Robert Rygor

Robert Rygor was an Irish-European-American gay or homosexual cisgender rights activist from the late 1970s through to the mid-1990s. He became an advocate for Human Immunodeficency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) victims shortly after the deadly disease became widespread among many sexually active gay men and drug users in the early 1980s. He was diagnosed with the virus in 1990 before succumbing to it in 1994.

Early life

Robert was born in New York City in 1953 and lived in Astoria, New York in the borough of Queens. His father's name was Stanley Rygor. His mother's name was Kathleen. She was Irish Catholic. Robert had four siblings. He disclosed his sexual orientation to his parents in 1971.

Robert graduated from Mater Christi Catholic High School(now known as Saint John's Prepartory School in Astoria, NY) in 1971. The school also has a campus in Brooklyn. Then he attended New York University (NYU) and studied finance in graduate school.

Robert briefy worked for Morgan Stanley and then worked for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Activism

Robert moved out of his parents' house while attending NYU and rented an apartment in the neighborhood of Greenwich Village on West 11th Street in Manhattan. His move enabled him to run for public office to represent the borough of Manhattan.

In 1978, Robert protested the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade for excluding members of the lesbian, gay male, bi-sexual, trans-gender, and/or Queer (LGBTQ+) community from marching under a gay banner. In 1980, he became the first openly cisgender gay man to run for a seat in the New York State Assembly. He did not win the election.

Robert campaigned for many causes in the 1980s including LGBTQ+ rights, parks restoration, conservation and restoration of cultural property, safer neighborhoods, and sex education in schools.

In 1990 he unsuccessfully ran for the New York State Assembly for a second time. At the time, he worked for AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT-UP), a grassroots political group that was established to end to spread of the AIDS disease using advocacy. He lost the election to fellow gay candidate and only cisgender lesbian to serve in the history of the New York State Legislature Deborah J. Glick. She is still in office.

In 1992, he testified at the National Democratic Party Platform Committee Hearings in order to advocate for the inclusion of AIDS educational awareness and its public funding into their platform. He also traveled to the West African country of Cameroon for the 7th International Conference on AIDS in Africa.

In 1993, Robert was the office manager for ACT-UP and he got vocally involved in a political battle between the New York City Board of Education and activists on the issue of educating students about respecting and tolerating gay people and the gay identity or homosexuality. In an interview with a New York Times Reporter, Robert said, "The religious right has been mobilizing their constituencies in the outer boroughs, bringing their religious dogma into the public school system. It's a movement that we as AIDS activists are concerned about." Robert had been circulating a petition to run for Community School Board 2, on The Upper East Side of Manhattan.

He was diagnosed with the virus known as AIDS in 1990. He passed away as a result of the disease in 1994.

Legacy

After his death, Robert's parents continued his activism. His father, Stanley Rygor, a World War II veteran, was a regular participant in the St. Pats For All parade and AIDS Walk New York; during the St. Pats for All parade there is a moment of silence for Robert. Robert's parents advocated for marriage equality and for the Irish LGBTQ+ group Lavender and Green Alliance to participate in the New York City St Patrick's Day Parade. Stanley died in 2019. Kathleen Rygor, passed away in 2021.

The corner of Broadway and 34th Street in Astoria has been co-named in honor of Robert and his two biological parents for their activism for LGBTQ+ rights and stopping the spread of AIDS. The corner of 34th Street & Broadway was co-named "Stanley, Kathleen & Robert Rygor Way" during a ceremony on May 2, 2022 — in honor of the family who lived on the block for decades. The family first moved into their 34th Street home in 1954.