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{{short description|American actress|bot=PearBOT 5}} |
{{short description|American actress|bot=PearBOT 5}} |
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{{Notability|Bio|date=April 2019}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| name = Elizabeth Coffey |
| name = Elizabeth Coffey |
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| image = File:Elizabeth_Coffey,_Female_Trouble_Premiere_2013-11-24_03-41.jpg |
| image = File:Elizabeth_Coffey,_Female_Trouble_Premiere_2013-11-24_03-41.jpg |
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| caption = Coffey at the ''Female Trouble'' premiere |
| caption = Coffey at the ''Female Trouble'' premiere |
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| birth_date = 1948 |
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1948|3}} |
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| birth_place = |
| birth_place = [[Brooklyn]], New York City, U.S. |
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| death_date = |
| death_date = |
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| death_place = |
| death_place = |
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| other_names = |
| other_names = |
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| known_for = [[Dreamlanders]] |
| known_for = Member of the [[Dreamlanders]] |
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| children = 1 (adoptive) |
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| occupation = [[Film actress]] |
| occupation = [[Film actress]] |
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}} |
}} |
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{{Family name hatnote|Coffey Williams}} |
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'''Elizabeth Coffey''' is an American [[actress]]. |
'''Elizabeth Lamont Coffey Williams''' (née '''Coffey''', born March 1948), simply known by her maiden name '''Elizabeth Coffey''', is an American [[actress]] and transgender activist. Coffey, a trans woman, had small but notable roles in four of the early films of [[John Waters (filmmaker)|John Waters]], becoming a member of the [[Dreamlanders]], his regular cast. Her work has been shown at multiple national venues, including the [[Baltimore Museum of Art]] and the [[Chicago Art Institute]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Zipkin |first=Michele |date=2021-12-30 |title=Person Of The Year: Elizabeth Coffey Williams |url=https://epgn.com/2021/12/30/person-of-the-year-elizabeth-coffey-williams/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=Philadelphia Gay News |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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==Early life and education== |
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==Biography== |
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Coffey was born in 1948 in [[Brooklyn]], New York City, the oldest of five children.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Funk |first=Mason |date=2016-08-08 |title=Elizabeth Coffey-Williams |url=https://theoutwordsarchive.org/interview/williams-elizabeth-coffey/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=The Outwords Archive |language=en-US}}</ref> At the age of 5, her family moved to [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, where she was raised and attended [[Northeast Catholic High School]], a private, all-males [[Catholic]] school, where she often rebelled against the dress code by presenting as a woman, wearing long hair with [[ponytails]], and dating boys.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wolfson |first=Jill |date=1973 |title=Tete a Tete With a Transsexual |work=[[Philadelphia Inquirer]] |url=https://theoutwordsarchive.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/elizabeth-coffey-williams-5.jpg}}</ref> According to her, her parents were "too uptight" to talk to her about her gender identity, at one point confronting her if she was a "[[queer]]" and splitting her up from the rest of her siblings. Eventually, they accepted it and let her return to the family.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cofrey Williams |first=Elizabeth |title=Trans Woman Reflects On Her Journey: "It Was Real For Me And I Was Okay With It." |url=https://imfromdriftwood.com/story/trans-woman-reflects-on-her-journey-it-was-real-for-me-and-i-was-okay-with-it/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=I'm From Driftwood |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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Coffey was born in 1948 in [[Brooklyn]], NY.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elizabeth Coffey Williams Interview|url=https://theoutwordsarchive.org/subjectdetail/elizabeth-coffey-williams|access-date=2021-10-07|website=theoutwordsarchive.org|language=en}}</ref> |
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==Career== |
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She is considered one of the [[Dreamlanders]], Waters' [[ensemble cast|ensemble]] of regular cast and crew members. |
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In 1970, she hitchhiked to [[Baltimore]], Maryland, where she openly identified as a transgender woman.<ref name=":0" /> While there, she met filmmaker [[John Waters]] while in the basement of a [[Church (building)|church]] during the premiere of one of his earlier films, ''[[Multiple Maniacs]]''. Upon learning that Coffey was a transsexual, he described to her the idea to include her in his next film as a flasher. |
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At the time of her first film appearance in Waters' ''[[Pink Flamingos]]'' ([[1972 in film|1972]]), Coffey was a pre-operative transgender woman who had already undergone hormone therapy to develop breasts and female features. She played the part of a beautiful woman who turns the tables on a perverted [[Indecent exposure|flasher]]/[[voyeur]] by exposing herself and flashing him, sending him fleeing in shock.<ref>Shock Value, John Waters, p. 129</ref> Coffey underwent gender confirmation surgery a week after her scene was filmed |
At the time of her first film appearance in Waters' ''[[Pink Flamingos]]'' ([[1972 in film|1972]]), Coffey was a pre-operative transgender woman who had already undergone hormone therapy to develop breasts and female features, starting in the summer of 1972.<ref name=":1" /> She played the part of a beautiful woman who turns the tables on a perverted [[Indecent exposure|flasher]]/[[voyeur]] by exposing herself and flashing him, sending him fleeing in shock.<ref>Shock Value, John Waters, p. 129</ref> Coffey underwent gender confirmation surgery a week after her scene was filmed, becoming one of the first trans women to get [[Gender Confirmation Surgery|gender confirmation surgery]] from [[Johns Hopkins Hospital]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|title=Coming Out As Transgender When There Was No Language To Describe It|language=en|work=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/08/16/751068816/coming-out-as-transgender-when-there-was-no-language-to-describe-it|access-date=2021-10-07}}</ref> Soon after, Coffey joined his regular cast of the [[Dreamlanders]], Waters' [[ensemble cast|ensemble]] of regular cast and crew members, also appearing the films, ''[[Female Trouble]]'' (1974) playing Earnestine, the sorrowful death row cellmate of Dawn Davenport ([[Divine (performer)|Divine]]), ''[[Desperate Living]]'' (1977), and ''[[Hairspray (1988 film)|Hairspray]]'' (1988). |
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Later on, she moved to [[Rockford, Illinois]], where she married and adopted a child.<ref name=":0" /> Later on, she divorced and moved back to [[Pennsylvania]]. |
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She also appears in Waters' film, ''[[Female Trouble]]'' ([[1974 in film|1974]]) playing Earnestine, the sorrowful death row cellmate of Dawn Davenport ([[Divine (performer)|Divine]]). She also appeared in Waters’ films Desperate Living and Hairspray. |
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She remains in contact with Waters, inaugurating gender-neutral bathrooms at the [[Baltimore Museum of Art]] along with him in 2021,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gunts |first=Ed |date=2021-10-28 |title=John Waters and trans activist Elizabeth Coffey unveil the first all-gender restrooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art; museum sets date for new John Waters exhibit |url=http://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/john-waters-and-trans-activist-elizabeth-coffey-unveil-the-first-all-gender-restrooms-at-the-baltimore-museum-of-art-museum-sets-date-for-new-john-waters-exhibit/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=Baltimore Fishbowl |language=en-US}}</ref> and has worked with several [[AIDS]]-related charities.<ref name=":1" /> She currently lives in [[Philadelphia]] in the John C. Anderson Apartments, an LGBTQ-friendly senior living community, where she co-facilitates TransWay, a trans and gender non-conforming support group.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zipkin|first=Michele|date=2020-03-25|title=Leaders in trans community share guidelines and resources during pandemic|url=https://epgn.com/2020/03/25/leaders-in-trans-community-share-guidelines-and-resources-during-pandemic/|access-date=2021-10-07|website=Philadelphia Gay News|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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Coffey is currently divorced , with one adopted child. She remains in contact with Waters, and has worked with several AIDS-related charities.{{Citation needed|date=November 2015}} |
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She currently lives in [[Philadelphia]] in the John C. Anderson Apartments, an LGBTQ-friendly senior living community, where she co-facilitates TransWay, a trans and gender non-conforming support group.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elizabeth Coffey Williams Interview|url=https://theoutwordsarchive.org/subjectdetail/elizabeth-coffey-williams|access-date=2021-10-07|website=theoutwordsarchive.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zipkin|first=Michele|date=2020-03-25|title=Leaders in trans community share guidelines and resources during pandemic|url=https://epgn.com/2020/03/25/leaders-in-trans-community-share-guidelines-and-resources-during-pandemic/|access-date=2021-10-07|website=Philadelphia Gay News|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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She once lived in [[Rockford, Illinois]]. |
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==Filmography== |
==Filmography== |
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*''[[Pink Flamingos]]'' ([[1972 in film|1972]]) as |
*''[[Pink Flamingos]]'' ([[1972 in film|1972]]) as trans flasher |
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*''[[Female Trouble]]'' ([[1974 in film|1974]]) as Earnestine |
*''[[Female Trouble]]'' ([[1974 in film|1974]]) as Earnestine |
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*Desperate Living ( |
