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Google Doodle Honors Sally Ride, Lesbian, First Woman In Space, On Her Birthday

By Ven Lanyon
Published on: 02:09 PST, May 26, 2015

Sally Ride would have turned 64 today if she’d lived. Ride passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2012, nearly 30 years after she made history as the first woman in space. Sally was only 32 when she boarded the Challenger space shuttle in 1983.

The Google Doodle is all about Sally today too, in honor of an amazing woman.

Sally Ride

In November 2013, President Obama awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sally Ride. The President spoke of her incredible accomplishments, including Ride’s part in the investigation into the 1986 Challenger disaster.

“As the first American woman in space, Sally did not just break the stratospheric glass ceiling, she blasted through it.”

The medal was accepted on Sally’s behalf by her life partner Tam O’Shaughnessy. The two had been a committed couple for 27 years, but kept the relationship completely secret. Sally gave Tam permission to acknowledge their love partnership in Sally’s obituary, and that was the first the world knew of Sally and Tam as a couple.

Tam explains that when she and Sally were first together, the now-repealed Proposition 8 was still in place. They were unable to legally marry and weren’t sure how their relationship would be viewed in their professional lives.

“We were scared that if sponsors knew the founders of Sally Ride Science were two lesbians, if that would affect our organization.”

It turned out fine, although too late for Sally Ride.

“I’ve found that people really valued the relationship,” said Tam. “It didn’t matter that we were two women; what mattered was our relationship’s longevity and our love.”

Sally Ride was always passionate about science and space. After her Challenger experience, Sally became passionate about the environment. Ride realized that our planet is fragile and it is “for all of us to take care of our fragile home in space.”

When she came back to earth, Sally became an environmentalist, an activist for young people’s STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math), and a co-author with Tam of children’s books about climate change.

Ride said that she saw children and youth excited about space, oceans, animals, and other science related ideas. Sally knew she had to help kids stay excited and turn it into science careers they’d love.

“I want to see those same stars in their eyes in 10 years and know they are on their way!”

Together with life partner Tam, Sally founded Sally Ride Science. The company “created programs to help make science interesting and fun for young people.”

Sally Ride was full of courage and inspiration. Sally truly was a “pioneer and role model for generations of us.”

[Image via heavy.com]

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