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Lynn Edward Harris papers

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: Coll2012-137

Scope and Content

This collection comprises photographs, legal documents, manuscripts, personal and business correspondence, lecture notes, videotapes, audiotapes, clippings, scrapbooks, floppy disks, memorabilia and other materials from actor, lecturer, and intersex person Lynn Edward Harris (1950- ). The bulk of this collection is related to Harris' personal life and the complications related to his intersex status, as well as his career as an actor, talk show spokesperson, and amateur writer.

The Personal Materials Series consists of Harris' resumes and work portfolios, vital records and legal documents, scrapbooks, school report cards and yearbooks, personal correspondence, clippings, medical records and other personal material. The Writings series consists of Harris' manuscripts and related material--including, notably, multiple versions of Harris' autobiographies such as "I, the Hermaphrodite," and "More Lives Than One." The Lectures, Articles and Research on Intersex Issues Series consists of materials related to Harris' public speaking engagements and lecture "A Path of Androgyny," as well as many journal articles and books of which Harris was the co-writer or subject of research. The Photographs Series consists of hundreds of photographs of Harris throughout his life, from his childhood years raised as female, through his later years when he began living publicly as male. The Audiocassettes and Videocassettes Series contains VHS tapes of Harris' various talk show appearances and audiocassettes of Harris' interviews and lectures. The Trophies and Memorabilia Series comprises awards Harris received in speech contests and pageants such as Costa Mesa Junior Miss Pageant; as well as other memorabilia, including buttons, ribbons, a sash, and an inscribed silver cup.

Dates

  • Creation: 1917 - 2009
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1965 - 2000

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biography

Lynn Elizabeth Harris was born in the City of Orange, California on September 13, 1950. Harris was born with ambiguous genitalia and is what is today referred to as intersex, or in more dated terms, "hermaphrodite." Harris was identified as female in a birth certificate, and was subsequently raised female without medical intervention. Through puberty, Harris did not menstruate, grew facial hair and had an altered voice; but continued to present as female. Harris wore women's clothing and a padded bra to appear more feminine, and went on to compete in and win local beauty pageants, including Costa Mesa Junior Miss in 1968. Upon graduation, Harris left to be an actress and model in Los Angeles. Harris also worked in retail beauty sales, office work, and later occasionally with prostitution.

In 1973, Harris began undergoing tests and exploratory surgeries. A team of doctors diagnosed Harris with Stein-Leventhal Syndrome or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Although doctors informed Harris that physical features would further masculinize over time, Harris reacted by increasing efforts at feminization.

Six years after the diagnosis, and after counseling, Harris decided to begin living as a male. He bought male clothes, let facial hair grow, and changed his middle name from Elizabeth to Edward. Four years later, he applied to have his birth certificate re-issued after having difficulty using his female California-issued identification card. The petition was initially rejected because of a lack of supporting medical evidence. However Harris persisted and eventually the court allowed him to have his birth certificate re-issued and to have his name legally changed. As such, Harris' case is a legal precedent for those wanting to change their legal sex without surgery. After his legal battle Harris became a spokesperson for intersex rights, gave lectures, and appeared frequently on national television and radio programs.

By 2008, Harris was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Sources:

Box 2, Folder 7, Lynn Edward Harris Papers, Coll2012-137, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

"Interview With the Hermaphrodite: The many faces of Lynn Harris," OC Weekly, October 7, 1999, gregstacy.wordpress.com/2006/11/25/interview-with-the-hermaphrodite-the-many-faces-of-lynn-harris

"Born True Hermaphrodite - Pictorial Profile," Angelfire, www.angelfire.com/ca2/BornHermaphrodite

Extent

7.3 Linear Feet (3 archive boxes + 2 archive binder boxes + 2 archive cartons + 2 archive shoeboxes + 1 oversize flat box.)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Photographs, legal documents, manuscripts, personal and business correspondence, lecture notes, videotapes, audiotapes, clippings, scrapbooks, floppy disks, memorabilia and other material from actor, lecturer and intersex person, Lynn Edward Harris (1950- ). Born intersexed, Harris was raised female despite being born with ambiguous genitalia. The collection documents Harris throughout his life, including his transition to living publicly as male, and the subsequent public speaking engagements and legal challenge to the California Court's refusal to allow him to legally change gender.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1. Personal material

Series 2. Writings

Series 3. Lectures, articles and research material on intersex and transgender issues

Series 4. Photographs

Series 5. Audiocassettes and videocassettes

Series 6. Trophies and memorabilia

Acquisition Information

A portion of the collection was donated directly by Harris, 2008. The remainder of the collection was forwarded from the West Hollywood Library, where Harris had sent it in 2008.

Separated Materials

Two bundles of Lynn Edward Harris' hair have been separated from the collection and placed in the Collection Administration folder in ONE Archives' internal records.

Separated Materials

The following periodicals have been separated from the collection and placed in the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives' Periodicals Collection:

Boy's Own, 1998-2003 (6 issues)

GenderFlex, Vol. IV, Issue 23 (1994)

"Guidelines for Transsexuals," Erickson Educational Foundation, September 1976

Hermaphrodites with Attitude, Intersex Society of North America newsletters, 1994-1999

The ICTLEP Reporter, the newsletter of the International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy, Inc., November 1995-January 1996

ONE Magazine, March 1959

Our Sorority, An Outreach Publication, Issue 16 (September 1987)

Outreach Beacon, Spring 1987 and Spring-Summer 1988

Renaissance, Volume IV, No. 3 (October 1979)

The following book has been separated to the ONE library:

Eugenides, Jeffrey. Middlesex. New York: Picador, 2002.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Joseph R. Hawkins, December 2012.

  • "My Prayer Book," Father Lasance
Title
Finding aid to the Lynn Edward Harris papers, 1917-2009
Status
Completed
Author
Joseph R. Hawkins
Date
(c) 2012
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.
Sponsor
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Repository Details

Part of the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, University of Southern California Repository

Contact:
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles California 90007 United States
(213) 821-2771