Sullivan on Ride: "She was the absent heroine."

[Still a Democrat]

I'm not so understanding. We can judge this decision in the context of Ride's life. Her achievements as a woman and as a scientist and as an astronaut and as a brilliant, principled investigator of NASA's screw-ups will always stand, and vastly outshine any flaws. But the truth remains: she had a chance to expand people's horizons and young lesbians' hope and self-esteem, and she chose not to.

She was the absent heroine.

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/...-lead.html

[jaxx]

I hate it when the writers wait until the person is dead and can't respond to the taunts.

[sandnsea]

Maybe she felt her work in education was too important to be jeopardized by coming out. It's her option to decide where she believes she can make the biggest contribution. Women who choose traditionally male careers or goals already have to deal with being discounted with the label "dike", whether they are or not. The bigots out there would like nothing better than to ridicule and dismiss all women's accomplishments as nothing but a bunch of dikes. I'm surprised Andrew Sullivan doesn't understand that.

[azmouse]

The key word here is "choice". It was Sally Ride's choice to come out or not. She chose not to, and she had every right to her privacy. No one else could have or should have told her what to do.

[Drunken Irishman]

No one should be forced into the role of advocate. If she was content with her life, that's all that really matters.

[OptimistesMaddie]

She succeeded in death in what she chose not to do or could not do while alive. Her acknowledgement of her partner in her obit was a courageous thing to do but it was also something that did not take away from her accomplishments.

I long for the day when Sally's and others like her lives are not focused on what happens behind closed doors but the accomplishments that were achieved.

Andrew has it right many times but this time he is wrong. For those of us in the gay community, we have our own timetables and they are not based on how our decision impacts society.

Shame on Andrew!