RK ARCHIVE - Sam Garrison's Passing

Sam's political and professional career was remarkable. He was Chief Minority Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings. He was elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Roanoke City as a Republican. Political orientation can be modified; Sam later became a staunch Democrat, and served on the state Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
Sam's most important work was battling anti-gay bigotry. He was a consummate grassroots activist, and one of the earliest leaders of the GLBT community in Southwest Virginia. He was an organizer of Roanoke's first Pride in the Park and led a 200-person committee to Roanoke City Council to protest discrimination. Five years before Lawrence v. Texas, he challenged Virginia's "Crimes Against Nature" law in a case which reached the Virginia Supreme Court. Sam was a leading voice against the passage of the Marshall/Newman Amendment, which he called the "hate amendment." Given the tenor of the debate, Sam's assessment was accurate.

A friend remembers Sam's comments at the Richmond rally held the day the U.S. Supreme Court finally got the police out of Americans' intimate lives. Perhaps thinking of a member of the House of Delegates who has since moved on to higher office, Sam said, referring to the sodomy law, "For too many years, this rule was kept in place by our state legislature's hypocritical law-breakers. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, now those legislators will just be hypocrites."

I remember Sam's good humor and his eloquence. In a diary posted here during the campaign to defeat the amendment, Sam took the long view and compared the experience of the Jamestown settlers with that of we today who work for full equality. Sam wrote: "There is always some New World beckoning to those with the stoutest of hearts and the most burning curiosity to see what better things may be out there beyond the horizon, just waiting for human intellect and persistence to bring them to fruition."

Sam will be missed by all of us who swim upstream. A memorial service for Sam Garrison will be held June 24 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Roanoke.

Comments

Sam Garrison - Deomcratic Activist - Virginia Partisans Roanoke Chapter Chair (charleyconrad - 5/31/2007 7:56:48 AM)

The Virginia Partisans Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club and all of Virginia has lost a true hero. Sam Garrison was a very active Board Member and built the Roanoke Chapter of the Va Partisans into a respected political force in Southwest Virginia. Sam was a member of the Democratic State Central Committee and represented GLBT issues before the State Democratic Committee as only he could. His wit and grasp of the essential issues was truly a gift. He and I spent many hours working on a resolution last year that condemed the Marshall Newman Amendment. The resolution would be presented to the State Central Committee of the Democratic Party. I remember the Friday night that the Steering Committee was going to vote on the resolution. I was a nervous wreck, and just knew I was going to have to defend the resolution before that committee. Then I saw dear Sam walking into the room and I instantly relaxed. He hugged me and said he was "proud of what we were doing" and then basically told me we had nothing to worry about, that the State Democratic Party would not let us down. The resolution passed the Steering Committee without objection, and the next day the resolution passed the entire State Central Committee without objection. With that resolution the State Democratic Party went on record as opposing writing discrimination into the Constitution of Virginia. With a sigh of relief and a smiled I looked for Sam. And there he was with his head held high as though something sweet smelling was in the air, or was it a wonderful gay angel singing in his soul, or both. Thank you my dear friend for showing us the way, and the foot prints that we followed to this day.

Charley Conrad, President, Virginia Partisans Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club - Arlington Virginia.

Sam... (Sean Holihan - 5/31/2007 10:32:38 AM)

Will be truly missed. I had only gotten to know him over the past two years but he was a voice of wisdom and calm in an otherwise sea of confusion.

He had much to offer and gave a lot of himself to causes he thought were just.

I don't know what better can be said of an individual.

Sam (jeisrael - 5/31/2007 12:42:40 PM)

Sam lived an amazing life. Elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Roanoke at age 27! Counsel to the House Watergate Committee. Argued before the VA Supreme Court against its "Crimes Against Nature" law, which was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Member of the Virginia Human Rights Commission. Virginia Partisaans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club Roanoke Chapter Chair.

His message was a simple one--keep fighting for what is right, but do so in a way that is pragmatic and strategic.

Thanks, Sam, for all you did to make Virginia a better place for everyone.

Sam (jimsky - 6/1/2007 1:39:12 PM)

What a great loss to all who care about equal rights and justice for all. I most remember Sam's incisive mind which cut to the most basic issue and argument, and the witty and sharp phrasing that he used to express something that resonated with us all--and I would ask myself, "Why didn't I think of that?" Now we can keep Sam alive by thinking of those right words to use and quoting Sam's own words, and redoubling our efforts to isolate those who hate and to expand the number of thoughtful Virginians who believe in the most basic of human rights for everyone. People like Sam come along infrequently, and those of us who knew and loved him are grateful for having that unique opportunity.