Lou Sullivan diary, 1984-85

Lou Sullivan's diary for mid-1984 to early 1985, following him from the ages of 33-34. Sullivan was beginning research on his eventual book, From Female to Male: The Life of Jack Bee Garland, inspired by historian Allan Bérubé's presentations on historical female-assigned people living as men. Sullivan's friendship with Bérubé, and with other figures in San Francisco's queer history community, would assume increasing importance in these final years of his life. Sullivan also wrote of his frustrations with the Stanford gender clinic, his growing interest in bottom surgery, traveling in the American Southwest, frequenting the Black Rose bar (which was owned by and catered to trans women), as well as his ongoing difficulties with his long-term relationship, which was slowly coming to an end during this time. Louis Graydon Sullivan (1951-1991) was a gay trans man from Milwaukee, WI who lived much of his adult life in San Francisco. A diarist, amateur historian, and administrative assistant, Sullivan is best known for the detailed and thoughtful diary he kept from childhood until his death from AIDS at age 39.

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Item Information:

Identifier: kh04dq113
Collection: Lou Sullivan Collection
Institution: GLBT Historical Society
Creator(s): Sullivan, Lou
Date Created: 1984 to 1985
Dates Covered: 1984 to 1985
Genre: Diaries
Places: California > San Francisco County > San Francisco
Topic(s): Bottom surgery
Diaries
Gay men
LGBTQ+ history
Trans men
Resource Type: Text
Analog Format: Diary
Digital Format: PDF file, 34 MB
Language: English
Rights: In copyright
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