Dr. Leonard Hirsch—a senior policy officer at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and founder of Federal GLOBE, the organization for LGBT federal employees—died of cancer June 12. He was 59.
A frequent White House visitor, Hirsch was an informal adviser on LGBT policy to President Obama and his staff. Hirsch had a Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University (although he was born/raised in the East).
Among Hirsch’s relatives are Windy City Times theater writer Jonathan Abarbanel (third cousin).
Hirsch’s husband (and partner of 32 years), Dr. Kristian Fauchald, 79, died April 4 at George Washington University Hospital.