Prominent lesbian activist and artist Connie Kurtz died at the age of 81 late last week.
Kurtz is survived by her wife, Ruth Berman. The couple worked together to create the LGBT Elder Americans Act last year.
“There is nobody else I could imagine sharing this life with,” Berman said of her 44-year relationship with Kurtz, according to Palm Beach Post.
The couple were the focus of an award-winning 2002 documentary titled Ruthie & Connie: Every Room In The House and had been prominent figures in the fight for marriage equality in the United States. They also sued the New York City Board of Education for domestic partner benefits, which were then granted in 1994.
“Connie and her soulmate Ruth have been iconic leaders of our community for decades, which is why the federal legislation SAGE has introduced in Congress on behalf of LGBT elders is named after them,” said Michael Adams, the CEO of SAGE, an advocacy group for LGBTIQ+ elders, according to Gay City News.
He continued: “Words can’t explain how sad we are that Connie has passed. We send our love and condolences to Ruth. And we celebrate and honour Connie’s fierce and passionate legacy, which has made the world a better place for so many of us.”
“Aside from the fact that they are pioneers, the fact is that this is a classic love story that transcended the prejudices and idiosyncrasies of their own time to be able to move us forward — something no one else could do,” Meredith Ockman, board member of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council said.
She continued: “Every success we have had in the community rests on the shoulders of these women. They have affected everyone in life, whether they knew it or not.”
