2014 San Diego LGBT Community Center's Wall of Honor Posthumous Honoree
His friends from the community – Ben Dillingham, Nicole Murray-Ramirez and countless others – still use words like "elegant," "charming" and "beloved" to describe Queen Eddie. The man born Edward T. Conlon 86 years ago would have loved that. It was how he lived.
Queen Eddie, a relentless social and political activist until his death in 2002 from cancer, was also a social columnist for the LGBT community whose advice was laced with double- entendres and mirth. But he took his humor seriously, and was proud to be seen by his readers as a mother figure.
"He never said a mean word about anyone," recalls Dillingham, "and he was forever gracious in giving praise.
He also was extraordinarily generous in support of all manner of worthy causes. And he was absolutely devoted to his partner Shawne Leap."
Conlon's weekly columns in Bravo! and later in Update, "Just Ask Queen Eddie," were an extension of his larger than life Queen Eddie persona, who performed at benefits for countless LGBT organizations and causes. And in his final years he wrote his advice through the pain of constant cancer treatments.
"Eddie was tremendously brave through a very long bout with cancer, and he raised people's awareness of the disease," said Christine Kehoe, a state assemblywoman at the time of his death. "He gave a lot to the community because he truly believed that gay people should care for themselves and each other," Kehoe told San Diego Union-Tribune writer Preston Turegano.
Eddie Conlon was born aboard a barge, moored behind the Statue of Liberty, in 1928. His father was captain of the barge. After service in the U.S Navy during the 1940s, Eddie was honorably discharged as a hospitalman first class. Later, he often drew from his own military experience when counseling gay military personnel who wrote to him at the newspapers for advice.
"His column was a godsend to many dealing with every conceivable personal crisis and demon. And Eddie was as brave a man as I ever knew," says Dillingham. "I absolutely adored him. In that I was not alone. His fans were legion."
Queen Eddie was a fixture in San Diego's LGBT movement for more than three decades. A beloved entertainer, his performances benefitted most of the charity organizations in the LGBT and HIV communities. The Queen Eddie Conlon Youth Fund, established in his memory, provides assistance to San Diego youth, 13-18, for education-related expenses. It is administered by The San Diego LGBT Community Center.
source: Wall of Honor Program Booklet
________________________________
In a way, it's appropriate Edward T. Conlon was born near the Statue of Liberty shortly before the Great Depression.
As advice columnist for Update, a San Diego gay-community newspaper, and a relentless social and political activist, Mr. Conlon, who died July 11 at age 74 at UCSD Medical Center, often dealt with personal-freedom issues.
Better known as "Queen Eddie," Mr. Conlon's help to his readers was wide-ranging, from affairs of the heart and domestic troubles to gay rights and consumer problems. His answers often were filled with clever double-entendres and mirthful naughtiness.
"I think my readers see me as a mother figure, and all the things they can't tell their mother they can tell Queen Eddie," Mr. Conlon said in an interview with The San Diego Tribune in 1988. "I can't tell you how many people come up to me and say, 'I'd like to have a grandmother like you.' "
Mr. Conlon's weekly column, "Just Ask Queen Eddie," was an extension of his identity as a female impersonator, or "drag queen," who performed mainly at benefits for gay-community organizations and causes.
He started writing the column in 1986 for the now-defunct gay-community paper Bravo!
"Eddie just didn't give advice off the top of his head," said Shawne Leap, Mr. Conlon's domestic partner of 43 years and sole survivor. "He would go to the phone company, the police station, or even a psychiatrist if he felt the person who was writing to him was in need of professional help. He was like Dear Abby."
As an advocate of long-lasting relationships, Mr. Conlon once said, "My main message to gay couples is that when they form a union, they should always think of it as a marriage, not an affair."
Over the past five years, Mr. Conlon periodically wrote about his battle with cancer, but always in an upbeat and sometimes humorous way. Those columns usually addressed treatments and prognoses.
"Eddie was tremendously brave through a very long bout with cancer, and he raised people's awareness of the disease," said Assemblywoman and former San Diego Councilwoman Christine Kehoe, who knew Mr. Conlon as both a friend and a constituent.
"He brought dignity to growing older as a gay man," Kehoe said. "He gave a lot to the community because he truly believed that gay people should care for themselves and each other."
In person, Mr. Conlon spoke with a soft, distinct New Jersey-New York accent. He was born aboard a barge moored behind the Statue of Liberty on March 22, 1928. His father was captain of the vessel, which also served as the Conlon home and operated out of Jersey City.
In the 1940s, Mr. Conlon served in the Navy and was honorably discharged as a hospitalman first class in 1947. He often recounted his military experience when he counseled troubled gay military personnel who wrote to him at Bravo! and Update.
Before he moved to San Diego in 1975, Mr. Conlon lived in Jersey City, New York and Pennsylvania. Locally, he ran a shop at the Cracker Factory Antique Center on Market Street during the 1980s. At the time of his death, Mr. Conlon was a resident of University Heights.
On a personal level, there was little that didn't interest Mr. Conlon.
"Eddie was like a child," Leap said. "He liked music, and was interested in people – everything."
To the gay community, Mr. Conlon was an icon, riding or marching in San Diego's annual Gay Pride Parade. He also was a supporter of the Imperial Court de San Diego, a social organization that raises money for scholarships, provides assistance to people with AIDS and collects and distributes blankets for the poor in Tijuana every winter.
"In the San Diego gay and lesbian community in the last 30 years, there has not been such a beloved personality as Eddie," said Nicole Murray Ramirez, co-chairwoman of the California Alliance for Pride and Equality. "He was an activist, writer, entertainer, fund-raiser and an inspirational role model for all San Diegans."
A memorial service for Mr. Conlon is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at the LGBT Community Center, 3909 Centre St.
