I am very sad that Jim Madigan has died. He was one of the most genuine, kindest, humblest people I ever met in journalism. There was not a pretentious bone in his body.
I knew Jim when I served on the WGBY Board and more intimately as he interviewed me several times on “Connecting Point.” Whenever he interviewed me about the annual Noho Pride event, his eyes would light up as he was sincerely happy that LGBT rights have come a long way since the earlier days of our marches.
He would recount how he covered the marches in the early 1980s as a young journalist, and that he was struck by marchers having to hide their faces so they would not lose their jobs. It shaped his sense of fairness for legal rights for lesbians and gay men.
That sparkle in his eye as he described our current events as more celebratory … well, I will never forget it. He was an ally without feeling it was extraordinary in any way.
Jim was a beautiful human being. May he rest in peace.
J.M. Sorrell
Haydenville
The writer is the spokesperson for Noho Pride.