September 28th

09-28-1881 – 03-16-1968 Eleonora “Eleo” Sears – Born in Boston, Massachusetts into a wealthy family. Her father was a shipping and real-estate tycoon. Her cousin, James Dwight brought the game of tennis to the United States in 1874. She is also the great-granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson. Eleonora was an out lesbian. She is considered one of the leading all-round women athletes of the first half of the 20th century. The sports she was involved with included tennis (she won the women’s doubles at the US Women’s Championship four times), golf, swimming, riding horses (she played Polo on a men’s team), and she was known to walk great distances (she once walked 73 miles from Newport to Boston in 17 hours). Eleonora was the first woman to ride astride at the National Horse Show in 1915. In 1918 she started playing squash and in 1928 helped to found the US Women’s Squash Racquets Association. She was also one of the first women to drive a car and fly a plane. In 1968 she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Eleonora was also elected into the Horsemen’s Hall of Fame and the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame.

09-28-1900 – 06-05-1951 Isabel Pell – Born in New York City, New York. She was an American socialite who fought with the French Resistance during WWII. In August 1944, Pell, wearing the badge of Free France, was able to lead American soldiers that were surrounded by the enemy, to safety. At the end of the war, she was decorated with the French Legion of Honour. Pell is known to have had many affairs with women, including out lesbian heiress, Eleanora Sears, actress Eva Le Gallienne, and sculptor Renee Prahar. Pell was forced to leave New York after her affair with a Metropolitan Opera soprano (unnamed) became public. She fled to Paris, joining other lesbian heiresses, including Natalie Clifford Barney. In France, she had an affair with Claire Charles-Roux, Marquise De Forbin. Pell was also close friends with Mercedes de Acosta. After WWII, Pell moved back to New York City. Pell died of a heart attack at the age of 51.

09-28-1975   Ana Brnabić – Born in Belgrade, Serbia. She is a Serbian politician and since 2017, is the current Prime Minister. Brnabić is the first woman and first openly gay person to hold the office. In 2017, she became the first head of government of any Balkan country to attend a gay pride march. At the event, Brnabić said, “The government is here for all citizens and will secure the respect of rights for all citizens.” In 2019, Forbes magazine ranked her as the 88th most powerful woman in the world and as the 19th most powerful female political and policy leader. Her life-partner Millica Durdić gave birth to a boy in 2019, making Brnabić the first openly gay prime minister whose partner gave birth while in office.

09-28-1982 Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Her fourth solo album, St. Vincent, released on February 25, 2014, was named an album of the year by The Guardian, Entertainment Weekly, and Slant Magazine. She also won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album. Clark has been called “one of the past decade’s most distinct and innovative guitarist.” When asked by Rolling Stone whether she identified as gay or straight, Clark responded, “I don’t think about those words. I believe in gender fluidity and I don’t really identify as anything.” In June 2015, she was in a relationship with English fashion model and actress Cara Delevingne. The couple separated in September 2016.

09-28-1969 John Perez – Perez grew up in El Sereno and Highland Park, California. (Place of birth unknown). He is a union organizer and politician from Los Angeles, California, who was Speaker of the California State Assembly from March 1, 2010, to May 12, 2014. Perez is the first openly gay House Speaker in California. In late 2014, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Perez as a University of California Regent.