Picking and Choosing by DGA

Sally Ride. She was an American astronaut, a physicist, an extraordinary tennis player and much more. She could have pursued a professional career, but her passion for science ultimately came out on top. NASA employed her in the late 1970s to work as a CapCom and to develop robotic technologies. In the early 1980s, at 32, she became the first and youngest American woman in space. Her story fascinated me because she "came out" publicly after her death. What motivated her to make this choice? The answer is in the aftermath, which was essentially a conflict between the queer and feminist communities trying to decide which side she fit into the best. Only contemplating the characteristics of her that could benefit them in saying, "look who can now represent us." However, she was just a person who belonged to both groups, which is often overlooked when discussing people we regard as icons.