Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin

Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin have been pioneers in the struggle for lesbian and gay rights for over fifty years. Their activist careers began in a time when homosexuality was associated with communism and the government kept a close eye on “deviants” of any sort. They moved to San Francisco together in 1953, and two years later they founded the Daughters of Bilitis, the first social and political group for lesbians. Originally it was simply a space for lesbian couples to enjoy each other's company, safe from the raids and police harassment that plagued lesbian bars, which were illegal. Soon it became a tool to educate and support women who were afraid to come out. Their monthly newsletter, The Ladder, was a lifeline for closeted women; it was delivered in a brown paper cover and the subscription list was a closely guarded secret, making it easy to for anyone to get a copy without putting herself at risk.

From the late 60s onward, much of their work centered around removing the legal and medical biases against homosexuality. In 1967 Lyon and Martin became the first lesbian couple to join the National Organization for Women, where they battled homophobia within the organization and raised awareness of the ties between feminist and lesbian issues. Martin joined the campaign to remove homosexuality from the American Psychological Association's list of mental illnesses. Another group the couple founded, the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, influenced San Francisco mayor Dianne Feinstein's decision to sponsor a citywide bill to outlaw employment discrimination for gays and lesbians.

After fifty years of untiring activism, Phyllis and Del were finally able to legally marry in their home state of California in 2004, before the Supreme Court overruled the mayor's decision to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In 2008, they were the first couple to marry in San Francisco under the California Supreme Court's new ruling, becoming legally wed just minutes after the law went into effect.

Del Martin died on August 27th, 2008, due to complications from a broken arm. She will be sorely missed by all who continue her work for LGBT rights. Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said of Martin, "In every social movement, political movement, there's someone who transcends their time. For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Del Martin was one of those people.”