The United States' first woman in space, Sally Ride, will be honoured with a US postal stamp. Ride, who died in 2012, was also the first openly LGBTIQ+ astronaut.
Announced earlier this week, the stamp's design was shared by the United States Postal Service during a ceremony with Ride's family and friends, during which the astronaut was remembered as being a "trailblazer".
“Sally Ride’s history-making journey has made it easier for young girls to dream of one day being an astronaut, an engineer, a physicist or a mathematician,” said USPS Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President Kristin Seaver.
She continued: “Today, girls don’t just dream. Because of trailblazers like Sally Ride, they have been empowered to do!”
The news was also shared on twitter by Vice President Mike Pence, who wrote: “Today, the USPS dedicates the Sally Ride forever stamp to commemorate the first American woman to travel to space. Her courageous career as an astronaut and scientist inspired a nation.”
However, Pence was swiftly shushed by those who felt that his stance on LGBTIQ+ relationships dishonoured Ride's legacy.
Ride’s life partner Tam O’Shaughnessy celebrated the announcement by recalling Ride's long-time hobby of stamp-collecting.
“Sally started collecting stamps when she was a girl, and she continued to do so her whole life —especially stamps of the Olympics and space exploration," O’Shaughnessy said.
“Sally would be deeply honoured to have her portrait on a U.S. stamp.”
