The First Woman in Space

Sally Ride was the first American woman to venture into outer space. Now, almost 20 years after her voyage, Ms. Ride passed away on July 23, 2012 at the age of 61. She died of pancreatic cancer. However, Ms. Ride was more than just the first American woman to go into outer space, she was also the first lesbian to do so. Ms. Ride kept her life personal and did not publicly share the fact that she was gay. Her obituaries state that she was survived by her partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy. 

While there is nothing wrong with keeping her sexual orientation a secret from the world, it is sad to think that Ms. Ride might have kept her orientation because of the repercussions of revealing her sexual orientation to the world. This is especially the case because Ms. Ride dedicated a portion of her life to overcoming stereotypes in the workforce. Let us all hope that the truth about Ms. Ride continues to inspire all of us to overcome the stereotypes that prevent us from completing our goals.

See Wendy S. Goffe, Sally Ride’s Surprise Legacy, Forbes: Deborah L. Jacob’s Blog, July 25, 2012.