LGBT Heroes to Remember

On the following pages, read about acts of bravery by LGBT Americans, some of who have shaped the course of history. All came to the aide of another person in imminent danger, including young Allan Fonseca who guided customers to safety during a mall shooting in Oregon. We welcome suggestions for other LGBT people who deserve their own medal of honor; send to newsroom@advocate.com.

BY Neal Broverman

August 05 2011 6:00 AM ET UPDATED: December 13 2012 4:00 PM ET

GAY HEROES TERESA BUTZ X560 (FAIR USE) | ADVOCATE.COM

Teresa Butz

Teresa Butz made the ultimate sacrifice for her partner during a nightmare come true. In 2009, Butz and her partner were awakened in the middle of the night to see a naked man standing at the foot of their bed holding a butcher knife. For 90 minutes the women were raped and stabbed. When Butz saw that her partner was losing massive amounts of blood and growing weak, Butz tackled the maniac, allowing her partner to run from the room. Butz then hurled a nightstand through a window and dove out of it. She bled to death on the street, while her killer ran from their Seattle home. Butz's partner survived — last month she was there when Butz's mentally disturbed killer, Isaiah Kalebu, was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted murder, rape, and burglary.