NEW YORK – Pioneering astronaut Sally Ride, who relished privacy as much as she did adventure, chose an appropriately discreet manner of coming out.

At the end of an obituary that she co-wrote with her partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, they disclosed to the world their relationship of 27 years. That was it.

As details trickled out after Ride’s death Monday, it became clear that a circle of family, friends and co-workers long had known of the same-sex relationship and embraced it. For many millions of others, who admired Ride as the first American woman in space, it was a revelation – and it sparked a spirited discussion about privacy versus public candor in regard to sexual orientation.