Richard Rouilard (1953-1996), class of 1978, co-founded the National Gay Rights Advocates of San Francisco in 1979, which was the first public interest law firm for lesbians and gay men in the United States. In 1981, he moved to Los Angeles, and began a journalism career that included being editor-in-chief of The Advocate, a nationally distributed magazine for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. As editor-in-chief of The Advocate, Rouilard nearly tripled circulation, and upgraded the magazine’s layout and journalistic standards. He also served as society and style editor for the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and was a senior editorial consultant and contributor to the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Rouilard also was a founder of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
