Lige Clarke

Clarke was born February 22, 1942, as the third child to James Bramlette Clarke and Corinne Hicks Clarke. Clarke attended Knott County High School. During his teenage years, Clarke would pursue acting at Barter Theatre, in Abingdon, Virginia. Clarke attended Alice Lloyd College before graduating from Eastern Kentucky University. He later left Kentucky and joined the United States Army. ==Career==

By the early 1960s, Clarke worked for the United States Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. in the office of the Army Chief of Staff. He worked within the Pentagon, with nine separate top-level security clearances. His position had allowed him to spread pamphlets regarding gay rights during his time in the army. The access and influence from his position would aid the efforts of Jack Nichols and the Mattachine Society, which Clarke had joined after the Lavender Scare, to pressure government legislature concerned with gay rights. Clarke and Nichols created new chapters of the Mattachine Society by producing the East Coast Homophile Organization (ECHO). The Mattachine Society was the first gay liberation organization in the United States. Clarke became a leader of the group's New York and Washington, DC chapters. Clarke helped to organize the first gay rights picket line outside of the White House in 1965, he even hand lettered the protest signs himself. Some of which read "Gay is good!", which in the mid-1960s became a sort of rallying cry to combat both the guilt and shame heaped on gay people by the larger society. Clarke and Nichols created and wrote "The Homosexual Citizen" as a continuation to their original column written for The Mattachine Review beginning around 1965. It was published in Screw magazine. By 1972 they edited Gay (which was affiliated with Screw), Clarke and Nichols authored two books about same-sex attraction. == Gay newspaper ==

In 1972, Clarke and Nichols took the lead of Gay, one of the first weekly newspapers in the nation dedicated to homosexual news and issues. Gay was America's first national LGBTQ newspaper, that was originally founded in 1969 at the tail end of the Stonewall Riot. Gay also sought to provide in-depth reporting and commentary for the LGBTQ community. The newspaper featured a diverse range of content, including contributions from prominent activists and writers. It covered significant events, such as the rise of the Gay Activists Alliance, and explored issues of identity, relationships, and societal challenges relevant to LGBTQ individuals. Gay became the most profitable gay newspaper in the country. == Activism ==

Much of Clarke's activism was based on the East Coast; however, his work led to systemic change that shaped the lives and rights of LGBTQ+ people in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, the Commonwealth, and across the country. To honor and celebrate his life and work, the Lige Clark Liberation Fund was created with Clarke's family, including artist Eric Rhein. This led to mass firings of gays and lesbians from government jobs. This prompted Clarke and his network to take action. Despite taking some of the most significant risks among his protesting peers, Clarke was often accused by others of not being serious enough about his activism. This discontent with the early queer movements held for Clarke was rooted in their lack of understanding of his Appalachian upbringing. Clarke's queer identity and his overall persona were widely influenced by his Appalachian roots. He often rejected the idea of marriage and had concerns for his cohorts' incessant pursuit of equality. For Clarke, liberation for queer folks would come only when society in general became sexually liberated. Discounting labels and cornering when asked what his sexual preference was, Clarke would respond with, "My preference is for Jack Nichols". Through his understanding of the society around him and his patience for progress, Clarke was able to speak and write emphatically about both social and political developments within the queer community. In his book, I Have More Fun with You Than Anybody, co-authored by his partner, Jack Nichols, Clarke and Nichols allude to the inefficiency of extremism. From either or any side of a battle: "Right-wingers, we know, are only slightly more demented than left-wingers." ==Personal life and death==

Clarke met Jack Nichols in 1964 in Washington, D.C. They soon became lovers. His sister, Shelbianna Rhein, described him as "everyone's favorite"; he was especially loved by his mother, nieces, and nephews. Clarke's upbringing in Appalachia was said, by his sister, to be a massive influence on his creative, free spirit. Shelbianna said, "Despite the lack of museums, dance studios, and other advantages children on the outside of the mountains enjoyed, we grew up in a nurturing environment with a rich culture of mountain ballads, art, simple values, and people who cared about each other." The book was written to make the gay community more approachable to readers. With the help of Carl Perkins, a former U.S. Representative from Hindman, Clarke's father was able to have his remains airlifted home. Clarke's funeral was held at the family church, with Jack Nichols in attendance. ==Selected works==