He was among a generation of gay writers who in the 1970s became bards for a community no longer afraid to declare its existence.

He was 85.The writer’s death on June 3 was confirmed by his husband, Michael Carroll, and agent Bill Clegg, The New York Times, The Guardian and NBC News report. White collapsed while waiting for an ambulance after experiencing stomach illness symptoms,

Edmund White, who cracked open the conversation around gay sex in America, has died. He is survived by husband and fellow writer Michael Carroll.