*''[[Desperate Living]]'' ([[1977 in film|1977]]) as bartender |
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*Hairspray (1988) Dance kid mom |
*''[[Hairspray (1988 film)|Hairspray]]'' ([[1988 in film|1988]]) as Dance kid mom |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffey, Elizabeth}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffey, Elizabeth}} |
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[[Category:American film actresses]] |
[[Category:American film actresses]] |
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[[Category:Transgender actresses]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:American transgender actresses]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:LGBTQ people from New York (state)]] |
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[[Category:1948 births]] |
[[Category:1948 births]] |
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{{US-film-actor-stub}} |
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Latest revision as of 09:27, 2 October 2024
Elizabeth Coffey | |
|---|---|
 Coffey at the Female Trouble premiere | |
| Born | March 1948 (age 76) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film actress |
| Known for | Member of the Dreamlanders |
| Children | 1 (adoptive) |
Elizabeth Lamont Coffey Williams (née Coffey, born March 1948), simply known by her maiden name Elizabeth Coffey, is an American actress and transgender activist. Coffey, a trans woman, had small but notable roles in four of the early films of John Waters, becoming a member of the Dreamlanders, his regular cast. Her work has been shown at multiple national venues, including the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Chicago Art Institute.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Coffey was born in 1948 in Brooklyn, New York City, the oldest of five children.[2] At the age of 5, her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she was raised and attended Northeast Catholic High School, a private, all-males Catholic school, where she often rebelled against the dress code by presenting as a woman, wearing long hair with ponytails, and dating boys.[3] According to her, her parents were "too uptight" to talk to her about her gender identity, at one point confronting her if she was a "queer" and splitting her up from the rest of her siblings. Eventually, they accepted it and let her return to the family.[4]
Career
[edit]In 1970, she hitchhiked to Baltimore, Maryland, where she openly identified as a transgender woman.[2] While there, she met filmmaker John Waters while in the basement of a church during the premiere of one of his earlier films, Multiple Maniacs. Upon learning that Coffey was a transsexual, he described to her the idea to include her in his next film as a flasher.
At the time of her first film appearance in Waters' Pink Flamingos (1972), Coffey was a pre-operative transgender woman who had already undergone hormone therapy to develop breasts and female features, starting in the summer of 1972.[1] She played the part of a beautiful woman who turns the tables on a perverted flasher/voyeur by exposing herself and flashing him, sending him fleeing in shock.[5] Coffey underwent gender confirmation surgery a week after her scene was filmed, becoming one of the first trans women to get gender confirmation surgery from Johns Hopkins Hospital.[2][6] Soon after, Coffey joined his regular cast of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of regular cast and crew members, also appearing the films, Female Trouble (1974) playing Earnestine, the sorrowful death row cellmate of Dawn Davenport (Divine), Desperate Living (1977), and Hairspray (1988).
Later on, she moved to Rockford, Illinois, where she married and adopted a child.[2] Later on, she divorced and moved back to Pennsylvania.
She remains in contact with Waters, inaugurating gender-neutral bathrooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art along with him in 2021,[7] and has worked with several AIDS-related charities.[1] She currently lives in Philadelphia in the John C. Anderson Apartments, an LGBTQ-friendly senior living community, where she co-facilitates TransWay, a trans and gender non-conforming support group.[1][8]
Filmography
[edit]- Pink Flamingos (1972) as trans flasher
- Female Trouble (1974) as Earnestine
- Desperate Living (1977) as bartender
- Hairspray (1988) as Dance kid mom
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Zipkin, Michele (2021-12-30). "Person Of The Year: Elizabeth Coffey Williams". Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ a b c d Funk, Mason (2016-08-08). "Elizabeth Coffey-Williams". The Outwords Archive. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ Wolfson, Jill (1973). "Tete a Tete With a Transsexual". Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ Cofrey Williams, Elizabeth. "Trans Woman Reflects On Her Journey: "It Was Real For Me And I Was Okay With It."". I'm From Driftwood. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ Shock Value, John Waters, p. 129
- ^ "Coming Out As Transgender When There Was No Language To Describe It". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
- ^ Gunts, Ed (2021-10-28). "John Waters and trans activist Elizabeth Coffey unveil the first all-gender restrooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art; museum sets date for new John Waters exhibit". Baltimore Fishbowl. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ Zipkin, Michele (2020-03-25). "Leaders in trans community share guidelines and resources during pandemic". Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
