerry Studds is a gay hero.

I like, best of all, that he is survived by his Husband!

A trailblazer until the end.