[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. WALTER LEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHAKA FATTAH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 30, 2010

  Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Dr. Walter 
Lear. Dr. Lear was a committed physician, outspoken health advocate for 
gay and lesbian people, and a great Philadelphian. A native of 
Brooklyn, New York, he was born in 1923 and went on to receive degrees 
from Harvard College (B.S), Long Island College of Medicine (M.D.), and 
Columbia University (M.S.). In the 1960s, Dr. Lear left New York to 
become the Philadelphia health commissioner and later became the 
executive director of Philadelphia General Hospital and then the 
regional health commissioner for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. 
As one of few ``out'' gay public officials, Dr. Lear was a leading 
advocate for the inclusion of sexual orientation in civil rights 
provisions barring discrimination. Additionally, he was influential in 
ensuring the passage of the Philadelphia Gay Rights Bill in 1982.
  Throughout his career, Lear sought to improve the lives of ordinary 
people by broadening access to quality healthcare, especially to those 
who were marginalized in society because of their sexuality. In 1979, 
Lear and a small group of others founded Lavender Health, which would 
become the first health center in Philadelphia dedicated to meeting the 
unique needs of the city's gay and lesbian community. Lavender Health, 
now known as the Mazzoni Center, continues to provide a much needed 
resource in Philadelphia as it is the only organization to provide 
comprehensive health and wellness to LGBT people. Furthermore, the 
Mazzoni Center is the oldest AIDS organization in Pennsylvania and the 
fourth oldest in the nation.
  Lear's determination to help others was truly unmatched and the 
extent of his work is far reaching. He helped found the Gay and Lesbian 
Community Center (now the William Way Center), the Philadelphia AIDS 
Task Force, and the Maternity Care Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. 
In addition, he also convened the first national conference on AIDS in 
the 1980s before the disease received any widespread attention from the 
media or government. In the 1970s, he was a part of a small group that 
helped to desegregate medical schools in Philadelphia. Moreover, Lear 
was visionary in his advocacy for expanded access to healthcare beyond 
gays and lesbians, to include communities of color facing similar 
barriers to care. Toward the end of his life, his research interests 
included documenting the 100+ year struggle to obtain universal 
healthcare.
  Lear was not only an advocate for LGBT issues, but also vocal in his 
support for the wellbeing of all Pennsylvanians. As an active member in 
the American Public Health Association (APHA) for over 50 years, Lear 
championed a number of causes involving minority health, social 
justice, and health issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
transgender people. The APHA recognized Lear's vast work and activism 
at their 134th annual meeting where they awarded him the Helen 
Rodriguez-Trias Award for Social Justice. Sadly, Dr. Lear died on May 
29, 2010. He is survived by his loving partner of over 50 years, James 
F. Payne, his former wife, Evelyn Lear; a son, Jon Stewart, and a 
daughter, Bonnie Stewart. I express my sincere condolences to his 
family and friends, and honor the great work he has done for the City 
of Philadelphia and the Nation.

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