Pat Norman (activist)

Pat Norman was portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg in the docuseries When We Rise, which was released in early 2017.

Whoopi Goldberg plays her in the 2017 miniseries about LGBT rights called When We Rise.

In 2007, Pat Norman was honored with the San Francisco Pride's Lifetime Achievement Award and was the Grand Marshall for the San Francisco Pride Parade that year. Norman has also received numerous awards from places such as Ms., The Bay Area Women's Leadership Forum, San Francisco Mayors Dianne Feinstein and Art Agnos, the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays, and Physicians for Human Rights.

Native American AIDS Project, Certificate of Appreciation, 2003;

California State Assembly, Certificate of Recognition, 2001;

Certificate of Appreciation, Police Commissioner, 1999 - (as the President of the Office of Citizen Complaints from 1996-1998);

Certificate of Appreciation, The Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants Association (for her dedication and contributions made to the Merchants of Geary Boulevard, as President of Police Commission), 1998;

14th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial and Mobilization Award, Mobilization Against AIDS, May 1997;

Harvey Milk Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club, Community Achievement Award, May 1990;

The San Francisco Chapter of the National Organization for Women, 1987;

Norman was the first openly gay employee of the San Francisco Health Department. While employed with the San Francisco Health Department from 1978-1987, she created the position of Coordinator of Lesbian/Gay Health Services in which she served the gay and lesbian community in San Francisco and helped initiate community response to the AIDS epidemic, which became a main focus for the department in 1982.

As a counselor with the Center for Special Problems from 1972-1979, she wrote and implemented policy regarding mental health services for sexual minority communities. She also developed training programs for health workers who served these communities, training over 300+ staff members to become competent, sensitive, and aware of the needs of the LGBTQ+ communities.

In 1971, Norman cofounded the Lesbian Mothers Union (later known as Lesbian Mothers and Friends) with Del Martin and others; it was concerned with custody problems and provided support for lesbian mothers, who were routinely stripped of their parental rights for being openly gay.

Pat Norman (born Pat Richardson, October 21, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, died August 5, 2022) was an American activist for women's rights, as well as the rights of the African American and LGBT communities.