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✨ Sagittarius Lagna

Gittings Barbara

• Remembering (Feb 18, 2007)

★ July 31, 1932 · Vienna, Vienna
3views
☽
Moon Sign
Gemini
☀
Sun Sign
Cancer
↑
Ascendant
Sagittarius
✦
Nakshatra
Punarvasu
Birth Star
PoliticsWritersLibrarianPublic SpeakerHumanities+Social SciencesDestiny Number 9Soul Number 9Personality Number 6
Biography

Who is Gittings Barbara?

American pioneering activist for lesbian and gay equality, who organized the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) from 1958 to 1963, edited the national DOB magazine The Ladder from 1963 to 1966, and worked closely with Frank Kameny in the 1960s on the first picket lines that brought attention to the ban on employment of gay people by the largest employer in the USA at that time: the United States government. Gittings participated in many of the earliest LGBT actions in the United States. In 1965, Gittings marched in the first gay picket lines at the White House, the US State Department, and at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to protest the federal governments policy on discrimination of homosexuals, holding a sign that read "Sexual preference is irrelevant to federal employment." Her early experiences with trying to learn more about lesbianism fueled her lifetime work with libraries. In the 1970s, Gittings was most involved in the American Library Association, especially its gay caucus, the first such in a professional organization, in order to promote positive literature about homosexuality in libraries. She was a part of the movement to get the American Psychiatric Association to drop homosexuality as a mental illness in 1972. Her self-described life mission was to tear away the "shroud of invisibility" related to homosexuality, which had theretofore been associated with crime and mental illness. Gittings and her lifelong partner, Kay Tobin (also known as Kay Tobin Lahusen; born 1930) met in 1961 at a picnic in Rhode Island. Gittings described how they began: "We hit it off, we started courting. I flew to Boston [to see her] and got off the plane with a big bunch of flowers in my hand. I couldnt resist. I did not care what the world thought. I dropped the flowers, grabbed her and kissed her. That was not being done in 1961." Gittings and Lahusen were together for 46 years. On 18 February 2007, Gittings died in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania after a long battle with breast cancer. She was survived by her life partner, Kay Tobin Lahusen, and her sister, Eleanor Gittings Taylor. Gittings was awarded a lifetime membership in the American Library Association, and the ALA named an annual award for the best gay or lesbian novel the Barbara Gittings Award. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) also named an activist award for her. Link to Wikipedia biography
Latest Info

Latest Updates

Update at: Apr 28, 2026

Gittings Barbara (Barbara Gittings) - Public Profile

Barbara Gittings (July 31, 1932 – 2007) was an American LGBT rights activist and a leading figure in the early movement for LGBTQ rights in the United States.

Overview

  • Prominent LGBTQ rights advocate and longtime organizer within the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB).
  • Partner and collaborator with Kay Lahusen, whose photography and writings helped document lesbian life and visibility in mid-20th century America.
  • Known for efforts to increase LGBT visibility, civil rights protections, and de-pathologizing homosexuality within medical and psychiatric communities.

Public Work and Notable Projects

  • Daughters of Bilitis (DOB): Contributed to outreach, publication, and organizational work for the oldest lesbian civil rights organization in the United States.
  • The Ladder: Associated with the organization's magazine, helping to publish and promote articles that advanced lesbian visibility and rights.
  • Advocacy for psychiatric reform: Participated in campaigns to remove homosexuality from being classified as a mental illness in psychiatric manuals, part of broader efforts that influenced public perception and policy.
  • Documentation and visibility: Collaborated with Kay Lahusen to document and publicize LGBTQ lives, contributing to early public history of the movement.

Legacy

Gittings is remembered as a foundational figure in the modern LGBTQ rights movement. Her leadership within the DOB and her collaboration with Kay Lahusen helped lay groundwork for later civil rights advocacy, greater public visibility for LGBTQ people, and gains in outreach and education within queer communities.

News and Media

As a historical figure who passed away in 2007, there are no contemporary news updates about Barbara Gittings. Her legacy is discussed in LGBTQ history retrospectives, academic works, and museum/archival contexts that highlight early activism and the evolution of LGBTQ rights.

Social Media and Online Presence

  • There is no official personal social media presence for Barbara Gittings, given her passing. Contemporary discussion occurs on educational sites, encyclopedic entries, and LGBTQ history resources.
  • Public memorial pages, biographies, and archival collections reference her contributions; primary sources include Daughters of Bilitis archives and related LGBTQ history materials.

Selected References and Resources

  • Barbara Gittings and Kay Lahusen profiles in LGBTQ history archives
  • Daughters of Bilitis archives and The Ladder publications
  • Obituaries and retrospective articles in major newspapers and LGBTQ history journals
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Which Raj Yogas are in Gittings Barbara's birth chart?

3 FOUND

Gittings Barbara's chart shows 2 Raj Yogas and 1 challenging combination, including Chandra-Mangala Yoga, Varishtha Yoga.

Planetary Combinations
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Which dasha periods did Gittings Barbara live through?

VIMSHOTTARI

Vimshottari dasha periods recorded for Gittings Barbara, in order.

PREVIOUSAug 13, 2026 - Sep 1, 2026
Mars / Mercury / Sun
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What do Gittings Barbara's numerology numbers say?

Gittings Barbara's core numbers are Destiny 9, Soul Urge 9, Personality 6, Karmic Debt 19.

◎Destiny
9

Chaldean Destiny 9 indicates humanitarian expression and completion energy. It supports service, mentoring, and influence through compassion and higher ideals.

❖Soul Urge
9

Chaldean Soul 9 desires purpose and compassion. It seeks to serve, forgive, and complete cycles with wisdom.

◇Personality
6

Chaldean Personality 6 appears caring, responsible, and protective. Others often see harmony-making and relationship commitment.

⚖Karmic Debt
19

Chaldean Karmic Debt 19 indicates lessons of independence with respect for others. It asks balanced leadership—stand strong, but do not isolate or dominate.

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Life Events & Planetary Transits

Key events mapped against the active Dasha and planetary transits at the time.

2007
Death
Death by Disease 18 February 2007 (Breast cancer, age 74)
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