Robert Rygor

Robert Rygor (New York City, 1953–1994) was an Irish (European)-American gay or LGBTQ rights activist active from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. He became an advocate for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) victims shortly after the deadly disease became widespread among many sexually active gay men and drug users in the early 1980s. He was diagnosed with the virus in 1990 before dying from it in 1994.

Early life

Rygor was born in New York City in 1953 and lived in Astoria, New York in the borough of Queens. His father's name was Stanley Rygor. His mother's name was Kathleen. She was Irish Catholic. Rygor had four siblings. He disclosed his sexual orientation to his parents in 1971.

Rygor graduated from Mater Christi Catholic High School (now known as Saint John's Preparatory School in Astoria, NY) in 1971. The school also has a campus in Brooklyn.

He was diagnosed with the virus known as AIDS in 1990. He succumbed to the disease in 1994.

Legacy After his death, Rygor's parents continued his activism. His father, Stanley Rygor, a World War II veteran, was a regular participant in the St. Pats For All parade and AIDS Walk New York; during the St. Pats for All parade there is a moment of silence for Robert. Rygor's parents advocated for marriage equality and for the Irish LGBTQ+ group Lavender and Green Alliance to participate in the New York City St Patrick's Day Parade. Stanley died in 2019. Kathleen Rygor, died in 2021.

The corner of Broadway and 34th Street in Astoria has been co-named in honor of Rygor and his two biological parents for their activism for LGBTQ+ rights and working to stop the spread of AIDS.

The corner of 34th Street & Broadway in Queens was co-named "Stanley, Kathleen & Robert Rygor Way" during a ceremony on May 2, 2022 — in honor of the family who lived on the block for decades. The family first moved into their 34th Street home in 1954.