Del Martin, one of the first publishers of a national lesbian magazine, died Wednesday, August 27, in San Francisco.
"Del Martin was a remarkable woman and a pioneer many times over," said David Steinberg, president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association. "She was an early leader in the gay-rights movement; produced the first national publication for lesbians; became active in issues affecting seniors; and made history not once but twice by marrying her partner in the first same-sex marriage ceremonies at San Francisco City Hall."
"We express our sympathies for Del's wife, Phyllis Lyon, as well as their extended family," Steinberg continued.
Martin and Lyon were among the first members of NLGJA's LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame, created as part of the organization's 15th anniversary celebration in 2005.
The couple of 55 years founded The Ladder in 1956. The magazine began its run with a series of rhetorical questions in the debut issue in 1956 and consistently prodded lesbians to galvanize into a collective political force.
Early articles that appeared in The Ladder campaigned for lesbian and gay rights. One proposed that same-sex couples be allowed to file joint tax returns; another urged such couples to demand joint home insurance policies.
Martin and Lyon paid a high price for their bold journalistic advances. FBI agents conducted background investigations on them that included contacting their employers and identifying the two women as lesbians. They also routinely received telephone death threats.
Martin and Lyon were married June 16, 2008, at San Francisco City Hall, becoming the first same-sex couple to legally wed in the city.
NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members.
Media Contact:
Tom Avila
Deputy Executive Director
National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
Office: 202-588-9888, ext. 17
Mobile:
202-906-9885
tavila@nlgja.org
