PoliticalGraveyard.com

Politicians Who Died of AIDS
(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

Very incomplete list! in chronological order   Stewart Brett McKinney (1931-1987) — also known as Stewart B. McKinney — of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Conn.; Westport, Fairfield County, Conn. Born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa., January 30, 1931. Republican. Member of Connecticut state house of representatives, 1967-71; U.S. Representative from Connecticut 4th District, 1971-87; died in office 1987; delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1972. Bisexual. Member, Rotary; American Legion. Died, from acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Washington, D.C., May 7, 1987 (age 56 years, 97 days). Interment at Oak Lawn Cemetery, Fairfield, Conn.   Relatives: Son of James Polk McKinney and Clare Louise (Brett) McKinney; married, October 2, 1954, to Lucy Cunningham; father of John P. McKinney.   The Stewart B. McKinney Transportation Center (built 1987), in Stamford, Connecticut, is named for him.  — The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge (etablished 1972 as the Salt Meadow Wildlife Refuge; renamed 1987), in Fairfield, New Haven, and Middlesex counties, Connecticut, is named for him.   See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial   Sheldon Andelson (1931-1987) — of Bel Air, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif. Born in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif., March 5, 1931. Democrat. Lawyer; banker; real estate investor; member, University of California Board of Regents, 1980-86; member, Arrangements Committee, Democratic National Convention, 1984. Jewish. Member, American Civil Liberties Union; Gay. Died, from AIDS complications, in Bel Air, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif., December 29, 1987 (age 56 years, 299 days). Burial location unknown.   See also Wikipedia article   Brian J. Coyle (1944-1991) — of Moorhead, Clay County, Minn.; Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minn. Born in Great Falls, Cascade County, Mont., June 25, 1944. College instructor; in 1968, he was indicted and tried for his refusal to comply with the military draft, but was acquitted as a conscientious objector; Independent candidate for U.S. Senator from Minnesota, 1978; candidate for mayor of Minneapolis, Minn., 1979; president, Minneapolis city council. Gay. One of Minnesota's first openly-gay politicians. Died, from AIDS-related complications, August 23, 1991 (age 47 years, 59 days). Burial location unknown.   Richard C. Failla (1940-1993) — of New York. Born in Queens, Queens County, N.Y., 1940. Lawyer; Justice of New York Supreme Court 1st District, 1988-93; died in office 1993. Gay. Died, from complications of AIDS, in St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Manhattan, New York County, N.Y., April 11, 1993 (age about 52 years). Burial location unknown.   See also Find-A-Grave memorial   Richard A. Heyman (c.1935-1994) — of Key West, Monroe County, Fla. Born about 1935. Mayor of Key West, Fla., 1983-85, 1987-89. Gay. One of the first openly gay public officials. Died of AIDS-related pneumonia, September 16, 1994 (age about 59 years). Burial location unknown.   See also Wikipedia article   Jon Clifton Hinson (1942-1995) — also known as Jon Hinson — of Mississippi. Born in Tylertown, Walthall County, Miss., March 16, 1942. Republican. U.S. Representative from Mississippi 4th District, 1979-81; resigned 1981. Gay. Resigned from Congress in 1981 after being arrested in a men's restroom and charged with oral sodomy. After leaving politics, became a gay rights activist. Died, from acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Md., July 21, 1995 (age 53 years, 127 days). Burial location unknown.   See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page   Cal Anderson (1948-1995) — of Washington. Born May 2, 1948. Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Washington, 1984; member of Washington state house of representatives, 1987-95; member of Washington state senate, 1995; died in office 1995. Gay. First openly gay member of the Washington state legislature. Died from complications of AIDS, August 4, 1995 (age 47 years, 94 days). Burial location unknown.

"Enjoy the hospitable entertainment of a political graveyard." Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872

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