Kennett Square resident Katherine “Kay” Lahusen, a gay-rights pioneer and photographer who was among the first to document the LGBTQ struggle, has died at 91, writes Rita Giordano for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Along with her life partner, the late Barbara Gittings, Lahusen led early LGBTQ protests in Philadelphia. These rallies paved the way for the defining Stonewall riot in New York City in 1969.

The pair also helped get the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

As the first openly gay photojournalist, Lahusen was an early recorder of the gay-rights movement. She captured scenes both of the front-line quest for acceptance and the daily dignity of LGBTQ life. She highlighted the latter through her photographs of tender moments between same-sex couples.

“It is impossible to overstate Kay’s importance in the struggle for LGBT rights and dignity,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal.

Lahusen’s photographs appeared in numerous publications; the New Public Library maintains an archive of them. She was also an author, publishing the book Gay Crusaders under the pen name “Kay Tobin” with co-author Randy Wicker.

Read more about Kay Lahusen in The Philadelphia Inquirer.