Florida Loses a Gay Leader

Henry Woods, an influential gay Democratic activist in south Florida and former Beltway staffer, died Sunday, after suffering a severe aneurysm on Christmas Eve.

The 58-year-old Key West resident was a leader in the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus and the Key West Lambda Democrats as well as an adjunct political science professor at Florida Keys Community College. Following his aneurysm on December 24, Woods slipped into a coma and was rushed in a helicopter to Miami, where he died.

Woods was the man behind Woods Consulting, a public relations and grant writing firm that worked on AIDS charities and arts organizations. Woods, a native of Arkansas, previously worked as a press secretary for Rep. Bill Alexander and as special projects coordinator for Sen. Dale Bumpers, both Arkansas Democrats.

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