Frank Kameny, a pioneer of the gay rights movement, died Tuesday. A medical examiner said the cause of death was heart attack or heart failure brought about by deteriorating health. Kameny was fired from his job as a government astronomer in 1957 for being homosexual. In 1965, Kameny staged a gay rights protest with about 10 others in front of the White House and the Pentagon.
Bob Witeck, Kameny’s friend for three decades, speculated about plans for a November memorial. Buttons and leaflets from Kameny’s protests are housed at the Smithsonian.
