NASA

Sally Ride, who died on Monday, can help put a face to a national problem.

She was the first American woman and the youngest American ever to travel in space—the kind of accomplishment that automatically gets you the label of “inspiration for generations of young Americans” and an obit in The Times. But Ms. Ride did a lot more than just make her landmark space flight in 1983 (and a second one later on). She served on the commission that investigated the Challenger explosion, as well on the commission for the Columbia accident. And she formed a company, Sally Ride Science, to promote science education among young people.



What’s less well known is that Ms. Ride was gay. Family and friends were aware of her 27-year relationship with Tam O’Shaughnessy, but the wider public was not. I bring up this personal detail because, as numerous people on the Web and Twitter have pointed out, Ms. O’Shaughnessy is not entitled to any federal benefits. (She probably doesn’t need the money, but that’s beside the point.)

The Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, denies federal survivors’ benefits to same-sex couples. President Obama, who has come out in support of same-sex marriage, stopped defending the law in court after his Justice Department concluded that it was unconstitutional. But the Republican leadership in Congress has retained its own lawyers to keep pressing the legal case.

Ms. Ride was not a public advocate for gay rights. Still, I can imagine what she might have had to say about the situation. In 1983, she was the subject of endless questioning about being the first American woman in space, a lot of which focused on things like whether she would wear a bra or makeup in space. At a NASA news conference at the time, she said: “It’s too bad this is such a big deal. It is too bad our society isn’t further along.”