How many of NASA's rocket riders were/are gay?

Sally Ride was one. Just died leaving partner of 27 years, Tam O'Shaunnesy.

Most of them were. "Houston we have a problem" was really about them realizing they had left the bag with the anal douche on the launch pad

Mostly, the gals.

None of the men?

Some of the men may have been but the women were more open about it.

Any gay astronaut would have had to be so deep in the closet that he might as well have been straight.

Not true R6. They are like a special family protective of one another. The females (at least) were open about it within the astronaut group.

I think they were all married and had kids, except for Jack Swigert from Apollo 13. Kevin Bacon played him in the Ron Howard movie, and in the commentary Jim Lovell characterized Swigert as a guy who always appeared with a different blonde on his arm.

When the movie came out, one of Swigert's friends wrote this essay for the LA Times:

Jum Lovell's son is a chef at a family owned restaurant:

Here's an article on Jay Lovell's Lake Forest area restaurant

too too in deep outer space closet

Hendrik Hertzberg remembers Sally Ride:

Where Sally Rode and Where She Didn’t

(A meditation on how she -- and we -- view homosexuality in our free society.)

Amy Davidson looks at Sally's life, death, and "privacy."

The Astronaut Bride

David Walker

Died, presumably of cancer, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston on April 23, 2001 at age 56. The day before he died, NASA arranged a private link to the International Space Station so Walker could say goodbye to his close friend James Voss, who was aboard the station. [Aviation Week, 30 April 2001, page 29]

Born May 20, 1944, in Columbus, Georgia. Died on April 23, 2001 following a sudden and brief illness, Walker was 56 years old and was being treated at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. His wife, the former Paige Lucas, and two adult sons from a previous marriage, Michael and Mathieson, survive him. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on May 24, 2001.

In cosmonaut training program always were taught put national pride above base sexual desire which is what Ride Sally, mere first American woman in space, did. A toast of vodka to her!

Jack Swigert, from Denver and living there at the time of his run for Congress in 1982 (dying of cancer before he could be sworn in), was generally known to be gay. He's the one who said, "Houston, we have a problem here." Never married.

He ran as a Republican. A lot of Colorado gays were at the time, times being a little different and the western libertarian streak made for a different dynamic. Those times are over. It also was a time when the depth of the closet led all the way to Narnia for these people.

I was living there at the time, and knew political types. And have visited his grave.

"They had people looking into the background of the men, [and] they also had people looking into the background of the wives because they didn't want an oddball... it wasn't discussed, it wasn't written, but ... you had better be, in every sense of the word, the All American Family in everything you say and do! We kept it like 'Leave it to Beaver.'"-- Susan Borman

For some reason I always thought that Gus Grissom pinged, a macho and married closet case.

Funny that Jack Swigert was the only astronaut not portrayed in Tom Hanks' From The Earth to the Moon.

Although it is true the Apollo 13 episode was about the people on the ground and one just heard the astronauts over the radio, Fred Haise had an actor portraying him in the series, and his space time was also limited to just A13.

Do we have astronauts anymore?

Gay or otherwise?

[quote]Do we have astronauts anymore?

Of course we do. Who do you think is in the ISS right now?

[quote] Who do you think is in the ISS right now?

What are they doing up there?

There are two that are kind of interesting. They are interested in cosmic far-out ideas. I forget their names. I wonder if one of them might be.

That's interesting about Swigert

T

there is no need to take the Lord's name in vain, you dumbass Op

^ Frau alert

We're only 3-4% of the population so mathematically, gay astronauts will be few and far between.

R28 = Good Gay

I know one gay male astronaut (via my partner). I would never out him, but he wasn't closeted at NASA. This was during the shuttle era (post-Challenger era).

So he was not married to a woman, r30?

I think Roger Healy was closeted.

R32 I can personally attest that Roger Healey was hetero. He helped me out since I couldn't get anything at home.

What was up with Sally Ride's husband? Was he gay, too, or just a lesbian hag?

One of our earlier astronauts died of AIDS, I forget his name. I read this at the Houston Space Center.

Bump

I think R23 might be talking about Edgar Mitchell? He was always into hippy-dippy sort of ideas, and founded The Institute for Noetic Sciences - Rusty Schweikart, as well, who is still goodlooking.

What about Dave Brown from the Columbia disaster? He was a former gymnast who was "married to his career"

^ He pinged

Don't forget me!

Caneface!

I've been around shuttle astronauts and can attest that the females were open about it amongst themselves. I didn't hear of any males except the normal rumors. Today's younger class are probably more open. The astronauts have always been a progressive group and protective of their own.

Thank god for this thread. In this age of world hunger, climate change, ISIS, extreme poverty, income inequality, racism, sexism, homophobia, its wonderful to see homosexuals addressing the REAL issues.

All the dead of AIDS send their eternal gratitude.

[quote]What was up with Sally Ride's husband? Was he gay, too, or just a lesbian hag?

He wins "The Nice Guy" Award for helping his friend.

Even though the whole thing was creepy and sad, per r12 and r13.

R43, this is a gossip board, stop being silly.

Another seemingly married to his career:

i was told by a email friend he had a 1 time romp with a famous astronaut years ago.. NOT while this astroanut was still a astronaut but years later...

if i posted some hints, everyone would KNOW who it was....

the email friend of mine has since passed away sadly. he was a good friend, well good email friend, i don't think he would make this up. i mean of all the people in the world and if he had to make up having sex with a celebrity why would he make up having a 1 time fling with a astronaut? (unless for whatever reason he had a thing for this particular astronaut and just wanted to tell a fantasy of he and him as the truth for his own reasons?)

was he telling the truth who knows? i do know said astronaut has been married for a long time, grown children and i have never ever heard or read any hint of him being closeted or bisexual..

