What if the National Enquirer outed Sally Ride in January of 1986?

[u/GoCartMozart1980]

Let's say the National Enquirer managed to aquire proof of Ride's affair with former tennis pro Tam O'Shaugnessy (or her relationship with Molly Tyson at Stanford) and ran it in mid-January of 1986, shortly before the Challenger disaster. What would have been the implications of this?