This is some sad news.
Call me sappy (and putting aside my complicated feelings about marriage), but it makes me happy that she got to marry her long term partner before she passed.
Del Martin is best known for co-founding the Daughters of Bilitis, which was the first national lesbian organization in the United States, but was also involved in the National Organization for Women (where she helped combat homophobia within the organization), the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, and, later in her life, in Old Lesbians Organizing for Change.
She also co-authored several books, one of which, Lesbian/Woman, was read outloud to me by my best friend in her bedroom when I was 13 and was trying to figure out what being queer was all about.
According to a statement by Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, “gifts in lieu of flowers can be made to honor Del’s life and commitment and to defeat the California marriage ban through the National Center for Lesbian Rights NO on 8 committee at www.nclrights.org/NoOn8.”