Partner Michael Bronski

Queer Places:
State University of New York, 750 E Adams St, Syracuse, NY 13210

Walta Borawski (October 15, 1947 - February 9, 1994) was an American poet and for almost 20 years partner of Michael Bronski, academic and writer.

Walta Borawski was born on October 15, 1947, in Patchogue, New York, where he attended high school. His poem "Cheers, Cheers forl Old Cha Cha Ass" recounts the pain of school homophobia.[1]He graduated from State University of New York.

After college he became the first arts editor of the ''Poughkeepsie Journal''. He moved to Boston in 1975.

He published two collections of poems: ''Sexually Dangerous Poet''[2] and ''Lingering in a Silk Shirt''.[3]

His poems ''Some of us wear pink triangles'' and ''Power of One'' are included in ''The Columbia anthology of gay literature : readings from Western antiquity to the present day''[4] and ''Invisible History'', ''(No title)'', ''Things Are Still Sudden & Wonderful'', ''Traveling in the Wrong Century'', ''Trying to Write a Love Poem'' are included in ''Persistent voices : poetry by writers lost to AIDS'' edited by David Groff and Philip Clark.

Borawski was the partner of Michael Bronski. They met on June 23, 1975 and remained together until Borawski's death on February 9, 1994. Robert Giard photographed the two together in 1987 for his series ''Particular Voices''.[5] They are also featured in the anthology ''Two Hearts Desire: Gay Couples on their Love'', originally published in 1997, and republished in digital format in 2017.[6]


Photo by Robert Giard, Rights Notice: Copyright Jonathan G. Silin (jsilin@optonline.net)

He died on February 9, 1994, of complications from AIDS, at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[7]



References:


Two Hearts Desire: Gay Couples on Their Love (Stonewall Inn Book Series) Hardcover – January 15, 1997
by Michael Lassell and Lawrence Schimel

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time Paperback – January 29, 2026
by Elisa Rolle

Other references:

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