For those who know the name, Diamond Lil passed away this morning August 9th at age 80. Lil was a fixture in Savannah in the 1950's before moving to Atlanta in the 1960's. While she wasn't an activist, she did benefits for LGBT organizations in Georgia including a hugely attended event for the Committee on Gay Education at the University of Georgia in the 1970's which raised enough money to help keep officials from kicking them off campus. Lil also influenced younger local performers including singer Jayne County along with drag performers Lady Bunny and Ru Paul who got their start in Atlanta.
I was lucky enough to be introduced to Lil a few months ago by my therapist. Atlanta's LGBT community is poorer for her loss.
