Pegasus costume made and worn by Ric Weiland, 1983

Richard "Ric" Weiland (1953-2006) was a software developer, programmer, philanthropist, and active member of the Northwest gay community. Weiland enjoyed creating costumes and dressing up for LGBTQ parties in Seattle. He made this body-revealing Pegasus costume for a 1983 Halloween party. It consisted of a horse head made of foam and built over a helmet, a leather harness, a pair of wings (missing when the outfit was donated to MOHAI), white pieces of faux fur, and a pair of white tights. A photo of Weiland in this costume is part of MOHAI’s collection. Weiland was the first full-time employee hired by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 at the newly founded Microsoft company. The three were high school classmates at Lakeside School and members of the Lakeside Programming Group. Weiland retired from Microsoft in 1988 at the age of 35. As the value of his stock holdings grew, he increasingly devoted himself to philanthropy, donating nearly $200 million to support HIV research, LGBTQ legal rights, and the presence of gay-straight alliances and anti-bullying policies in schools.
ID Number: 2016.10.1.ONLINE
Date: 1983
Physical Description: 1 Costume, Dress-Up; leather, foam, metal, synthetic fiber; 11 in.H x 9.5 in.W x 18 in.D (head)
Credit: MOHAI, 2016.10.1