These L.G.B.T.Q. Figures Forever Changed U.S. History
They helped advance the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning people through legislation, legal challenges or fiery advocacy.
Deaths (Obituaries)
Christopher Bond, Former Missouri Governor and U.S. Senator, Dies at 86
A Republican known as Kit, he was the state’s youngest governor. When he retired from Congress after four terms, he said he didn’t want to be the state’s oldest senator.
Nate Holden, L.A. Democrat With a Cameo in 2024 Presidential Race, Dies at 95
An outspoken politician, he served four terms on the City Council and one in the California State Senate. And yes, that was him in the helicopter with Donald Trump.
William H. Luers, Diplomat Who Backed Czech Dissident Leader, Dies at 95
His longtime career in the Foreign Service included protecting Vaclav Havel, the writer and dissident who became the first president of the Czech Republic.
Joseph Nye, Political Scientist Who Extolled ‘Soft Power,’ Dies at 88
He coined the term, arguing that a country’s global influence can’t be built on military might alone. Diplomats around the world paid heed.
Bob Filner, Mayor of San Diego Who Left Amid Scandal, Dies at 82
A progressive member of Congress for two decades, he resigned as mayor after 18 women accused him of sexual harassment.
George Ryan, Illinois Governor Who Halted Prison Executions, Dies at 91
A Republican, he imposed a moratorium on capital punishment, saying he could not support a death-row system “so fraught with error” that it might end an innocent life.
David Horowitz, Leftist Turned Trump Defender, Is Dead at 86
Once a Marxist, he came to embrace hard-right positions, including the falsehood that Mr. Trump won in 2020, and to mentor Stephen Miller, later the Trump adviser.
Alexis Herman, First Black Secretary of Labor, Dies at 77
A social worker, she became a Democratic Party insider and joined President Bill Clinton’s cabinet during his second term.
Leonard Zeskind, Researcher Who Foresaw Rise of White Nationalism, Dies at 75
With “Blood and Politics,” he predicted that anti-immigrant ideologies would become part of mainstream American politics, and warned about downplaying the threat.