In 1984, the California Supreme Court dismissed Oliver Sipple’s appeal in relation to his $15 million lawsuit against seven newspapers and 50 executives of news media organisations. It marked the end of a protracted and controversial legal battle that had linked everyone from US President Gerald Ford to queer activists like Harvey Milk.

Sadly, it wasn’t the end of the issue for Sipple, who became increasingly withdrawn before dying a sad and lonely death in 1989.

It had begun on 22nd September 1975, when Sipple was part of a crowd gathered outside San Francisco’s St. Francis hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of President Ford as he left the building.

But, as Ford emerged, a woman standing close to Sipple pulled out a revolver and shot at him. The shot missed but, before the woman could take aim again, Sipple had lunged forward and pushed her arm to the ground.

His action probably saved Ford’s life and, consequently, the former Marine and Vietnam veteran was hailed as an American hero. But it was an accolade that he quickly came to regret.

Sipple was gay – something that he had not disclosed to his strongly Baptist family in Detroit. However, he was active in San Fran queer politics, including work on Harvey Milk’s first campaign to be elected to the Board of Supervisors. Suddenly his two worlds collided.

Central to the issue was the fact that Ford had not invited Sipple to the White House so that he could thank the man who had saved his life in person. Instead Sipple received only a letter of thanks – and even this was sent somewhat belatedly. Consequently, there was a very real sense within the San Fran queer community that this second-class treatment was down to the fact that Sipple was gay.  This sentiment was expressed in the San Francisco Chronicle by columnist Herb Caen.

This was picked up quickly by news media around the country and, within a matter of hours, Sipple’s service record was taking second place to the fact that he was gay. And within that same time period, Sipple’s relationship with his family began to deteriorate. Sipple claimed that, on the day after the incident, a telephone conversation with his mother had ended with her hanging up on him. When she died a few months later, his father had told him he would not be welcome at home for the funeral.

By the end of 1975, Sipple had issued a lawsuit against a number of newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Sun-Times and the Denver Post, claiming a breach of privacy. His lawyer claimed that the newspapers’ revelation of his sexuality had exposed him to “contempt and ridicule, causing him great mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation.”

The lawsuit split the community with some, including Harvey Milk, expressing disappointment that Sipple was not prepared to stand proud as a gay man. Nonetheless, Sipple persisted and when the San Francisco Superior Court dismissed the suit in 1980, he simply went to appeal. But, in 1984, the California Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision that ‘in saving the President, he had become a celebrity and, as such, relinquished his right to privacy’.

Sipple became increasingly withdrawn after his legal battle and friends noted that he started drinking heavily. In 1989 he was found dead, alone in his apartment in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. The coroner estimated that he had been dead for at least ten days before he was found.

Gerald and Betty Ford sent a letter of sympathy to his family.