Lesbian Activist Finally Marries Before her Death

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Maybe she waited just long enough to see her lifelong dream of legally marrying her partner come true.

Del Martin, one of California’s earliest advocates for gay and lesbian rights, has died this week at the age of 87.

Del and her spouse Phyllis Lyon, 84, were the first gay couple to wed in the city of San Francisco in February of 2004, when mayor Gavin Newsom ordered city officials to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Martin and Lyon’s marriage was later nullified, as were all of the marriages that occurred during that time.

But earlier this year the California State Supreme Court ruled that banning gay marriage is unconstitutional, and allowed gay couples to legally wed. On June 16th, the ruling took effect and Martin and Lyon were again first in line to be wed.

This time, it was legal.

The couple met in 1950 in Seattle. "Ever since I met Del [more than] 55 years ago, I could never imagine a day would come when she wouldn't be by my side," said Martin’s partner Phyllis Lyon. "I am so lucky to have known her, loved her and been her partner in all things."

Martin, along with her partner, was one of the first lesbian activists, campaigning to stop gay harassment and lobbying the American Psychological Society to remove homosexuality as a classification of mental illness.

The two women joined the National Organization for Women (NOW), and were the first lesbian couple to join at the couple’s membership rate. Martin was later elected to NOW’s board of directors.

Martin and Lyon co-founded several political groups together, including the Lesbian Mother’s Union, the Bay Area Women’s Coalition, and the San Francisco Women’s Centers.

They were married in front of a standing-room only crowd in June by Gavin Newsom himself, who had become a friend to the couple. "This is an extraordinary moment in history," said Newsom at the time. "I think today, marriage as an institution has been strengthened."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had also become a friend, and she said to reporters after hearing of Martin’s death, "We would never have marriage equality in California if it weren’t for Del and Phyllis."

Kate Kendell, the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, told reporters, "For all of Del's life, she was an activist and organizer even before we knew what those terms meant. Her last act of public activism was her most personal: marrying the love of her life after 55 years."

Said partner Phyllis Lyon, "I am devastated, but I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed."