September 13th

09-13-1948 – 01-23-2003 Nell Carter – Born in Birmingham, Alabama. She was an American singer and actress. She won a Tony award for her performance in the Broadway musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ and an Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television. From 1981 to 1987, Carter starred in the NBC sitcom Gimme a Break!. She was devastated when one of her brothers, Dr. Bernard Taylor, whom she described as “the best friend I ever had,” died of AIDS. Carter did marry twice and had children. It was upon her death that the public learned that she was a lesbian and that her heir and the custodial parent of her children, was her domestic partner, Ann Kaser.

09-13-1944 Bettina Aptheker – Born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She is an American political activist, feminist, professor, and author. A former member of the Communist Party USA like her parents, she was active in civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s and 1970s and has worked in developing feminist studies since the late 1970s. During the 1970s, Aptheker worked for the defense in the high-profile trial of Angela Davis, a long-time friend, lesbian, and fellow Communist Party member. She also wrote a book about the trial, The Morning Breaks: the trial of Angela Davis, which was published in 1974. In 1965 Aptheker married fellow student Jack Kurzweil. They divorced in 1978 after having two children. Since October 1979, Aptheker has been with Kate Miller, her life partner. Aptheker is openly lesbian.

09-13-1978 Erin Foley – Born in New York City, New York. She is an LGBT comedian. She is also a comedic actress and writer. Foley made her stand-up debut on the Conan O’Brien Show. Movies that Foley has been in include:  Almost Famous, Cried Suicide, Sophomore, and The Inn Keeper. Foley is openly lesbian.