Why we’ll always love Dr. Ruth, the LGBTQ+ ally who reminded us to “have good sex!”
Sexually Speaking in 1980, kicking off her ubiquitous media career.Whether on the radio, in her multiple published books (including 1983’s Dr.
Ruth’s Guide To Good Sex), her many notable television appearances, or her television shows of her own, Westheimer was a warm and candid presence who never judged others and always reminded us to “have good sex!”A post shared by THE AIDS MEMORIAL (@theaidsmemorial)And, from the very beginning, she spoke openly and positively about the queer community, even when it felt like no one else in the public eye was.
She rose to fame in the ’80s just as the AIDS epidemic was taking hold, but she used her voice to combat panic and prejudices around HIV at the time and, as a result, likely saved many, many lives.“She really helped me gain confidence and accept who I was as a young gay man, and when AIDS started taking most of my friends in the 1980’s after I moved to NYC after college,” Mike Mushak writes for The AIDS Memorial. “Her support of our community and promotion of safe sex on her syndicated radio and TV shows no doubt saved countless lives.
I’m still here at age 63, maybe because of her honest and detailed advice.”Westheimer’s legacy as an LGBTQ+ advocate is beautifully highlighted in the 2019 documentary Ask Dr.
