Felicia Elizondo (1946-2021)
Postcard
February 2023 (made)
February 2023 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Risograph postcard with a black and white oval photograph of activist and San Francisco transgender community leader, Felicia 'Flames' Elizondo. The corners have a floral motif printed in orange and the subject's name and dates are printed in orange above the printer's name and date of creation.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Felicia Elizondo (1946-2021) (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | 1 of 8 postcards by the Museum of Transology: Felicia Elizondo. |
| Physical description | Risograph postcard with a black and white oval photograph of activist and San Francisco transgender community leader, Felicia 'Flames' Elizondo. The corners have a floral motif printed in orange and the subject's name and dates are printed in orange above the printer's name and date of creation. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Zorian Clayton |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Bibliographic reference | The following excerpts are from the Calle 16 and Beyond Archives Project of the GLBT Historical Society in California who hold the archives of Felicia “Flames” Elizondo (1946-2021).
'A self-described “Mexican spitfire, screaming queen, pioneer, legend, icon, diva, 29-year survivor of AIDS and Vietnam veteran.” Her activism has been crucial in raising public awareness of transgender rights and history. Ms. Elizondo was a fixture in the San Francisco LGBTQ community for many years. She was a native of San Angelo, Texas. In her teens, she lived in San Jose, and would skip school to visit the Tenderloin and Compton’s Cafeteria with friends; she continued to frequent Compton’s throughout the 1960s. She joined the Navy at age 18 and volunteered to serve in Vietnam, “hoping that the military could change me. I wanted to be the man that I was drilled to be since I was little. I lowered my voice so nobody could tell that I was gay.” She later accepted she was attracted to men and told her commanding officer. She was then interrogated by the FBI and received an undesirable discharge from the Navy. Later, she successfully petitioned to have her discharge reversed as honorable.
In 1972, Elizondo transitioned... In 1991, she permanently moved to San Francisco. She was known for performing with the Tenderloin Queen’s Revue, a musical drag group, among many others. She was a longtime volunteer for LGBTQ+ and AIDS groups in which she organized many fundraisers... Elizondo was featured in the documentary “HIV Stops with Me,” as well as “Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria,” which won an Emmy. In 2008, she was given the senior leader award from UC Berkeley’s Department of Public Health.'
Her obituary in the Bay Area Reporter (by Cynthia Laird, News Editor) stated she passed away in hospice care in San Francisco at the Veterans Administration Hospital on Saturday May 15, 2021. It noted among her many acheivements in life that she had made 80 panels for the American AIDS Memorial Quilt. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1200-2023 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | August 14, 2023 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
