Female-to-Gay-Male Transsexualism: Lou Sullivan and Dr. Ira Pauly

Part 1: Gender and Sexual Orientation (1988).

Part 2: Living With AIDS (1988).

Part 3 (1989).

Part 4: One Year Later (1990).

Available Summary:

"Gay trans man Lou Sullivan, a historian and community leader, is interviewed by Dr. Ira Pauly about his experiences." -Internet Archive.

Jack's Summary:

Lou Sullivan was a transsexual man who was both an FTM pioneer and a gay activist. In these interviews, Sullivan discusses transitioning and fighting for the rights of gay trans people, which was a controversial concept in a context where all trans individuals were expected to be heterosexual. He also discusses his childhood, his transition, living with HIV, and all aspects of his private life. Even as his health began to degrade due to AIDS-related complications, he continued to offer insights and engage in advocacy. To get some perspective on the work done by previous generations, to fight for the right to self-identify in any way preferred, I would highly recommend giving this series a watch. Thank you to Kasper for reaching out and providing this resource!

Many people have spoken up to credit Lou Sullivan's accomplishments, including trans activist Max Wolf Valerio, who wrote in 2007, "Lou was a writer and capable of standing up for what he saw as truth. He was a gay transsexual man, before this was even allowed or recognized. He is also the person who helped to change that, and now being gay is no longer an issue if you want to begin transition." This is a very Western/USA-centric statement, certainly, but Sullivan's impact should be recognised regardless.