Sally Ride, first American woman in space, has died.

[mixiboi]

Sad, mostly because she wasn't that old, and cancer takes another...

Sally Ride, first American woman in space, dies - CNN

Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, died Monday after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer, her company said. She was 61.

"Sally lived her life to the fullest, with boundless energy, curiosity, intelligence, passion, commitment and love. Her integrity was absolute; her spirit was immeasurable; her approach to life was fearless," read a statement on the website of Sally Ride Science, a company she started to help teach students -- particularly young women and girls -- about science, math and technology.

[mixiboi]

Oh and she was in a relationship for 27 years with a woman....(you didn't think that it wouldn't come to this..this is what the lounge is all about now. Lol)

Sally Ride sparks posthumous debate on coming out | Nation/World | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Sally Ride 'never hid,' just private - SFGate


Sally Ride's Partner and DOMA - NYTimes.com

What’s less well known is that Ms. Ride was gay. Family and friends were aware of her 27-year relationship with Tam O’Shaughnessy, but the wider public was not. I bring up this personal detail because, as numerous people on the Web and Twitter have pointed out, Ms. O’Shaughnessy is not entitled to any federal benefits. (She probably doesn’t need the money, but that’s beside the point.)

The Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, denies federal survivors’ benefits to same-sex couples. President Obama, who has come out in support of same-sex marriage, stopped defending the law in court after his Justice Department concluded that it was unconstitutional. But the Republican leadership in Congress has retained its own lawyers to keep pressing the legal case.

Ms. Ride was not a public advocate for gay rights. Still, I can imagine what she might have had to say about the situation. In 1983, she was the subject of endless questioning about being the first American woman in space, a lot of which focused on things like whether she would wear a bra or makeup in space. At a NASA news conference at the time, she said: “It’s too bad this is such a big deal. It is too bad our society isn’t further along.”

[O.H. Lee]

"Ms. Ride was not a public advocate for gay rights. Still, I can imagine what she might have had to say about the situation. In 1983, she was the subject of endless questioning about being the first American woman in space, a lot of which focused on things like whether she would wear a bra or makeup in space. At a NASA news conference at the time, she said: “It’s too bad this is such a big deal. It is too bad our society isn’t further along.”

Wasn't she married to Steven Hawley at this time?

[JoeBaker]

Oh and she was in a relationship for 27 years with a woman....

She cheated on her husband with the chick. It's why they got divorced.

And why would anyone care that she never came out. It's not like it made her a better or worse scientist. Kudos to her for all her accomplishments.

[mixiboi]

Eh...