Midge Costanza

Margaret "Midge" Costanza (November 28, 1932 – March 23, 2010) was an American presidential advisor and a social and political activist. A lifelong champion of gay and women's rights, she was known for her wit, outspoken manner, and commitment to her convictions.

Early life and family Costanza was born to Philip Costanza and Concetta Granata Costanza on November 28, 1932, in LeRoy, New York, and was raised in Rochester. Her parents were Sicilian immigrant sausage-makers. Following various clerical jobs she took after high school, Costanza became an administrative assistant for a real estate developer in Rochester, using this job to become active in several community organizations. Costanza caused controversy when she invited fourteen National Gay Task Force leaders and gay rights activists to the White House at the height of Anita Bryant's homophobic "Save Our Children" campaign. Constanza did not disclose to some people that she was a lesbian nor dating Jean O'Leary at the time. The two activists organized this gay activist conference in the White House on March 26, 1977.

Costanza went on to arrange discussions between the NGTF co-directors and senior officials of the administration. Public disagreements with some of the president's policies caused controversy and saw Costanza's role in the White House diminished. As her successor Anne Wexler described it: "OPL under Costanza had functioned as an office providing responsiveness to interest groups, a form of White House case work, but had not taken enough initiative to enlist group support by building coalitions that would move the president’s program on Capitol Hill." Affirming her support for Carter, she resigned from his administration effective September 1, 1978. Following her resignation many feminists were angered with Carter, feeling he had "fired" Costanza, on whom much pressure was put to quit.

Career and activism after the White House Costanza became executive director of her friend Shirley MacLaine's "Higher Self" seminars after moving to Los Angeles and later became vice-president at Alan Landsburg Productions, where she made commercial films and advertisements. She served on many service group boards of directors, including the AIDS research organization Search Alliance and the National Gay Rights Advocates. The institute is mainly aimed at inspiring young people to become active in political and social causes. She is survived by her brother Anthony.

Midge Costanza was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2011 for the title of Trailblazer, meaning, women who have paved the way for other women, or were the first in their field. The annual Women's Hall of Fame induction is co-hosted by Women's Museum of California (Located in San Diego), Commission on the Status of Women, UC San Diego Women's Center, and San Diego State Women's Studies.

In popular culture

In the 2020 television mini-series Mrs. America she is portrayed by Annie Parisse.