Blog

Remembering Barbara Hoffman

by . .
Saturday May 16, 2015

Beginning with her move to Boston from Connecticut at the age of 16, Barbara was active in a number of liberal causes. These began with civil rights issues in the 1960's and 1970's, related to race, voting, and women's rights. With this training and experience as a base, Barbara was instrumental in the start-up of a number of initiatives and organizations during her life time.

Barbara was one of the incorporating members of the Worcester Street Community Gardens, helping to start a movement that created other gardens around the South End and across Boston. From the 1980s on, Barbara became a leader of the gay rights movement in Massachusetts. She was active in early efforts to organize Lesbian Alumnae of Radcliffe College, but that only served as a starting point, as she was part of the initial group of Harvard alumni and staff who worked to include sexual orientation in Harvard's non-discrimination policy (1982-1985). This effort led to the 1984 creation of the Harvard Gay & Lesbian Caucus (now the Harvard Gender & Sexuality Caucus). In 1986, Barbara was also an incorporator of The Open Gate, a 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to supporting gay and lesbian life at Harvard, remaining on its board the rest of her life.

After retiring in 1986 as a Regional Administrator for the Massachusetts State Mental Health Department, Barbara was able to devote her energies to activism on a full-time basis.

In the years leading up to 1989, when the Massachusetts law was changed to outlaw anti-gay discrimination, Barbara was there, working with the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus (MGLPC), and serving as a board member and committed volunteer for many years.

"As a volunteer, Barbara was a gift to MGLPC and the entire LGBT community," said Arline Isaacson, co-chairwoman of the organization. "She was a committed, hardworking, thoughtful, experienced and insightful activist who helped enormously to advance LGBT equality for more than 40 years."

When Bay State Gay and Lesbian Democrats (now the Bay State Stonewall Democrats) was brought out of hiatus in 1995, Barbara was there, and for a time, served as its co-chair.

"Barbara was a mentor to many," said longtime friend and former neighbor Tim Davis. "In many ways, she was my 'political' mother. In my mid-twenties, she took me under her wing, got me more involved in Democratic and LGBT politics, and when the political fights got difficult, she showed me how to stand on my own and stay in the political ring." Davis also noted, "Barbara was a one-woman South End welcome wagon, but her focus was not on delivering muffins, but voter registration forms."

Barbara was always one to combine the social and the political. She often hosted receptions in here South End home for her favorite causes and candidates. Harvard Professor Warren Goldfarb relates, "For many years she hosted the [Harvard Gay and Lesbian] Caucus's Boston Chapter spring reception at her home, doing a ferocious amount of cooking for it. These were lovely occasions, and one of the few venues with cross-generational GLB socializing."

Elyse Cherry, CEO of Boston Community Capital and a former Board Chair of MassEquality had this to add, "Barbara anchored the political work of our GLBT community, and often took on the task of rallying the troops. Many of us share the memory of Barbara's voice mail messages, which inevitably made me smile. Barbara's deep voice would boom through the phone, explaining exactly where, when and why I needed to show up, and always her trademark ending: 'Love, Barbara.'"
Barbara also was a long-time member of the Boston Ward 4 Democratic Committee, and a member of the Massachusetts State Democratic Committee. Mimi Turchinetz, a former member of the Ward 4 Committee had this to say, "She knew everything and everyone in the Democratic Party operations, social and economic justice activists, and the various communities. Barbara was into everything and had an opinion and analysis about all of these matters. She was fun, smart and productive. You would always want Barbara on your committee. She had the lists, the contacts, the strategy and she got things accomplished."
Barbara completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Radcliffe College, and a Master's Degree and Ph.D. from Boston University. Barbara leaves a cousin, Thomas Brutting, of Oakland, California, and a large group of friends who cared for her deeply.
A Service of Remembrance will be held at the Harriet Tubman House, 566 Columbus Avenue, Boston, on Sunday, June 14th at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rosie's Place of Boston, or the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).