EBar.com – by Liz Highleyman
Former San Francisco Police Sergeant Elliott Blackstone, a longtime ally of the LGBT community, died October 25, a month shy of his 82nd birthday.
According to an obituary placed in the San Francisco Chronicle, Sgt. Blackstone suffered a major stroke.
Starting in the 1960s, Sgt. Blackstone was an early advocate for the gay and transgender communities. In June, he was honored as lifetime achievement grand marshal of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade.
“Elliott Blackstone’s life is a lesson for all of us in how allies can come from the most unexpected places and transform our daily lives through the dignity that they bring to the work they do,” said Don Romesburg, a board member of the GLBT Historical Society.
Sgt. Blackstone was born November 30, 1924, and grew up in Chinook, Montana. After finishing high school, he served in the Navy during World War II. He joined the San Francisco Police Department in 1949.