Marcia Freedman, the first out lesbian and American woman to serve in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, died in Berkeley, California September 21.
She was 83. Ms. Freedman was diagnosed with renal and heart disease, her daughter, Jennifer "Jenny" Freedman, told the New York Times.
The author, politician, feminist, LGBTQ rights, and Palestinian rights activist served in the Knesset from 1973 to 1977. During her tenure, she was an ardent advocate for women's rights and stood up for Arab-Israeli rights.
An early advocate of LGBTQ rights in Israel, Ms. Freedman came out as a lesbian while she was in the Knesset. "She was this little woman" — no more than 4 feet 8 inches tall — "and she would stand up in the Knesset and say this stuff, and they