Queer History 106: Reed Erickson

The Trans Guy Millionaire with a Pet Leopard Who Bankrolled a Revolution: How one man's wealth, vision, and complicated legacy shaped transgender rights in America

Holy shit, you need to hear about Reed Erickson—a transgender millionaire who casually took his pet leopard on private planes while funding the movements that would eventually give trans people like himself basic human rights. This isn't some fictional character from a Ryan Murphy series; this was a real fucking person who lived hard, loved harder, and threw his considerable fortune behind a revolution most people weren't ready for.

Reed's story hits me in the gut because it's so goddamn messy and human. He wasn't a sanitized LGBTQ+ icon with a perfect narrative arc. He was brilliant, visionary, and deeply flawed—a three-time divorcee who became a drug fugitive while still managing to fundamentally reshape how America understood gender. His life reads like a fever dream, but his impact on transgender rights was dead serious.

The Early Years of Becoming

Born in 1917, Reed started using the name "Eric" only around his circle of lesbian friends while attending the Philadelphia High School for Girls. Even then, he was sidestepping society's expectations, finding spaces where he could breathe more freely in his true identity.

This wasn't just some rebellious phase. Reed was a fucking genius, becoming the first person assigned female at birth to graduate from LSU's School of Engineering. Think about that for a minute—breaking that barrier while living in a body that didn't match who he was, in a time when both women and transgender people were openly mocked and excluded from technical fields.

After his father passed away in 1962, Reed finally began to live authentically. He started his gender transition in 1963 with Dr. Harry Benjamin, one of the few physicians at that time who didn't treat transgender identity as a mental illness to be cured. Reed didn't waste a goddamn minute once he had the freedom and resources to live his truth.

Creating a Movement with Cold, Hard Cash

In 1964, just one year into his own transition, Reed founded the Erickson Educational Foundation (EEF)—one of the world's first organizations specifically focused on trans rights. This wasn't just groundbreaking; it was revolutionary. Prior to the Stonewall riots, the EEF was the ONLY grant provider specifically for LGBTQ+ issues. Let that sink in—one trans man was single-handedly funding the early movement.

The foundation didn't just throw money at the problem—it had a vision. It focused on providing medical funding for transgender people and public education about trans issues. Reed funded early studies of gender transitioning at Stanford and Johns Hopkins University and financed what would later become the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Reed understood that awareness of trans people was extremely limited, and that acceptance could only come through familiarity and education. His foundation produced short films, radio pieces, and literature that they presented at church groups, colleges, and professional meetings. While politicians and religious leaders were demonizing queer people, Reed was quietly building the infrastructure for scientific understanding and social change.

He was also one of the earliest and most significant donors to ONE Inc., the first national organization furthering gay rights in the US. Though they later had a huge public falling out after a property dispute turned ugly, his financial support was crucial in those early years when few would put their money behind such a controversial cause.

Personal Journey and Private Life

Reed underwent sexual reassignment surgeries in 1965 and finally found peace within his body. But unlike many who might have disappeared into stealth living, he continued using his influence and wealth to help other trans people access the care they needed.

It's important to acknowledge that most people who could access this care were middle to upper-class white people who experienced gender dysphoria in almost the exact same symptomatic way that Erickson did, which left many people out in the cold. His vision, while revolutionary, still reflected the biases and limitations of his time and social position.

Reed's personal life was as dynamic as his professional endeavors. He married Daisy Lewis in 1963, divorced her in '64, married Eileen Ashton in '65 (with whom he had two children), and moved to Mexico in 1973 to a mansion he nicknamed the "Love Joy Palace." They divorced the following year. This pattern of serial marriages and divorces speaks to a man who was perhaps searching for something he couldn't quite find, even after achieving physical alignment with his gender identity.

The Spiral and the Leopard

This is where shit gets wild. Reed started personally experimenting with drugs, which quickly escalated into a massive substance abuse issue that took a toll on his mental and physical health. His addiction ruined many of his relationships and led to the dissolution of his foundation in 1975 due to internal disputes.

In 1977, he married a woman named Eva, and they moved to California to be closer to Erickson's children. Their marriage fell apart sometime between 1983 and 1985. By 1983, he had returned to Mexico as a fugitive on drug charges, his life unraveling despite all he had built.

Oh, and about that fucking leopard—his name was Henry, and apparently, he liked to play with other housecats. Reed casually took him on walks around their Baton Rouge neighborhood, shocking the neighbors. It's unclear when and how he acquired Henry, but they were best friends, and "Henry never ate him, so good for them." This bizarre detail perfectly encapsulates Reed's larger-than-life personality and his complete disregard for convention.

Legacy and Impact

Reed married for the final time in 1987, but his drug addiction had devastated his health. His daughter Monica was appointed as his conservator, and Reed passed away in 1992 at the age of 74, leaving behind a complicated legacy of revolutionary work and personal demons.

Sociologist Aaron H. Devor once wrote that Erickson "shaped almost every aspect of work being done in the 1960s and 70s in the field of gender affirmation in the US." Reed Erickson is a primary reason transgender folks are so widely recognized in the US and abroad today. He was an extraordinarily complicated man whose privilege, wealth, and heart helped create the foundation for modern transgender rights.

Practical Tools for Continuing Reed's Work

• Fund organizations led by transgender people from diverse backgrounds

• Support scientific research into gender-affirming care

• Recognize the value of education in changing hearts and minds about transgender issues

• Acknowledge the role of privilege in accessing care and work to make resources more accessible

• Document and preserve transgender history to ensure pioneers like Reed aren't forgotten

Community Connection

Reed's story reminds us that progress often comes from unexpected places and imperfect people. Today's transgender rights organizations stand on the foundation he built, though many have expanded their focus to include the more diverse spectrum of transgender experiences that his work didn't always address.

The challenges Reed faced—societal rejection, addiction, legal troubles—echo the disproportionate struggles many transgender people still face today. His story shows both how far we've come and how much work remains to be done.

Conclusion

Reed Erickson was a man of stark contrasts—brilliant yet troubled, privileged yet marginalized, visionary yet flawed. His life story serves as both inspiration and cautionary tale for the modern LGBTQ+ community. He didn't just talk about change; he bankrolled it, created it, and lived it, even when it cost him personally.

As the document notes, "his work is not done." The foundations Reed laid still support today's transgender rights movement, but the building remains unfinished. His legacy challenges us to consider how we use our own resources and privileges to support those still fighting for basic dignity and recognition.

In a world where transgender rights are increasingly under attack, remembering Reed's boldness and unwavering commitment to education and scientific advancement feels more fucking relevant than ever. The man with the pet leopard and private planes showed us that being unapologetically yourself—complications, contradictions, and all—is perhaps the most revolutionary act of all.

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References:

1. Univerrsity of Victoria “Reed Erickson and the Erickson Educational Foundation”

2. Rubing, S. 2023 “The Complicated History of Reed Erickson, A Different Kind of Trans Resistance” Autostraddle

3. Digital Transgender Archive “Reed Erickson”