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430:, where the members of the organization shared their firsthand accounts of discrimination with the city leader. Clingan and Councilman Carter Burden introduced a bill in 1971, which Messer helped author, that would have prohibited discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of sexual orientation in New York City. The bill was unsuccessful and such a bill would not pass in New York City until 1986.
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Messer was arrested in
January 1985 by an undercover police officer at the Irving Art Theater for alleged indecent behavior. He was convicted of the crime, fined, and placed on one year's probation. New York State rescinded his medical license because of his conviction. While his Michigan license was
373:. Air Force investigators went through his phone book and the film on his camera while searching for evidence. The investigation lasted three months and included the investigators traveling to his hometown and asked acquaintances whether he had shown signs of being gay while he was growing up.
388:. When Messer applied for the position, he listed a 1974 article that essentially identified him as an openly gay man. At the time, it was unusual for physicians to be open about their sexuality. He retired from Wayne County General Hospital at age 60.
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After moving to
Michigan in 1976, he became involved with the Association of Suburban People (ASP) as a board member and public face of the organization. In 1977, he appeared with Wes Rogalski, president of ASP, on "Gayly Speaking", a
419:. His participation as a neurosurgeon was especially notable as he did not participate in the group under a pseudonym, which was the most common practice for members of the organization at that time. Messer also participated in the
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He co-founded
Triangle Foundation in 1991, at age 63. The organization merged with Michigan Equality in 2010 to form Equality Michigan. Following his death in 2014, Messer's estate donated approximately
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program. He also helped organize the first "Developing a
Positive Gay-Lesbian Identity" conference in 1980, and was profiled in Metra magazine in 1982. Messer later became involved with the
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526:. The Governor's office later stated that the tribute was signed by a machine, and that the Governor wouldn't have signed the tribute if he had known what it was for.
384:, where he became chief of neurosurgery in 1972. He left in 1976 to become chief of neurosurgery at Wayne County General Hospital, at that time a teaching unit of the
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when they met in 1951 after a night out with a group of gay servicemen. In 1953, after resigning from the Army Air Force, Messer and House moved to New York City's
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while volunteering at the
Triangle Foundation's office in Detroit on June 28, 1995. The incident received national attention as a possible anti-gay hate crime.
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Messer's LGBT political advocacy focused on police entrapment and improving the climate for LGBT youth, especially young people in the medical field.
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Messer (bottom left) and partner Carl House (bottom right) with
Equality Michigan's staff at 60th Anniversary event in February 2012.
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Equality
Michigan has annually awarded a Henry D. Messer Youth Activist Award since 2000 to recipients such as State Representative
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453:(MOHR) as a board member and proponent of lobbying elected officials and holding them accountable to their LGBT constituents.
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and acknowledged Messer and House's 50th anniversary in 2002, also noting their many years of activism. State
Representative
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made remarks commemorating the couple's 60th anniversary at an anniversary party and benefit for
Equality Michigan in 2012.
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not in danger of being rescinded, he decided to retire at age 60. Messer recounted his experiences in MOHR's newsletter.
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Messer died at approximately 5:00am on
February 18, 2014, at his home in Dearborn Heights after a struggle with cancer.
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Messer received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Southeast Michigan LGBT Pride Banquet on June 15, 1995.
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After resigning from the Air Force, Messer completed his residency and then practiced neurosurgery at
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Around 1970, Messer and House hosted a meeting with Mattachine members and New York City Councilman
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requested, and received, a tribute to the couple on their 50th anniversary from Michigan Governor
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Tribute by Senator Debbie Stabenow to Messer, recorded for his April 2014 memorial service.
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Messer (right) with his partner of 63 years (at the time of his death), Carl House (left)
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in 1953 after an officer with whom Messer had been involved turned him in for being a
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dedicated its 2015 National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change to Messer.
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788:"Equality Michigan mourns loss of Dearborn Heights resident, one of its founders"
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441:. It was the first account of gay doctors to be included in a medical textbook.
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Shortly after moving to New York City in the early 1950s, Messer joined the
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Messer met his life partner, Carl House, while serving as a captain in the
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Congressional Record, V. 148, PT. 1, January 23, 2002 to February 13, 2002
957:"National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change 2015 program book"
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In 1974, he wrote a chapter entitled "The Homosexual as Physician" for
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907:(Press release). Equality Michigan. October 21, 2014. Archived from
905:"Equality Michigan Recipient of Substantial Gifts From Co-Founder"
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in Greenwich Village. In the late 1960s, he took a position at
469:, spread over four years, to support the organization's work.
293:. He moved to Durham, North Carolina to study premedicine at
233:(September 22, 1927 – February 18, 2014) was an American
723:. Government Printing Office. May 1, 2006. p. 416.
