13: The Werq of Sylvester

Sylvester James Jr. was born in Watts in 1947, pushed out of his Pentecostal church at thirteen, and ended up homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. He still managed to build the rooms where Black queer people could exist fully.In this Pride Month episode of Assigned Sex, Unarchived, Shaun tells the story of Sylvester. A boy who wore a prom dress in his graduation photo. A man who told Joan Rivers on national television that he was not a drag queen. He was Sylvester.Shaun traces how Sylvester found his people through The Disquotays, a group of Black trans women and gay men who walked through South Central in women's clothing at a time when cross-dressing was illegal. He follows that thread to San Francisco, where Sylvester's 1978 album Step II became a foundation for house music.If you're looking for honest conversations about Black queer history and the origins of disco and house music, this episode is for you. This story was inspired by A Black Queer History of the United States by C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost. Follow Assigned Sex on Facebook and Instagram at @assignedsex, and subscribe to the Assigned Sex newsletter on Substack for episode updates and extended conversations.Credits: Host: Shaun Dawson · Audio Engineer: Aaron Freeman · Producers: Shaun Dawson & Nandikayyy · Sound Design: NandikayyySources: — A Black Queer History of the United States by C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost. Available at: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/a-black-queer-history-of-the-united-states-revisioning-history/55428083/item/84784210/ —  Dick Clark Interviews Sylvester, American Bandstand 1978. Awards Show Network. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKKsI2seeTM— Sylvester on Joan Rivers. Black LGBT Historical Society. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUW53d3U-4k —  What is House? An Insider's Look at Dance Music, 1991. There Is No Planet Earth. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtTcR3KRY3E — Cockettes Palace Sylvester. harryarends. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4zmW1gDyhM — Sylvester, Do Ya Wanna Funk. RobertoLoiali. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72nr7VFAg8I — Jeff Bixby with Sylvester, Pt. 1 of 2. gcncincinnati. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvW-ussQ_90 · — You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real). Sylvester. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD6cPE2BHic — Etta James, What I'd Say (Live). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVmRPaVWU90 · — ESPN story about Disco Demolition, July 12, 1979. TheOriginalShockJock. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1zN-oLCKo4