Out Spotlight

Today's Out Spotlight is a photojournalist and photographer. Patsy Lynch has spent over three decades capturing moments in time.

Born in Washington,D.C., Patsy Lynch has spent decades documenting not only the politics and people of her native city, but events that have impacted the world. She has covered international, national and local news for a variety of news agencies, international and national newspapers and magazines. And at the same time has documented the decades of her own community, the GLBT community and the long struggle for civil rights. Her coverage of the journey for equality has given a visibility to the movement and inspired activists worldwide.

Lynch received her B.A. from Elon University (North Carolina), where she started the college newspaper and later went on to earn two master’s degrees from Gallaudet University (Washington, DC).

She became the first openly gay journalist with a White House credential, working for both The Advocate and the UPI news agency in the 1970’s and 1980’s and is one of the founding members of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

Her work has appeared in magazines, books, and newspapers around the world. In addition to her editorial work, she has worked on assignment for several U.S. government agencies, including the National Park Service and Health and Human Services. She also worked on assignment for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where she documented Hurricane Katrina and most recently the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Lynch has been documenting the GLBT community since 1976. She was one of four official photographers at the 1979 Lesbian and Gay March on Washington. And she continued bring her community to public forum. In the 80's she documented the AIDS activism movement, including a 1987 protest at the White House and a 1988 die-in organized by ACT UP. She was there again, camera in hand for the 1993 March on Washington, and continues to cover the recent events for gay rights, including marriage equality and DADT.

She served as the photographer for the “Community Pioneers” exhibit of Washington, D.C. residents who contributed to the struggle for equality. “We need to let people know that we are here, and we’re not going away,”

Lynch has said that she "is proud and thrilled to be part of a community that is finally getting the recognition and civil rights we deserve."

In 1990, she was named Photographer of the Year by the National Gay Press Association.
The Gay and Lesbian Activist Alliance presented her a Distinguished Service Award in 2006 for her work. And in 2007, Lynch was awarded the Community Pioneer Award by the Rainbow History Project.

“If we don’t know our history we’re going to become forgotten.” - Patsy Lynch

All photos not of Patsy Lynch in today's Spotlight were taken by Patsy Lynch.

Patsy Lynch Photography

The Rainbow History Project - The Patsy Lynch Collection