Bob Ross, a gay rights activist and the publisher of the Bay Area Reporter, died on Dec. 10 from complications of diabetes. He was 69.
Born in New York, Ross served in the U.S. Navy before settling down in San Francisco. He was working as a chef when he co-founded the Bay Area Reporter with Paul Bentley in 1971. The newspaper eventually became a political and cultural force in the gay community.
The Bay Area Reporter was known for publishing obituaries of people who had died of AIDS. At the height of the epidemic, these death notices filled two or three pages of newsprint. Then in 1998, the San Francisco-based weekly published a front page headline that read: “No Obits.” It was the first time in 17 years that an AIDS-related obituary was not included in the paper.
Ross was also active in gay and civic organizations. He served as president of Meals on Wheels and as a director of the Gay Games.
December 18, 2003 by
Bob Ross
Categories: Media
This man served his country, both in the military and in the media. I’m grateful for his contributions.
I wrote for the BAR regularly from 1984-1996 and went thru at least four of the arts editors that Bob Ross abused and discarded, just as writers were, in turn, abused and discarded by the dozens. Bob Ross was a dreadful human being, a reactionary and a bigot; if it weren’t for being queer, he’d have been in the John Birch Society. Actually, I’m not sure he wasn’t in the John Birch Society anyway. Near the end of 12 years of service, I had received a raise of $10 per article I wrote for the BAR
i havent really met bob ross but I was so inspired by bob that im bob for hall of fame most of you probly dont know what that is but ill tell you. first you have to pick a perso that you like and has a good history then you do reserch on that particular person then they grade you on your performance. Any one willing to help me get reserch on bob.send me mail…
thanks,
good job , didn’t know he was gay. thought it. didn’t know. any way RIP BOB
Wendell,
Just found out that Ross died. You are right on target in your comments. He was a dreadful reactionary bastard and contrary to that lying obituary in the Examiner Bob Ross was on Harvey Milk’s list of people that he NEVER wanted to see take his place. It was a short list and Bob was right up near the top of it. I brought this up in 1999 when I was having an exchange on capital punishment with BAR and they tried to laugh it
off without a real denial. Just picked up BAR
last night for the first time in ages and saw
his name listed in the past tense, so I suspected
he croaked but it’s good to have confirmation.
Unfortunately the dreadful Feinstein boot licker
and SFPD whitewasher Friday is still pounding his
center-right bilge.
I BELIEVE THAT ANY KIND PERSON DERSERVES RESPECT. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT SOME OF THE COMMENTS POSTED HERE ARE NEGETIVE. WHAT IS WITH THE BULLSHIT? HOW COULD ANYONE FIND A BAD WORD TO SAY ABOUT BOB ROSS? UNLESS YOU KNEW HIM PERSONALLY, YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING… THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A BAD THOUGHT ABOUT SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW, THINK OF BOB ROSS AND SMACK YOURSELF ACROSS THE FACE… IF YOUR LUCKY YOU’LL WAKE UP!!!!
RIMA
Thank you for the nice comments and I respect the negative views as well. Bob was my uncle.Hey, will the man from Fairbanks please write me back thelmaswin@yahoo.com
Thank you Bob, you are somebody to tribute, God bless you forever.