"I work on a telescope that does the impossible."
  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    55·
    6 months ago

    Oh they have far more to lose their shit over when it comes to Dr. Rigby:

    Rigby was a founding member of the American Astronomical Society Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy.[12] In 2015 she co-organised Inclusive Astronomy, a worldwide initiative to celebrate inclusivity and equity in astronomy.[13][14]

    And:

    Rigby came out as lesbian in 2000.[2] When she joined the University of Arizona as a graduate student, it was still against state law to be gay.[2]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Rigby_(astrophysicist)

    Not sure if she’s the first out lesbian to get the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but it wouldn’t shock me.

    Edit: Never mind. Billie Jean King got one from Obama and there might be women other than her, I just saw her name when I was scanning.