Cheryl Spector
Encyclopedia
Cheryl Ann Spector was a well-known gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
activist who lived in Arlington, Virginia.
Spector was born in Lakewood, New Jersey, and raised in Toms River, New Jersey
. She was raised Jewish
and later baptized as a Christian
, but continued to celebrate both faiths and attended services at the Metropolitan Community Church
of Washington and at Bet Mishpachah
, both welcoming religious communities for gays.
She attended American University
and worked in broadcast television, doing public affairs work for nonprofit organizations before becoming an executive secretary at the Central Intelligence Agency
in 2000.
Spector became an activist after her brother Stanley’s diagnosis with the HIV
virus that causes AIDS
and subsequent suicide
, in October 1985. She began by volunteering at the 1987 and 1993 Marches on Washington, and served as Grand Marshal of the D.C. Gay Pride Parade in 1998.
She co-founded the group Oppression Under Target in the late 1980s. The group distributes safe-sex kits to women. In 1990, she worked with ACT-UP to prevent the spread of HIV
through infected drug needles.
She served on the board of directors of the Rainbow History Project and was involved in a number of Washington, D.C.-area organizations, including Queer Nation
, the Lesbian Avengers
, Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance, Capital Pride
, the Mautner Project
, the Max Robinson Center of the Whitman-Walker Clinic
, the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, Bet Mishpachah, the Human Rights Campaign
, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
and the Reel Affirmations
GLBTQ film festival.
In 2004, she was awarded the "Distinguished Service Award" from the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, Inc. (GLAA)
Spector was known for her photography of D.C. gay events and people, including the community's first AIDS candlelight vigil in 1983. Unfortunately, many of her videos and photographs were lost in an apartment fire shortly before her death. She had intended to leave the materials to the Rainbow History Project, which filed for a grant to clean and restore the remaining materials.
Just before her death, Mautner Project
, the National Lesbian Health Organization, had planned to honor Spector with their "Unsung Hero Award," which they asked her sister to accept on her behalf.
She was also an occasional guest on Washington, D.C.'s Don and Mike Show, usually reporting on gay pride events in the area.
She died on September 4, 2007 from myeloid leukemia
.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
activist who lived in Arlington, Virginia.
Spector was born in Lakewood, New Jersey, and raised in Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...
. She was raised Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and later baptized as a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, but continued to celebrate both faiths and attended services at the Metropolitan Community Church
Metropolitan Community Church
The Metropolitan Community Church or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is an international Protestant Christian denomination...
of Washington and at Bet Mishpachah
Bet Mishpachah
Bet Mishpachah is a Jewish egalitarian worshiping community in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C. It is one of a number of national and international Jewish communities of "LGBT affirming congregations" that specifically welcome and "embrace" the LGBT community, along with all others who...
, both welcoming religious communities for gays.
She attended American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
and worked in broadcast television, doing public affairs work for nonprofit organizations before becoming an executive secretary at the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
in 2000.
Spector became an activist after her brother Stanley’s diagnosis with the HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
virus that causes AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and subsequent suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, in October 1985. She began by volunteering at the 1987 and 1993 Marches on Washington, and served as Grand Marshal of the D.C. Gay Pride Parade in 1998.
She co-founded the group Oppression Under Target in the late 1980s. The group distributes safe-sex kits to women. In 1990, she worked with ACT-UP to prevent the spread of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
through infected drug needles.
She served on the board of directors of the Rainbow History Project and was involved in a number of Washington, D.C.-area organizations, including Queer Nation
Queer Nation
Queer Nation was an organization founded in March 1990 in New York City, USA by AIDS activists from ACT UP. The four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media...
, the Lesbian Avengers
Lesbian Avengers
The Lesbian Avengers began in New York City in 1992 as "a direct action group focused on issues vital to lesbian survival and visibility." Dozens of other chapters quickly emerged worldwide, a few expanding their mission to include questions of gender, race, and class.Though some groups continue...
, Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance, Capital Pride
Capital Pride (Washington)
Capital Pride is an annual LGBT pride festival held in early June each year in Washington, D.C. As of 2007, the festival was planned and produced by Whitman-Walker Clinic, and is the fourth-largest gay pride event in the United States.-1970s:...
, the Mautner Project
Mautner Project
Mautner Project is a national organization in the United States dedicated to improving the health of lesbians and other women who partner with women . It was founded in 1990 and is based in Washington, D.C...
, the Max Robinson Center of the Whitman-Walker Clinic
Whitman-Walker Clinic
Whitman-Walker Health , , is the largest nongovernmental HIV/AIDS health care organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It has historically served a primarily LGBT clientele...
, the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, Bet Mishpachah, the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is a non-profit legal services, watchdog, and policy organization founded in the United States in 1993. It is dedicated to ending discrimination and harassment of gay and lesbian U.S. military personnel negatively affected by the "Don't ask, don't tell"...
and the Reel Affirmations
Reel Affirmations
Reel Affirmations is a non-profit, all-volunteer LGBT film festival in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1991 and held every year in mid-October, Reel Affirmations is the third largest LGBT film festival in the United States and the largest all-volunteer film festival in the world.-Organization:Reel...
GLBTQ film festival.
In 2004, she was awarded the "Distinguished Service Award" from the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, Inc. (GLAA)
Spector was known for her photography of D.C. gay events and people, including the community's first AIDS candlelight vigil in 1983. Unfortunately, many of her videos and photographs were lost in an apartment fire shortly before her death. She had intended to leave the materials to the Rainbow History Project, which filed for a grant to clean and restore the remaining materials.
Just before her death, Mautner Project
Mautner Project
Mautner Project is a national organization in the United States dedicated to improving the health of lesbians and other women who partner with women . It was founded in 1990 and is based in Washington, D.C...
, the National Lesbian Health Organization, had planned to honor Spector with their "Unsung Hero Award," which they asked her sister to accept on her behalf.
She was also an occasional guest on Washington, D.C.'s Don and Mike Show, usually reporting on gay pride events in the area.
She died on September 4, 2007 from myeloid leukemia
Myeloid leukemia
Myeloid leukemia is a type of leukemia affecting myeloid tissue.Types include:* Acute myeloid leukemia* Chronic myelogenous leukemia...
.