Pride isn’t just a month. Here’s our little homage to the first queer woman who was truly out of this world! (No, seriously.) 😛

Remember being 9 years old and getting asked ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’, and having a really cool answer, like ‘a firefighter’, ‘a bus-driver’ or ‘an astronaut’? At the time, I’m sure it had seemed like the ideal and most exciting career option, but as we grew older, we also grew more jaded. Suddenly we were 17 and choosing a degree for college. Suddenly, becoming ‘a firefighter’, ‘a bus-driver’ or ‘an astronaut’ wasn’t the most practical option that came to mind. We choose something more mainstream and less exciting. Well, most of us, at least.

Sally Ride had other plans.

Sally grew up in the City of Angels, a place known for helping turn dreams into reality. Perhaps it was this environment of freedom of thought that allowed Sally to embody the curious and aspiring role model she would certainly become. She was also incredibly intelligent; studied at Stanford University, with a double major in Physics and English. She later completed her Masters and her Ph.D. in physics (also at Stanford).

“I liked math – that was my favorite subject – and I was very interested in astronomy and in physical science”

– Sally Ride

After completing her education, Sally went on to beat 1000 other applicants for a spot on NASA’s astronaut program. After rigorous training, Sally went to space in 1983 aboard the Challenger, becoming the astronaut she always dreamt of being.

“The stars don’t look bigger, but they do look brighter”

– Sally Ride

Sally’s journey to space made history. She became the first American Woman to go to space. Forget glass ceilings, her achievement broke concrete damns when it came to opening up the future for the next generations!

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
Sally Rider: Photo from flickr

But wait, there’s more…

Not only did Sally Ride become the first American Woman to become an astronaut, she was also the first known astronaut belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. That’s right. For the last 27 years of her life, Sally was in a wonderful relationship with her work partner Tam O’Shaughnessy.

The two women worked side by side in Sally’s company ‘Sally Ride Science’ (where she was the president and CEO, by the way). And you want to know the best part? (Yes, there’s even better parts) ‘Sally Ride Science’ is not just any company, it’s one that works to make educational programs and products that will encourage and support girls and young women who want to pursue a career in Mathematics or the Sciences. Sally recognised and acknowledged the fact that women have to face largely more obstacles when pursuing their dreams in STEM. So, she left a mark on the world to ensure that those obstacles became less and less heavy.

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
Sally Ride in dominantly male NASA: Photo from flickr

“Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can’t be what you can’t see”

– Sally Ride

Drumrolls, please.

Sally never signed up to become a role-model or an icon that she became for so many girls. She just signed up for the job she wanted. When she applied at NASA, she didn’t realise that one day she would be making history. But what she did know (always) was that she was completely at par (if not better) than the boys in her class and profession.

“If we want scientists and engineers in the future, we should be cultivating the girls as much as the boys”

– Sally Ride

In fact, there is no better way to describe the plight of women in science than using the words of Sally herself, who described the situation in the following quote:

“Suppose you come across a woman lying on the street with an elephant sitting on her chest. You notice she is short of breath. Shortness of breath can be a symptom of heart problems. In her case, the much more likely cause is the elephant on her chest.

For a long time, society put obstacles in the way of women who wanted to enter the sciences. That is the elephant. Until the playing field has been levelled and lingering stereotypes are gone, you can’t even ask the question”

– Sally Ride

She made it crystal clear- we can’t even ask why there is a shortage of women in science. The answer is that painfully clear. Society has continuously blocked women from careers in the sciences, or even getting an education at times. The few women who do get the (rare) ‘opportunity’ are subjected to the discrimination of being a minority.

So many women. No. Too many women (like Mileva Marić and Rosalind Franklin) have had men take credit for the work they did. The research of so many women never see the light of day because of how suppressed their voices are. We as a society need to remove this elephant from on top of women in science if we want to have any hope for the future of science and progress meeting its true potential. A potential that has not been and will never be reached as long as women are denied a seat at the table, a stethoscope around the neck, or a lab coat on their shoulders.

That being said, there is also one other topic without which this post wouldn’t be near complete: representation for the LGBT+ Community!

Pride
Pride: Photo by Tristan Billet on Unsplash

We know today that Sally was queer (even though we don’t know exactly what label she preferred) but this was not always the case. In fact, the world only found out about her relationship with Tam after Sally’s death in 2012. This begs the question, is there a reason that it took her death for this news to finally come to light? The answer, absolutely. Usually, astronauts are handpicked from a large group to go on space flights. The society at the time of Sally’s career was not as progressive and embracing as it is today (even though we still have a long way to go). So, had Sally come out to the scientific community earlier on, there would be a very real and probable chance that she would not be chosen for any space flights.

Did someone say homophobia is dying down? As much as I wish I could agree; sorry, but nope.

More than 1 in 4 LGBT+ physical scientists consider leaving their workplace due to discrimination towards their community. (when I say we have a long way to go, I mean a loooooong way.)

“I would like to be remembered as someone who was not afraid to do what she wanted to do, and as someone who took risks along the way in order to achieve her goals.”

– Sally Ride

Sally has become and will probably always remain an icon in the minds of young girls wanting to become scientists and astronauts. It is definitely rare to see a queer woman being celebrated in the sciences, but Sally did what no one had done before, and for that, all those who come after are eternally grateful. So for Sally and her legacy, let’s keep fighting so that one day we can prove to the world:

“Queer Women in Science? Shocker, we exist!” 😉

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