knitmeapony:

Years before he was a gay rights leader, he was thrown out of UND. Whatever happened to Thom Higgins?

In light of Anita Bryant’s death I think we should also remember Thom Higgins, a true badass whose name is always tied to hers.

Yes, he’s the fella who put a pie in her face on national TV.

ALT

But this wasn’t a one time thing for him – being a badass, I mean. He also once pie’d an Archbishop (John Roach – who was one of the Catholics who fucked up one of the sexual abuse scandals the church had).

He’s largely credited for inventing the term ‘gay pride’: “The term “gay pride” was invented here. Thom Higgins had been raised in the Catholic Church and decided to come up with a means of countering the negative energy coming out of the church. So he paired two of the deadly sins: gay and pride.”

He was deeply midwestern – “He was the kind of person who would breeze into a friend’s kitchen the morning after a party, put on a pot of coffee and start making everyone eggs”

He was an anti-war protestor, and the first person in Minnesota to be registered as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War.

He wasn’t perfect, but he did a lot of good in his life, and he was silly and puckish and loved pranks as much as he loved his activism.

He died 20 years ago of complications related to AIDS.

While you’re crab raving that the Orange Juice witch is dead, spare a thought and raise a slice of pie to Mr. Higgins. More people should know about him.