Making Gay History | LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive
Season 11: Episode 3: Faygele Ben-Miriam
Nov 17, 2022
Faygele Ben-Miriam, an LGBTQ rights activist and early same-sex marriage lawsuit plaintiff, discusses his experiences in activism during the 60s, growing up in Levitown, coming out in the 1960s, serving openly in the military, and his successful lawsuit against the US Civil Service Commission.
30:12
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Quick takeaways
- Faygele Ben-Miriam challenged discrimination through legal action, suing the US Civil Service Commission for firing him due to his homosexuality.
- Faygele Ben-Miriam played a key role in establishing LGBTQ organizations and embraced a sex-positive and inclusive approach to community building.
Deep dives
Challenging Discrimination Through Legal Action
Fagel Aben Miriam, a transplanted New Yorker, was a one-person litigation team who challenged discrimination through legal action. He sued the US Civil Service Commission for firing him due to his homosexuality. He also tested the limits of Washington State's marriage statute by applying for a marriage license with his friend Paul Barwick. The case paved the way for the protection of LGBTQ employees through the Civil Service Commission policy.
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