Actress and gay rights supporter Patty Duke dies at 69

patty duke

Actress and LGBT activist Patty Duke has died. She was 69.

Duke has long been a supporter of LGBT rights, over the years raising money to fight HIV/AIDS. In 2013, Duke, alongside Meredith Baxter, guest starred as a lesbian couple on Glee. Their characters helped mentor a young gay couple on the show.

In 2014, Duke revealed that she became an ordained minister online with the goal of marrying as many same-sex couples as possible.

In addition to LGBT issues, Duke was a dedicated advocate for mental health awareness.

As a teenager, Duke won an Oscar for The Miracle Worker and later played “identical cousins” in a TV sitcome bearing her name.

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