Don Amador

Donald Grace (October 23, 1942 – August 13, 1992), also known as Don Amador, was an American gay activist. He taught one of the first gay studies courses in the United States. The LGBT and AIDS activist Cleve Jones, a friend of both Amador and Harvey Milk, portrayed Amador in the biographical film Milk.

Early life Don Amador was born as Donald Grace on October 23, 1942, in Troy, New York. He reported "knowing he was different" while growing up; his first homosexual experience occurred at age 11.

In his gay history course, Amador argued that King David, Alexander the Great, Michelangelo Buonarotti and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky were gay and taught that Thomas Jefferson framed a Virginia bill in 1776 to make homosexuality "punishable by castration". He also distinguished between the terms "homosexuality" and "gay": "Homosexual is merely what you do in bed; being gay is an entire life-style on its own."

Amador was named "official liaison to the gay community" by Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.

Don Amador died on August 13, 1992.

Legacy Cleve Jones, a friend of his, portrayed Amador in biographical film Milk (2008), while Jones is portrayed by Emile Hirsch.