CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
President Gerald Ford, the only former Republican president to reach out to gays and lesbians and call for their inclusion in the GOP, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., near Palm Springs, on Tuesday night. He was 93.
The 38th president of the United States was most remembered for restoring the nation's political stability following the resignation of President Nixon amid the Watergate scandal in 1974. At that time he was criticized for pardoning the disgraced president, a move some say cost him the White House in 1976.
But the former congressman from Michigan was praised by some for ignoring his own political viability in favor of helping the nation heal and come together after Watergate. That unifying spirit was again evident in 2002 when Ford joined the Republican Unity Coalition as a member of the organization's advisory board. The coalition is a fund-raising organization dedicated to making homosexuality a "nonissue" for the Republican Party.
"I have always believed in an inclusive policy, in welcoming gays and others into the party," Ford told The Detroit News in 2001. "I think the party has to have an umbrella philosophy if it expects to win elections."
Upon hearing of Ford's death, many gays and lesbians and members of the media recalled the time when Ford was saved from assassination by a gay man in San Francisco. As Ford emerged from the St. Francis Hotel on the afternoon of September 22, 1975, he paused before getting into his limousine to wave to the crowd across the street. That's when two shots rang out. The first narrowly missed Ford and the second was deflected by gay Vietnam veteran Oliver "Bill'' Sipple, who grabbed at the arm of the shooter, an FBI informant named Sara Jane Moore.
According to the San FranciscoChronicle, Sipple's act of heroism also was his undoing. The paper ran a story on September 24, 1975, saying that one reason the White House had yet to thank Sipple for his potentially lifesaving gesture was that he was a gay man. It turned out that Sipple's family had not known he was gay, and the disclosure resulted in him being alienated from his relatives.
Sipple sued the Chronicle for damages, but his case was eventually dismissed. He slid into alcoholism and died in 1989 at age 47. Among his prized possessions was the letter of thanks he eventually got from the White House.
Ford is survived by his wife, Betty Ford; four children; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Richard, of Grand Rapids, Mich. Details of the final schedule for Ford's funeral services in Washington, D.C., and Grand Rapids and the periods of public repose in Washington, Grand Rapids, and Palm Desert, Calif., were expected to be announced on Wednesday. (The Advocate)
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Wherever drag queen Tara Hoot goes, bomb threats seem to follow
April 11 2024 4:26 PM
Right-wing extremists confront transgender people in Florida bathrooms
April 11 2024 2:59 PM
Transgender boxer Patricio Manuel disappointed but defiant after first-round knockout
April 11 2024 12:37 PM
Lesbians have more orgasms than straight women — and yes, it's men's fault
April 11 2024 9:37 AM