Sad news to report. John Burnside, one of the earliest gay rights activists in America has died at age 91.

The Advocate reports:

"John Burnside, noted gay rights activist, partner of the late gay rights pioneer Harry Hay and the inventor of a kaleidoscope-like device called the teleidoscope, died Sunday at his home in San Francisco. He was 91. Burnside has recently been diagnosed with spongioblastoma brain cancer, longtime friend Joey Cain told the Los Angeles Times. His life partner, died in 2002 at the age of 90. The couple was together for 39 years."

Read: John Burnside's L.A. Times obituary.