Tampa-born, entrepreneur turned taxi driver in Miami, Florida, was the South's first militant gay activist.

As early as 1963, Richard formed the first state-chartered homophile organization in the South called the Athenium Society of America. He was both an entrepreneur and taxi driver and publisher of the Athenium Review. Eventually, he allied himself with the Mattachine Society and established a chapter in Florida.

As an activist, Inman was the first southerner to challenge anti-homosexual laws and the Florida Legislative Investigation of Homosexuals (one case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court). He wrote articles on homosexuality for the press, appeared on radio and tv shows and spoke before numerous groups.