Connie Kurtz died on Sunday, May 27, 2018. Ruthie Berman, her partner of 44 years, and Connie sued the New York City Board of Education for domestic partner benefits in 1988, eventually winning in 1994 for all NY City employees.

Connie on the right in photo below by Toni Armstrong, Jr. 

When I received a note from JEB that Connie had passed I began to remember. Connie and Ruth not only feminist icons but for me powerful examples of how love and self-acceptance bring out the courage to survive and speak truth to power. Connie and Ruthie were powerful role models that taught how self-acceptance fuels the spark to speak truth to power. Seeing them age in a partnership was also important to me. I realize that we don't need just to fade away or accept erasure that ageism in our own community and in the larger culture that dominates does and sends a strong message to all of us.

They were also a lot of fun the few times i was able to share some time with them. I will always remember how they broke the stereotype of the lonely old lesbian, Love concurs all when all else fails. Thank you, Connie, we are all here for Ruthie .. see you soon..

 "Ruthie and Connie: Every Room in the House" is the film about them by Deborah Dickson. 

Ruth Berman and Connie Kurtz Papers, 1956-2006 are housed in the Sophia Smith Collection., The Sophia Smith Collection at Smith  College is an internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, archives, photographs, periodicals and other primary sources in women's history. It was founded in 1942 to be the library's distinctive contribution to the college's mission of educating women.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Smith_Collection

I know Barbara Love (lifelong lesbian-feminist, author with former partner Sidney Abbott of SAPPHO WAS A RIGHT ON WOMAN  has left her papers here