688:"Records & Briefs New York State Appellate Division"
249:, and co-founder of Triangle Foundation (today known as
660:"LGBT Civil Rights Pioneer Dr. Henry Davis Messer Dies"
1000:
875:"Michigan gay rights group gets $ 3 million donation"
881:. Associated Press. October 22, 2014. Archived from
850:"US: Gay rights group receives $ 3 million donation"
658:
Jason A. Michael; Tim Retzloff (February 18, 2014).
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United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War
285:on September 22, 1927, to Henry Messer, owner of a
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465:to the organization's endowment and approximately
275:Messer (right) with his partner, Carl House (left)
966:. National LGBTQ Task Force. 2015. Archived from
365:Messer was forced to resign his commission as a
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749:
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848:Joseph Patrick McCormick (October 23, 2014).
435:Human Sexuality: A Health Practitioner's Text
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605:"Honor for Life's Work Buoys Gay Advocate"
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1085:Duke University School of Medicine alumni
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378:Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center
1070:People from Dearborn Heights, Michigan
555:Michigan Organization for Human Rights
516:United States House of Representatives
451:Michigan Organization for Human Rights
354:. During the war, he was stationed at
763:. Washington Blade. February 19, 2014
7:
933:. Equality Michigan. Archived from
794:. February 22, 2014. Archived from
757:"Equality Michigan co-founder dies"
1120:20th-century American LGBTQ people
817:Carreras, Jessica (May 20, 2010).
299:Duke University School of Medicine
14:
1125:21st-century American LGBT people
603:Dunlap, David W. (July 9, 1995).
1115:Military personnel from Michigan
1105:American LGBT military personnel
1095:United States Air Force officers
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289:dealership, and Sarah Messer, a
241:. He was an early member of the
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1055:American LGBT rights activists
1:
1075:People from Greenwich Village
819:"Equality Michigan steps out"
306:United States Army Air Forces
186:United States Army Air Forces
1080:People from Madison, Florida
996:Tribute by Equality Michigan
400:Messer posing with Senator
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514:stood on the floor of the
322:Dearborn Heights, Michigan
82:Dearborn Heights, Michigan
1100:LGBTQ people from Florida
538:National LGBTQ Task Force
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151:
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135:LGBT rights, human rights
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169:United States of America
565:LGBT rights in New York
560:LGBT rights in Michigan
348:United States Air Force
1110:Gay military personnel
1065:American neurosurgeons
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386:University of Michigan
382:Harlem Hospital Center
356:Maxwell Air Force Base
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192:Years of service
392:LGBT rights activism
829:on October 25, 2013
761:washingtonblade.com
694:. September 5, 1958
360:Montgomery, Alabama
281:Messer was born in
41:Triangle Foundation
964:creatingchange.org
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483:
417:Mattachine Society
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314:United States Army
277:
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243:Mattachine Society
231:Henry Davis Messer
59:September 22, 1927
43:event in June 2006
22:Henry Davis Messer
973:on March 22, 2015
931:"Catalyst Awards"
823:Between The Lines
664:Between The Lines
550:Equality Michigan
520:Patricia Godchaux
493:
346:, he entered the
338:Professional work
318:Greenwich Village
251:Equality Michigan
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126:Equality Michigan
114:Years active
74:February 18, 2014
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1060:American gay men
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428:Eldon R. Clingan
352:first lieutenant
320:. They moved to
283:Madison, Florida
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63:Madison, Florida
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510:Representative
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421:Stonewall riots
402:Debbie Stabenow
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295:Duke University
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117:1953–2013
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975:. Retrieved
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909:the original
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796:the original
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734:. Retrieved
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692:Google Books
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612:. Retrieved
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406:Barack Obama
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297:and went to
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239:neurosurgeon
230:
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122:Organization
108:neurosurgeon
76:(2014-02-18)
15:
1050:2014 deaths
1045:1927 births
833:January 16,
524:John Engler
502:Jon Hoadley
342:During the
235:LGBT rights
195:c.1950-1953
104:LGBT rights
1039:Categories
571:References
344:Korean War
219:Korean War
157:Allegiance
143:Carl House
106:activist,
55:1927-09-22
39:Messer at
977:March 29,
941:March 29,
915:March 29,
889:March 29,
859:March 29,
802:March 29,
767:March 29,
736:March 29,
698:March 29,
669:March 29,
614:March 29,
423:of 1969.
324:in 1976.
291:housewife
287:Chevrolet
1017:Michigan
854:PinkNews
544:See also
310:corporal
175:Service/
132:Movement
1003:Portals
447:WDET-FM
371:gay man
367:captain
327:He was
312:in the
209:Captain
140:Partner
727:
177:branch
166:
1029:LGBTQ
971:(PDF)
960:(PDF)
350:as a
979:2015
943:2015
917:2015
891:2015
879:WNDU
861:2015
835:2014
804:2015
769:2015
738:2015
725:ISBN
700:2015
671:2015
616:2015
536:The
329:shot
215:Wars
200:Rank
84:, US
71:Died
65:, US
49:Born
437:by
358:in
253:).
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26:MD
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53:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
