Once upon a time there was a man named William Sipple [View All]

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http://www.lambda.net/~maximum/sipple.html

Billy, Don't Be A Hero
On September 22, 1975, Sipple went to Union Square in the heart of San Francisco to get a glimpse of the President of the United States who was attending an event at the St. Francis Hotel. At 3:30 p.m., President Ford emerged from the hotel and was greeted by a sea of onlookers. Sipple was standing next to Sara Jane Moore when she pulled out a gun and fired it in the President's direction. Before she could fire a second round, Sipple grabbed her arm and prevented her from hitting her target just 35 feet away.

"I want you to know how much I appreciated your selfless actions last Monday. The events were a shock to us all, but you acted quickly and without fear for your own safety. By doing so, you helped to avert danger to me and to others in the crowd. You have my heartfelt appreciation." -- President Gerald Ford/September 25, 1975
On September 24, the San Francisco Chronicle printed a story that alleged that the White House was delaying their expression of gratitude to Sipple because they found out that he was gay. Only a handful of newspapers followed the Chronicle's lead and disclosed Sipple's sexual orientation as a part of the story. One of the papers was the Detroit Free Press.

When the news reached Michigan, the heroic tale turned tragic. Sipple's mother was reportedly harassed by her neighbors. When her son called to talk to her, she hung up on him. Sipple's split with his family never healed. When his mother died in 1979, his father refused contact with him.

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In 1975 gays needed heros. Virtually no people of substance were known to be gay. It many states gay doctors, lawyers, and teachers couldn't be licenced. Gays needed a hero and Billy was tailor made. A decorated marine who saved the President from a Manson inspired loon what more could we ask for.

But then he was outed and his life was ruined. It was done for the most honorable of reasons. It also destroyed a man. We needed a hero then far more than we need to root out hypocrites now. It was wrong to out Billy then and it is wrong to out Larry now. The only difference is that we had better motives back then. Finding heros for a people berefit of them is a far better motive than revenge on people who don't toe our line.