Reed Erickson, Pioneering Transgender Activist and Philanthropist, 1917-1992, by Ada Bello

Biography

Education and Intellectual Life

Identities

Movements and Activism

Politics, Government, and Law

Sexuality / Sexual Behaviors

Social Life and Community

Organizations

Science, Medicine, and Health

Transgender

Reed Erickson used the wealth which his class privilege provided to support public education and activism about transgender lives and issues at a time when very little public attention was focused on the topic. Ada Bello, who wrote this account of Erickson’s life and work, was motivated to do it because she knew Erickson earlier in life when Erickson was part of the Philadelphia lesbian community. Bello has supplemented her own knowledge of Erickson with a good deal of research to offer us an accessible biographical portrait of this key figure in the transgender freedom movement in the United States. Published originally by OutHistory in 2016; last edited in 2020 by Jonathan Ned Katz, with changes indicated by words in brackets [ ].

1960s

1900-1920

1920-1940

1940-1960

1970s

1980s

1990s

Bello, Ada

Erickson, Reed

Jorgensen, Christine

Louisiana

Latin America and the Caribbean

California

Pennsylvania

Texas

El Paso, TX

Philadelphia, PA

Baton Rouge, LA

Palo Alto, CA

erickson