Longtime LGBT rights activist George
Zander died Thursday.
According to the Desert
Sun, the cause of death was unclear. He was rushed to Desert
Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he died sometime
between 7 and 7:30 Thursday morning.
Zander's husband, Chris, wrote on
Facebook
that he died “in loving arms and in very little pain.”
“His passion and strength has paved
the road for many of us to follow and build from. His legacy will
live forever. I love this man more than I love life itself. I can
only assume that is what true love is,” Chris Zander said.
Six weeks ago, Zander and his husband
were the victims of a brutal attack that was investigated as a hate
crime. Zander, 71, suffered a double fracture to the hip, while
Chris Zander suffered a concussion.
George Zander served as Equality
California's (EQCA) Desert field manager since June, 2009.
“We are shocked and heartbroken at
George's death, which truly took all of us at EQCA by surprise,”
said Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur. “This is a
tragic loss for all of us at Equality California and for the Desert
community as a whole. While we still know few details, our hearts
and support are with George's husband, Chris, during this difficult
time.”