The Little Queen From Pittsburgh

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He came to NYC in 1949. He was very obviously gay. Efeminite and shy. The way he walked and held himself was just who he was. He would invite the bullies into his home and sketch them. Being sketched is a very intimate experience and it establishes a bond. Andy Warhol was one of the most important artists of his time. He never thought of himself as attractive. He was shot in 1968 by an eccentric activist named Valerie Solanas. He was technically dead when surgery began on nearly every organ in his body. Five hours of repairing his spleen, liver, esophagus, and lungs. He had to wear a corset for the rest of his life to hold his organs in place. Nineteen years later he would die of a cardiac arrest suffered after gallbladder surgery. He had a fear of hospitals and had put off the surgery for years. I have had two very good friends that were gay. One was a co-worker and he would always be dressed up in a fancy suit. I helped him write a piece for a class he was taking in college. It was about his life and he got an A on it. I remember going to a gay bar with him one night and I was introduced to a transgender person. He was dressed to the nines and his make-up was impeccable. Another friend I knew had some very pronounced personal issues. We tried to help him and he stayed here several times. He ended up committing suicide and we were devastated. Both were the most sensitive, sweet, kind, and passionate individuals I have ever known.