Jim Lansdowne
James Howard Lansdowne
13 May 1958 - 19 Jun 1989
Clubs & Associations
Obituary
Jim Lansdowne, gay activist, dead at 31
A memorial service will be held July 10 for longtime gay community leader and activist Jim Lansdowne, who died Monday from acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
The service will be at the Unitarian Church at Franklin and Geary streets.
Before his death at age 31, Mr. Lansdowne asked that any donations be made either to Harvey Milk AIDS Education Fund or AIDS, Vancouver, B.C.
Mr. Lansdowne was the political-action chairman for the Harvey Milk Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club, and a moving force in urging gays to become more politically active.
He worked as marketing manager for Pacific Bell and was destined for higher corporate offices when he was stricken with AIDS in November 1986.
Born in Cleveland, Mr. Lansdowne organized Ohio's largest gay organization, called GEAR, and helped bring respectability to the gay movement.
As a member of the Milk Democratic club, Mr. Lansdowne organized the 1980 March on Sacramento and became a community leader in AIDS education in 1982.
One of Mr. Lansdowne's main purposes as a political activist was to challenge and eliminate homophobia and AIDS-phobia, such as fighting against the travel of AIDS patients.
Mr. Lansdowne is survived by his lover, David Lewis, his dog, Miz Brutus the Basset Hound, three brothers, two sisters and his mother.[1]
Jim Lansdowne, Milk Club Leader
Long-time gay community leader and activist Jim Lansdowne succumbed to a two-and-a-half-year bout with AIDS on Monday, June 19. He died peacefully at his home in Vancouver, B.C., in the arms of his partner, David Lewis.
Lansdowne, former vice president for political affairs, and political action chair of the Harvey Milk Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club, never let the fact of his illness interfere with his community involvement.
He was a moving force in most progressive political campaigns in Northern California since 1979, having inspired and motivated people into positive action.
Lansdowne had a successful career as a marketing manager for Pacific Bell and had worked for the Bell System for over 12 years. He was on his way up the corporate ladder, as the political ladder, when stricken with AIDS in November 1986.
Forced to drop out of many direct activities, he nonetheless continued his work from numerous hospital beds and home environments, continuing to make a mark and be effective.
Jim got involved in community affairs in Cleveland, Ohio, his birthplace, in the mid-1970s. As a director of Ohio's largest organization at the time, GEAR, he brought credibility and respectability to the then-struggling Ohio gay movement, through his warm and conciliatory personality. People listened to Jim where they may have not listened before, and his accomplishments in Ohio set the stage for his move to San Francisco in 1979.
In San Francisco, Jim became a moving force in the Harvey Milk Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club, being immediately elected to its executive committee and serving in various capacities for over nine years. He helped organize the successful 1980 March on Sacramento, and was one of the first community leaders, in 1982, to actively begin promoting AIDS education programs. He was a key person in the committee that published, in 1983, "Can We Talk?" and remained on the board of the Harvey Milk AIDS Education Fund until his death.
Jim's tireless energy and commitment found him involved in dozens of progressive organizations, always taking a leadership position. He worked on the campaigns of dozens of candidates for public offices, as well as "Noon 64" and other initiatives, and himself ran for several public offices in the 1980s.
As a person with AIDS, Jim appeared in over 50 media stories, including Newsweek, television news, and talk shows, speaking out for people with AIDS. He challenged homophobia and AIDS-phobia in every place he experienced it. He fought against international restrictions on travel for people with AIDS, after having been harassed in an attempt to enter Canada.
Jim leaves his lover, David Lewis, and his dog, Miz Brutus the Basset Hound, as well as family in Cleveland: three brothers, two sisters, and his mother. Jim also leaves a legacy of caring, love and involvement that has forever changed the world in a positive way.
A private memorial service for family was held in Vancouver on Monday, June 26. A public celebration/memorial will be held in San Francisco on Monday, July 10, at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Church, Franklin and Geary streets. For further information call (415) 773-9540 or (640) 732-1269.
In lieu of flowers, Jim requested donations be made to either: Harvey Milk AIDS Education Fund, P.O. Box 14368, San Francisco, CA 94114, or to AIDS Vancouver, P.O. Box 4991, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6B 4A6.[2]
Memorial Panel
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Photos
At All Join Hands, 1984
Obituary (San Francisco Examiner)
Obituary (Bay Area Reporter)
Obituary photo
AIDS Memorial Quilt Block 1356
Block 1356 closeup
AIDS Memorial Quilt Block 1887
