NOTE: Some language terms in this article are terms that were used in 1975-1976 which have been replaced in Queerdom since then. Bear with these terms and be glad we are not still living back then.
Ivan Valentin and The Connection to Connecticut. A Fight Back!
” Our strength lies not in our ability to assimilate, hide and become absorbed, but in our ability despite our great diversity to stick together and to continue to fight for rights of all men and women to be different and diverse and live their lives in freedom according to their own life choices.” Ivan Valentin
Gay Pride March, NYC. Left to Right: Ivan Valentin, unidentified, Sylvia Rivera, Jim Fouratt, Marsha P. Johnson (photo Joe Caputo)
Ivan Valentin was quoted as saying, “A drag or transvestite is somebody who always dresses as a woman. A female impersonator is someone who claims to actually be a…
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Thanks Steve. Just one of ourstories hidden from our people, restoring Ivan to a rightful place in LGBTQ+ stories. Your publication of our work means a lot to us. Fight On!
I had the pleasure of meeting Ivan a number of years back, at the Stonewall and he was gracious enough to befriend me and invite me to his home in the City on several occasions. Ivan was a sweet soul who was kind and accepting of all people and was very spiritual and “enlightened” in his own way. I will never forget him.
Thanks so much for your story!