Frank Kameny

Franklin Edward "Frank" Kameny (May 21, 1925 – October 11, 2011) was an important person in the American gay rights movement.Longtime gay activist Frank Kameny passes on 

Early life
Kameny was born on May 21, 1925 in New York City, New York. He studied at Richmond Hill High School and at Queens College.

1957 incident
In 1957, Kameny was fired from his position as an astronomer in the U.S. Army's Army Map Service in Washington, D.C. because of his homosexuality. This helped him to begin "a Herculean struggle with the American establishment" that would help a rights movement of the early 1960s for homosexuals.

Kameny protested his firing by the U.S. Civil Service Commission due to his homosexuality, and argued this case to the United States Supreme Court in 1961.USA Today: Gay rights epicenter named landmark Although the court denied his petition, it is notable as the first civil rights claim based on sexual orientation. 

Death
Kameny died on October 11, 2011 in Washington, D.C. from heart disease. He was 86 years old.Medical Examiner says Kameny died of heart disease

Legacy
Following Kameny's death, the giant rainbow flag on the tall flagpole at the corner of Market Street and Castro Street in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco was flown at half-staff for 24 hours beginning on the afternoon of October 12, 2011 at the request of the creator of the rainbow flag, Gilbert Baker.

On November 2, 2011, Kameny's house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.National Register to Accept Kameny House

On July 3 2012, Minor Planet (40463) Frankkameny was named in Kameny's honor by the International Astronomical Union and the Minor Planet Center.US: Gay rights campaigner Frank Kameny has asteroid named for him, Pink News, 10 July 2012Asteroid between Mars, Jupiter named for US gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny , The Washington Post, July 10, 2012Brett Zongker, Asteroid named for gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny, Business Week, July 10, 2012Andrew Davis, Canadian names asteroid for Kameny; Anderson Cooper inspires Chinese, Windy City Times, 2012-07-10Freya Petersen, Canadian astronomer names asteroid after gay rights activist , Alaska Dispatch, July 11, 2012

Related pages
 Jack Nichols (activist)

References

Other websites

Frank Kameny  GLBTQ, an Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Culture
Kameny Papers collection Smithsonian Institution
The Kameny Pages
Biography of Kameny

Category:1925 births
Category:2011 deaths
Category:American LGBT rights activists
Category:Gay men
Category:LGBT people from New York (state)
Category:People from New York City