Lou Sullivan diary, 1966

Content Warning: This item contains potentially sensitive material related to sexual assault, child abuse, and incest. Lou Sullivan's diary for 1966, detailing his life as a 15-year-old student at a Catholic school, his interest in fashion and counterculture identity, his relationships with family and boyfriends, and his initial idolization of (and then disappointment with) Bob Dylan. Sullivan at this age cultivated a rebellious identity, frequently visiting the Avant Garde beatnik coffeehouse, testing the limits of his school's dress code, and trying on different types of handwriting and diction to appear older and tougher. By late 1966, Sullivan was also presenting in a more masculine style. 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: mk61rh373
Collection: Lou Sullivan Collection
Institution: GLBT Historical Society
Creator(s): Sullivan, Lou
Date Created: 1966
Dates Covered: 1966
Genre: Diaries
Places: Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > City of Milwaukee > Milwaukee
Topic(s): Catholic Church
Diaries
Gay men
Gay youth
Music
Trans men
Transgender youth
Resource Type: Text
Analog Format: Diary
Digital Format: PDF file, 207.3 MB
Language: English
Rights: In copyright
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