Former U.S.
representative Gerry Studds, who became the first openly gay
member of Congress when his homosexuality was exposed during
a teenage-page sex scandal, died early Saturday. He
was 69.
Studds died at Boston Medical Center several
days after he collapsed while walking his dog, partner
Dean Hara said. Doctors determined his loss of
consciousness was due to a blood clot in his lung, Hara added.
Studds regained consciousness and seemed to be
improving, but his condition deteriorated Friday
because of a second blood clot. The origin of the
second clot was not immediately determined, said Hara, who
married Studds shortly after same-sex marriage was
legalized in Massachusetts in 2004.
Hara said Studds gave courage to gay people by
winning reelection after publicly acknowledging his
homosexuality. ''He gave people of his generation, of
my generation, of future generations, the courage to do
whatever they wanted to do,'' said Hara, 49.
Studds was first elected in 1972 and represented
Cape Cod and the Islands, New Bedford, and the South
Shore for 12 congressional terms. He retired from
Congress in 1997.
Early in his career, Studds was known for
opposing the Vietnam War and military intervention in
Central America. Studds later became an advocate for a
stronger federal response to the AIDS crisis and was among
the first members of Congress to endorse lifting the
ban on gays serving in the military.
In 1983, Studds acknowledged his homosexuality
after a 27-year-old man disclosed that he and Studds
had had a sexual relationship a decade earlier when
the man was a teenage congressional page. The House of
Representatives censured Studds, who then went home to face
his constituents in a series of public meetings.
At the time Studds called the relationship with
the teenage page, which included a trip to Europe, ''a
very serious error in judgment.'' But he did not
apologize and defended the relationship as a consensual
relationship with a young adult. The former page later
appeared publicly with Studds in support of him.
The scandal returned to the limelight recently
when Republican congressman Mark Foley of Florida
resigned after exchanging sexually explicit instant
messages online with a page. Republicans accused
Democrats of hypocrisy for savaging Foley while saying
little about Studds at that time.
Hara said Studds was never ashamed of the
relationship with the page. ''This young man knew what
he was doing,'' Hara said. ''He was at [Studds's] side.''
Studds told his colleagues in a speech on the
floor of the House that everyone faces a daily
challenge of balancing public and private lives.
''These challenges are made substantially more complex when
one is, as am I, both an elected public official and
gay,'' Studds said at the time.
In Congress, Studds was an outspoken advocate
for the fishing industry and was hailed by his
constituents for his work establishing a limit for
foreign fishing vessels 200 miles from the coast. After
leaving Congress, he became a lobbyist for the fishing
industry and environmental causes.
''His work on behalf of our fishing industry and
the protection of our waters has guided the fishing
industry into the future and ensured that generations
to come will have the opportunity to love and learn from the
sea,'' Sen. Edward Kennedy said in a statement. ''He was a
steward of the oceans.''
In 1996, Congress named the 842-square-mile
Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary after him in recognition of his work
protecting the marine environment.
In addition to Hara, Studds is survived by a
brother, a sister, and four nephews. (Jay Lindsay, AP)
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