Elaine Noble (1944- ) was the first openly gay person to run for state office and win. She served the Massachusetts State Legislature and represented Boston’s Fenway and Back Bay neighborhoods. She won her first term in 1974 and was reelected in 1976. The atmosphere had changed so greatly between terms that she won her second election by 90 percent of the vote. Elaine was not only a gay politician, first she was an educator. She was also an activist for women’s rights, gay rights, and community rights.

Elaine fought for all people, not just one or the other. When she was first elected in the mid-1970s, Boston and the country as a whole was in a fight for African Americans’ rights. Boston specifically was in the process of desegregating the schools. Elaine felt so strongly about desegregation, being an educator, she and her campaign volunteers maned the bus stops to make sure the children got on and off the busses safely. She was also the only white legislator that rode the buses with the children. She did not join organizations like the Homophile Union of Boston, because she was told her and the other women could serve on the board but had no voting rights. She also refused to speak for the National Organization for Women unless they publicly apologized for their attempts to distance themselves from lesbian issues in the past. As Elaine said herself, “You cannot say you want progress or change for one group and not for another.”

Even though she succeeded in her career and ambitions, it was not easy for her. Throughout the campaign, she faced a number of threats and harassments. In an interview she discussed the amount of threats and the type of threats her and fellow openly gay politician Harvey Milk faced. Because of the types of threats and the frequency, she felt that eventually one of them would be killed. Even her fellow legislators had problems with her service. She recalled days when there would be feces at her desk. Through it all, Elaine never lost sight of helping those she could.

By: Jessica McKenzie

Credits and Sources:

Dean, Elizabeth. “A Portrait of Elaine Noble.” WGBH. Accessed September 12, 2016. http://www.wgbh.org/articles/A-Portrait-of-Elaine-Noble-8182

Noble, Elaine. Interview by Larry Nichols. Seattle Gay News. Accessed September 12, 2016. http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews35_41/mobile/page12.cfm

Noble, Elaine. Interview for Out and Elected in the USA. Accessed September 12, 2016. http://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/out-and-elected/1970s/elaine-noble