Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

Remembering Cheryl Spector

The SLDN family is pausing to remember Cheryl Ann Spector, who passed away earlier this week of leukemia. She was 49. Cheryl was a well known—and well liked—Washington DC activist dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights; HIV/AIDS, women’s health and a myriad of other important civil rights and cultural issues. She is most known for her efforts to chronicle the history of the gay civil rights movement. She was most often seen with a video camera in hand and never seemed to miss a protest, demonstration, or special event. Cheryl was not just a passionate activist, but she was also a friend, to both SLDN and to me. I’ve known Cheryl since 1991, when I first met her at Queer Nation, ACT UP, and pro-choice activist meetings. Her dedication and commitment to the community seemed endless. We protested the lack of funding for HIV/AIDS research and services; held vigils for those hurt and killed in anti-gay violence; we gathered signatures on petitions seeking to end employment discrimination; participated in organizing national marches; and we worked to end the then policy against gays in the military. She continued to fight for all those causes until her death. Cheryl has been a supporter and volunteer for SLDN since our start—volunteering to help staff SLDN’s first table at DC’s Pride festival. Since then she’s volunteered every time we called on her for help. Cheryl never said no to causes she supported. In fact, just this past March, she volunteered at SLDN’s National Dinner for part of the evening and then left to volunteer the remainder of the evening for DC-PFLAG. Later this month, Cheryl was to receive the “Unsung Hero Award” at the annual gala of The Mautner Project, a national lesbian health organization. Cheryl was a rare and special person. She will be sorely missed by all of us here at SLDN. The District of Columbia is a much emptier place without her. - Polly Stamatopoulos

09-06-07