R47, spill the beans!

Yes - at least give some clues!

Has said astronaut, himself, passed away? We know it aint Charlie Duke. Maybe Al Worden? Wally Schirra?

Alan Bean?

I'd love it to be Geno Cernan (foreground).

Bump

R47, could it have been John Young?

Very handsome, natty man who aged into one fine hot daddy.

R52 I bought his house!!

Spill r55 -- any secret rooms?

Was the public really so naive back in the day to not know Sally Ride was a big ol' dyke? I mean, have you ever seen a picture of her?

Mae Jameson?

R56 Naw....just a typical 3/4 Fla home with a small pool. Perfect for one person or empty nesters.

I'll bet they wanted to travel to their favorite planet-your anus (Uranus)

R59 - I'd love to see pictures, and promise not to stalk you. Wow. Love him, and can't wait until 'Last Man' is available.

And R54 - damn, yes. John Young would do nicely.

some of you want hints do you as to my #47 posting?

1st hint and it's a biggie: became a politician....

John Glenn?!

Swigert was elected to Congress, died before he could be sworn in.

Harrison Schmitt?

Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space, when he flew in 1984 on the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-41-G as a payload specialist. After two other shuttle flights, Garneau entered politics and won a seat to the Parliament of Canada in 2008.[10]

#64 post and everyone else...

in answering your posted response, my answer is fill in the blank down below...

the name of the 1960's beach movie was "beach blanket ......

the last word of this movie title means yes your are right..

Finally, some decent gossip, around here; thanks, R68. Still disappointed that it wasn't Geno Cernan, though..

Jungle survival training with Neil Armstrong..

John Glenn was nice looking when he was younger

I don't know how to respond to this.

It was a twink who REALLY taught me how to fly

The astro's I shagged were tens, as in atrotens. All the zeros could only suit up, as in astronaughts. We mostly did it to the dark side of the moon.

Was your email friend Charles Keating R47?

I always figured Swigert probably was.

I never suspected Judith Resnick, based on the comment in her wiki article about her showing off a sticker of Tom Selleck, but after viewing the attached video, I wonder if that was more like a "Rosie O'Donnell crush onTom Cruise" situation.

I know she was an engineer, so maybe she put on an affectation to fit in with the guys, but geez, TOTAL dyke voice.

We had an male engineer at one of my jobs who was infamous for falling in love with the lesbians on staff and then having his heart broken.

He had a huge thing for Judy Resnick.

post #75, NO it was not keating or anyone of any "fame".. the story he told was very detailed, but to be honest i questioned it for a number of reasons 1) well we were JUST email friends, although good friends 2) the fact that i had never heard of, read of since or before any hint of rumor about this astronaut playing both sides whether secretly or not 3) well not to be mean, but my email friend was quite frankly "not very attractive at all".. so i find it kind of hard to believe that certainly if this astronaut played both sides of the fences that he could have picked someone good looking then email friend! PLUS one would have to think this was NOT a 1 time thing for astronaut if his secret sexuality is true, and had other encounters, thus, why would he be with email friend when he could have his pick one would think? then again, as i posted earlier why would email friend make this up unless he had a thing for this astronaut and felt like creating and writing me a tale of him and him together as real would be a sexual thrill outlet to 'spin a tale, a false tale to me to tittilate me reading it ? otherwise if your going to "make up a sexual encounter with a famous person why then would you/he choose this astronaut?"

^ LOL. Was he a lesbian hag, or just closeted and in denial?

Apparently NASA liked the lesbians, or the lesbians liked NASA.

The first woman to walk on the moon, Kathyrn Sullivan, is gay.

Here Kathy narrates, while her fellow lesbian Sally Ride works.

We called him "The Little Dutch Boy" for always wanting to stick his fingers into dykes.

Kathyrn Sullivan never walked on the moon...

She was the first woman to walk in space.

Maybe that "Astronauts Wives" show coming up will cast some light on this subject.

[quote] married to his career

Not incompatible with fucking around, or "playing the field" as straights would have called it back then. You'd think gays would realize this.

Judy Resnik was married from 1974-1978 and stayed friends with her ex, attorney Michael Oldak after the divorce. After her death on Challenger, he represented Judy's father in the subsequent lawsuit with NASA. he suit did not go well:

[quote] why would email friend make this up unless he had a thing for this astronaut and felt like creating and writing me a tale of him and him together as real would be a sexual thrill outlet to 'spin a tale, a false tale to me to tittilate me reading it ?

I think you just answered your own question. However, I'm still hoping the hook-up was true!

BTW, to reference past posts and make the clickable and easily accessible, just type the letter r in front of the post number. Say you were referencing post number $%&, then you would type r$%&. DL will take care of the rest.

Interesting that an astronaut we are rumoring to be gay is being portrayed in a TV show by an actor rumored to be gay,

Gayest pic of Swigert I could find

Where he learned how to pose like that

Some other dudes who still pose like that

bump

Oh oh -- no one told blogger Emily --

John Glenn hung out with Craig Spence....just sayin'

What an odd tale r93

sarqwrw

r69 Here's a casual photo of Buzz and um, my favorite former CF model.

Who is that?