Patricia Baker, a lesbian activist from Rhode Island, has died after a long battle with lung cancer, according to Marriage Equality Rhode Island.
New England Cable News, an affiliate of NBC, reported that Baker, who was a retired correctional officer, spent the last year of her life testifying on behalf of marriage equality. The activist, who at times needed to use her oxygen tank to help her breathe at hearings, stated that she was angry that her wife would not receive benefits after her death.
She married her partner, Deborah Tevyaw, in Massachusetts, but their marriage was not recognized in their home state of Rhode Island.
Baker was 55 years old.
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