Interview of Vivian Lopez Ponce

Vivian Lopez discusses her close friendships with iconic trans women of the 1980s, including Sylvia Ray Rivera, Octavia Saint Laurent, and her work at Cat’s Bar and Sally’s Hideaway. Vivian also begins recounting growing up in Spanish Harlem and the Bronx, her unsupportive father, and her grandmother and mother’s support in returning to school for her diploma.

Date of Interview:

November 18, 2021

Location of Interview:

NYPL Office, Midtown Manhattan

Place of birth:

Manhattan

Pronouns:

she/hers

Interviewed by

Xiomara Sebastián Castro Niculescu