Barbara Portantino, mother of the late Gay & Lesbian Times publisher Michael G. Portantino and retired California State Assemblymember Hon. Anthony Portantino, passed away on Fri., Jan. 25, 2013. She was 81 years old.
She was born in Long Branch, New Jersey and raised her four children – Philip, MaryAnn, Michael and Anthony – in the Garden State, and did so as single parent when her husband, Anthony (Tony) Portantino, passed away in 1972.
“She did a remarkable job as the foundation of our family and as our nurturing parent,” Anthony Portantino said in a statement. “She instilled in all of us a positive spirit and warmth that we carry as her legacy each and every day.
“Her obligations didn’t stop as her children grew up, they intensified,” he wrote. Both Anthony and Michael have acknowledged the love and support she gave to Michael when he came out as a teenager in the mid-1970s. “She knew it all along and supported Michael with devotion and unconditional love,”
Anthony said. “She inspired him to become an activist and she spoke out to a generation and to a culture that didn’t always understand LGBT issues. She couldn’t be kept away from Washington, DC, accompanying my brother to the Capitol Mall where she climbed on stage to support his lifelong quest to achieve equal rights for all Americans during the LGBT Millennium March.
“A lot of people ask me why I am such a strong supporter of the LGBT community,” Anthony said. “They assume it was because I loved my brother. Certainly, Michael’s lifelong dedication to civil rights was a big part of it, but my mother’s unconditional love for her children inspired me, as well – she was the shining example.”
In addition to Philip, MaryAnn and Anthony, she leaves behind two daughters-in-law, two sons-in-law, seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her husband; son, Michael; and her three older sisters.
A family service will take place in New Jersey in February. Donations in memory of Barbara Portantino may be made to Elizabeth House or Friends of Project 10. Elizabeth House helps young girls, many of who have been victims of abuse. Project Ten is nationally recognized program for LGBT youth.
