Gerry Eastman Studds, 69 The first openly gay member of Congress, Studds was censured by the House in 1983 for having had a sexual relationship a decade earlier with a 17-year-old page. The affair was consensual, though the young man was underage according to the law at that time. The voters in his Cape Cod-area district re-elected him a year later with 56 percent of the vote. Studds served in Congress until 1997, a strong voice for the environment and for gay rights. His name resurfaced in the current page scandal on Capitol Hill when Republicans cited the Democrats' failure to force his resignation over charges similar to those against Florida Rep. Mark Foley. After gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts, Studds married his partner, Dean Hara. "He gave people of his generation, or my generation, or future generations, the courage to do whatever they wanted," said Hara.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
