Larry Basile always made time for what mattered most to him: standing up for what’s right and tearing up the dance floor.
So, in 1991, when the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power decided to stage a “die-in” outside President George H.W. Bush’s vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine, Larry saw no reason he couldn’t do both. He chartered a plane out of Provincetown, packed it with protesters, and made it back before sundown — just in time for tea dance.
A relentless entrepreneur, loving husband, irrepressible party host, and tireless gay rights activist, Larry died of a heart attack on June 14, 2025 during Gay Pride Day in Boston — a celebration made possible in part by the fundraisers and festivities he helped create. He was 75.
Lawrence A. Basile was born on Feb. 26, 1950 at Fort Belvoir, Va. to Col. Anthony L. and Marion F. (Heaney) Basile. He grew up in West Roxbury and graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in 1968. Though he initially planned to join the priesthood and entered St. John’s Seminary in 1969, Larry soon realized that he preferred business, earning an M.B.A. from the College of William & Mary in 1975.
He created Dial Info Services, a phone line for gay men to connect through in the 1970s. With the advent of the internet, Larry founded Manhunt.net, one of the first gay hookup websites, in 2001. Both projects achieved early commercial success, but for Larry they were about more than profits.
“He wanted Manhunt to be present as a supporter anywhere gay life was happening — in bars, sports teams, nightclubs, bath houses, courthouses, gay firemen leagues, gay police leagues,” said Adam Segel, Larry’s friend and business partner who also worked on Manhunt. “This was a non-revenue generating aspect of the business, but it was important.”
In the 2000s, Larry helped turn Manhunt into a platform for public health, using its reach to spread sexual health information to a large underserved audience.
“Now, if you look on Grindr or any other dating site or app, you’ll see they all have a health resources area,” said Adam. “That was all modeled after what we started at Manhunt.
“I understood why Larry wanted us to do it — and man, it was very successful,” he added.
Larry’s commitment to social justice led to the founding of the Grass Roots Gay Rights Fund. He also supported causes like Rosie’s Place, a Boston women’s shelter, and recreational programs for urban youth.
When he wasn’t launching business ventures or rallying for a cause, Larry was throwing a party. For more than a decade, he owned a house at 151A Commercial St. in Provincetown, a stone’s throw from the Boatslip, where his near-daily beach bashes often rivaled the club’s in size and spirit. He’d roll out carpets across the sand, blast exclusive mixes from his favorite club DJs, and dance with friends until the sun set.
Even when the music carried on late into the night, neighbors never seemed to mind, said Adam. For them, Larry’s generosity outweighed the noise: one year before a storm season predicted to be particularly bad, he built a sweeping sand dune behind the houses to protect them.
Larry spent his final weeks tending to the gardens of his beloved Stonewall Farm in the town of Douglas.
Larry is survived by his brother, Matthew Basile; his sister-in-law, Charlene Basile; his sister, Joanne Harrington of Hanover; his nephews, Joseph, Michael, and John Basile of Danvers and Matthew Harrington of Boston; and his nieces, Kelly Dedeo of North Carolina and Leah Harrington Dexter.
He is also survived by his Stonewall Farm community, a wide circle of chosen family members, godchildren, and lifelong friends, including Sidnei Alves, his caretaker.
Larry was predeceased by his husband, Clement “Clem” Pepe.
About 250 people gathered in Larry’s favorite bar, Cathedral Station on Washington Street in Boston, to celebrate his life on July 14. They included Larry’s prom date, his next-door neighbor, the friends he went clubbing with in New York City, and his co-workers at Stonewall Farm, and stories were told over drinks in a bar decorated with mementos from every part of Larry’s life.
The gathering ended with a rendition of Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,” Larry’s favorite song.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article, published in print on July 17, inaccurately described Basile’s Provincetown house as “directly across from the Boatslip.” It was four houses down, on the same side of the street as the club.
