Eldon Murray, a pioneer of the LGBT movement in Wisconsin, passed away on March 5 following a brief illness. He was 77.
Murray was one of the founders of the Gay People’s Union (GPU), the first major gay liberation organization in Milwaukee, according to the Milwaukee LGBT History Project Web site. In 1994, he founded SAGE (Senior Action in a Gay Environment) in Milwaukee, the state’s first organization devoted to elder issues in the LGBT community.
Among the many awards Murray received for his efforts in the gay community was the Pridefest’s Stonewall Award for outstanding service to the gay and lesbian community. In 1998, the One Institute and International Gay and Lesbian Archives honored Murray as one of the pioneers in the local gay movement.
Memorial services for Murray will be held March 31 at 1:30 p.m. at the Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet, Milwaukee.