Did We Forget? Volume 2

Maybe the first one was too easy. Let's try this again. Let's see if you can figure out who I am talking about:

1. The circumstances surrounding this person's death directly lead to (and influenced) the Stonewall Riots, starting the gay liberation movement.
2. This person was dubbed "an Elvis for homosexuals" by The Advocate Magazine.
3. This person's father was gay. This person also legally married two gay men.
4. One of the stars of Grease 2 was this person's daughter, who later went on to do such shows as Trapper John M.D.; and making notable guest appearances in shows like The Nanny and Murder, She Wrote.
5. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Endowments of the Arts (NEA) both claim this person sung the Song Of The Century (1901-2000) - which happens to be one of the first gay anthems.

Any guesses who this might be?

Did We Forget?

Recently, I was talking with a friend of mine about gay history and was kinda surprised to learn how little he actually knew. There were quite a few people, who - in my humble opinion - he should have known, or at least been partly aware of - and when I mentioned their names or how they contributed to the state of local affairs, I was met by blank stares.

Are we forgetting our own history by not reminding ourselves (and not teaching our younger generations)about our past?

So, let me try a little experiment … let's see if you know who I am talking about.

1. This person was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Important People of the Century (1901-2000) alongside such names as Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Bob Dylan, Lucille Ball, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Wilbur & Orville Wright, Edwin Hubble, Princess Di, Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, Helen Keller, and Mother Teresa, alongside 84 other highly influential people.
2. This Person started out as a successful (and highly conservative) Wall Street Investment Analyst, and even supported Goldwater for President. In the 1960s, this person got involved with the Broadway production of Hair, which ultimately exposed this person to not only to the counterculture, but also took this person to San Francisco. Starting down a much more Liberal path, this person decided that her or his future resided in city politics. The first three attempts to get elected to public office, however, were rather unsuccessful.
3. One of the producers of Superman, Returns is currently filming a movie about this person's life and death, slated to be released sometime in 2007. This person's death was the focus of a Dead Kennedys song. An indy-rock band named themselves after this person. The San Fransisco Opera performed an opera based on this person's story and also released a recording. A documentary on this person won an Academy Award. A film released in 1999 (based on a play from 1983) also tells this person's story.
4. This person was assassinated, murdered in cold blood. The murder had just resigned from his city counsel position before a gay-rights ordinance was introduced, which he strongly opposed. He asked for his position back, but was denied by the Mayor. The murderer went to great lengths to kill this person, covertly entering the building concealing a gun with extra ammunition, shooting this person first in the chest, and then once this person was down, shooting in the head, again, at close range. The killer also murdered the Mayor before he killed this person. During the trial, the jury was composed only of anti-gay people who would be more sympathetic to the killer, and less sympathetic to the victims. The killer claimed he didn't premeditate the murders, and it seems the jury believed him - finding him guilty of voluntary manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility (eating too much junk food) - sentenced to a mere seven years, eight months. He only served one year of parole before he committed suicide in his wife's garage.

If you think you know who I am talking about - leave me a comment! I'll let you know if you were right.