First Woman and LGBTQ+ Person in Space
Sally Ride was the first openly acknowledged LGBTQ+ member to enter space. She was also the first woman to go. She was one of the five crewmembers on the space shuttle Challenger STS-7 as well as the STS-41G. Throughout her entire life Ride fought for what she knew was important. It wasn't known that Ride was LGBTQ+ until late in her life. Ride was married to an astronaut Steve Hawley for 5 years, but then divorced him and never married again, though she and her partner Tam O'shaughnessy had a 27 year long relationship. Although Ride was never able to fight for LGBTQ+ rights during her life, she was a great example for many women, girls, and LGBTQ+ children. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.
The Married Women's Property Act of 1870 was a gateway for many rights and privileges for women in the Victorian Era. It showed that women deserved their own say and should be able to have a say in what happens with them and their money. Sally Ride was not an act passed by congress, but she still created a gateway for many women and LGBTQ+ people who followed in her footsteps. During Ride's life she showed that lesbians could do the job just as well as straight men, and also tore down the stigma that women can't be in STEM careers. Ride showed that women and LGBTQ+ people can and should have a say in what they can and cannot do with their life.
Sources: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sally-ride