LGBT+ History Month 2024 at DIO: Week One

As part of LGBT+ History Month, under the theme of science and healthcare, we're taking a look at historical figures whose lives, accomplishments and efforts can inspire us. 

The portrait of Sally Ride by Queer Portraits

Historical Figures - Sally Ride

Sally Ride was the first American woman and self-disclosed lesbian astronaut.

Early life, education, and employment

Sally Ride was born in 1951, in Encino, California where she grew up to be an avid tennis player, ranked in the top 20 of the US junior tennis circuit. After considering a career in tennis, she studied at Standford University achieving three degrees (including a doctorate) in Physics and an undergraduate degree in English.

Just as she was finishing a Ph.D. in theoretical physics at Stanford University, Sally Ride answered an advert to apply for NASA in 1978 in the astronaut class nicknamed "The Thirty-Five New Guys." This recruitment campaign was aimed at bringing in young scientists to serve as “mission specialists” as well as women and Black astronauts who had been systematically excluded from spaceflight for two decades. NASA's recruitment efforts included events with Nichelle Nichols, the Black actress who played an astronaut on "Star Trek".

Working at NASA

Through her time at NASA, Sally helped develop the space shuttle’s robot arm, and served as CapCom — the person on the ground who communicates directly with the space crew—on two of its missions.

On 18^th June 1983, Sally became the first American woman and youngest person in space, aboard the space shuttle Challenger. As a mission specialist, she helped deploy satellites and worked other projects. The next year, she served as a mission specialist on a second space shuttle flight. She was scheduled to take a third trip, but this was cancelled after the tragic Challenger accident in January 1986. After the accident, Sally Ride served on the presidential commission that investigated the space shuttle explosion.

She retired from NASA in 1987 and began to teach, dedicating herself to encouraging children, especially young girls, to love science. She served as Director of the California Space Science Institute in the University of California, on the US President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, and the Advisory Board of the US National Women’s History Museum. 

Sally Ride Science

Dr. Ride was passionate about improving science education and helping young women and girls foster an interest in science. One of her endeavors was Imaginary Lines, which supports girls interested in math, science, and technology. She also wrote seven children’s books with space exploration themes. She and O’Shaughnessy established Sally Ride Science, a nonprofit organization that encourages children from all backgrounds to take an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 

Sally Ride Science continues to publish books, teaching materials and training opportunities for girls and women. 

In Sally's own words: 

Describe the first time you made a personal connection with outer space.

“One moment I will never forget is from when I was an astronaut. I remember floating over to the window for the first time, looking toward the horizon and seeing a very, very thin royal-blue line all the way across the horizon. It looked like someone had taken a blue pencil and outlined the Earth. Then I realized that the blue line was Earth's atmosphere. It was memorable because it was obvious then how fragile and delicate our atmosphere is – there just isn't very much of it-- but it sure is important!”

Tell us about a favorite moment in your career?

“Rocketing into space aboard the space shuttle Challenger as the first American woman to fly in space is one of my favorite moments. The thing I liked best about being in space was being weightless! There's really nothing like it on Earth. When we first reached orbit, I did what lots of astronauts do: while I was still strapped in my seat, I held my pencil in front of my face and let go of it. It floated! Once I got used to weightlessness, I could do 30 somersaults in a row and slither like a seal from one side of the cabin to the other with just a gentle push.

And of course, we couldn't resist playing a little bit with our food -- floating a blob of orange juice in the middle of the room and sending peanuts drifting into each others' mouths from across the room. Fun!”

Private life and relationship

Despite being such a public figure, Ride always valued her privacy. Her 5-year marriage to a fellow astronaut in the 80s was documented, but her 27-year same-sex relationship was only known by friends and family. As per her wishes, this wasn’t revealed to the public until her obituary, which listed her surviving partner as Tam O'Shaughnessy, a childhood friend, co-author of several of her books, and co-founder of her educational company Sally Ride Science. They met as children while competing in tennis competitions, remained close friends, and the friendship blossomed into love. 

Not only is Ride the first American woman in space, she is also the first acknowledged gay astronaut. 

In 2013, President Obama posthumously honoured Ride with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and O’Shaughnessy award.

Through her life, achievements, and the work that continues in her name, Dr Sally Ride continues to inspire people to reach for the stars

https://sallyridescience.ucsd.edu/about/

https://science.nasa.gov/people/sally-ride/

https://www.queerportraits.com/bio/ride

https://www.space.com/nasa-astronaut-sally-ride-women-lgbtq-40-years

Listen to a specially curated playlist from DIO staff for LGBT+ History Month - click on the image below to access