Contributions are suggested to the Harvey Milk-Tom Homan Student Scholarship Fund or to the Toni Atkins Health Fund, both at P.O. Box 633063, San Diego, CA 92163; or to a favorite charity.
By Preston Turegano UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER July 21, 2002
His friends from the community – Ben Dillingham, Nicole Murray-Ramirez and countless others – still use words like "elegant," "charming" and "beloved" to describe Queen Eddie. The man born Edward T. Conlon 86 years ago would have loved that. It was how he lived.
Queen Eddie, a relentless social and political activist until his death in 2002 from cancer, was also a social columnist for the LGBT community whose advice was laced with double- entendres and mirth. But he took his humor seriously, and was proud to be seen by his readers as a mother figure.
"He never said a mean word about anyone," recalls Dillingham, "and he was forever gracious in giving praise.
He also was extraordinarily generous in support of all manner of worthy causes. And he was absolutely devoted to his partner Shawne Leap."
Conlon's weekly columns in Bravo! and later in Update, "Just Ask Queen Eddie," were an extension of his larger than life Queen Eddie persona, who performed at benefits for countless LGBT organizations and causes. And in his final years he wrote his advice through the pain of constant cancer treatments.
"Eddie was tremendously brave through a very long bout with cancer, and he raised people's awareness of the disease," said Christine Kehoe, a state assemblywoman at the time of his death. "He gave a lot to the community because he truly believed that gay people should care for themselves and each other," Kehoe told San Diego Union-Tribune writer Preston Turegano.
Eddie Conlon was born aboard a barge, moored behind the Statue of Liberty, in 1928. His father was captain of the barge. After service in the U.S Navy during the 1940s, Eddie was honorably discharged as a hospitalman first class. Later, he often drew from his own military experience when counseling gay military personnel who wrote to him at the newspapers for advice.
"His column was a godsend to many dealing with every conceivable personal crisis and demon. And Eddie was as brave a man as I ever knew," says Dillingham. "I absolutely adored him. In that I was not alone. His fans were legion."
Queen Eddie was a fixture in San Diego's LGBT movement for more than three decades. A beloved entertainer, his performances benefitted most of the charity organizations in the LGBT and HIV communities. The Queen Eddie Conlon Youth Fund, established in his memory, provides assistance to San Diego youth, 13-18, for education-related expenses. It is administered by The San Diego LGBT Community Center.
source: Wall of Honor Program Booklet
________________________________
In a way, it's appropriate Edward T. Conlon was born near the Statue of Liberty shortly before the Great Depression.
As advice columnist for Update, a San Diego gay-community newspaper, and a relentless social and political activist, Mr. Conlon, who died July 11 at age 74 at UCSD Medical Center, often dealt with personal-freedom issues.
Better known as "Queen Eddie," Mr. Conlon's help to his readers was wide-ranging, from affairs of the heart and domestic troubles to gay rights and consumer problems. His answers often were filled with clever double-entendres and mirthful naughtiness.
"I think my readers see me as a mother figure, and all the things they can't tell their mother they can tell Queen Eddie," Mr. Conlon said in an interview with The San Diego Tribune in 1988. "I can't tell you how many people come up to me and say, 'I'd like to have a grandmother like you.' "
Mr. Conlon's weekly column, "Just Ask Queen Eddie," was an extension of his identity as a female impersonator, or "drag queen," who performed mainly at benefits for gay-community organizations and causes.
He started writing the column in 1986 for the now-defunct gay-community paper Bravo!
"Eddie just didn't give advice off the top of his head," said Shawne Leap, Mr. Conlon's domestic partner of 43 years and sole survivor. "He would go to the phone company, the police station, or even a psychiatrist if he felt the person who was writing to him was in need of professional help. He was like Dear Abby."
As an advocate of long-lasting relationships, Mr. Conlon once said, "My main message to gay couples is that when they form a union, they should always think of it as a marriage, not an affair."
Over the past five years, Mr. Conlon periodically wrote about his battle with cancer, but always in an upbeat and sometimes humorous way. Those columns usually addressed treatments and prognoses.
"Eddie was tremendously brave through a very long bout with cancer, and he raised people's awareness of the disease," said Assemblywoman and former San Diego Councilwoman Christine Kehoe, who knew Mr. Conlon as both a friend and a constituent.
"He brought dignity to growing older as a gay man," Kehoe said. "He gave a lot to the community because he truly believed that gay people should care for themselves and each other."
In person, Mr. Conlon spoke with a soft, distinct New Jersey-New York accent. He was born aboard a barge moored behind the Statue of Liberty on March 22, 1928. His father was captain of the vessel, which also served as the Conlon home and operated out of Jersey City.
In the 1940s, Mr. Conlon served in the Navy and was honorably discharged as a hospitalman first class in 1947. He often recounted his military experience when he counseled troubled gay military personnel who wrote to him at Bravo! and Update.
Before he moved to San Diego in 1975, Mr. Conlon lived in Jersey City, New York and Pennsylvania. Locally, he ran a shop at the Cracker Factory Antique Center on Market Street during the 1980s. At the time of his death, Mr. Conlon was a resident of University Heights.
On a personal level, there was little that didn't interest Mr. Conlon.
"Eddie was like a child," Leap said. "He liked music, and was interested in people – everything."
To the gay community, Mr. Conlon was an icon, riding or marching in San Diego's annual Gay Pride Parade. He also was a supporter of the Imperial Court de San Diego, a social organization that raises money for scholarships, provides assistance to people with AIDS and collects and distributes blankets for the poor in Tijuana every winter.
"In the San Diego gay and lesbian community in the last 30 years, there has not been such a beloved personality as Eddie," said Nicole Murray Ramirez, co-chairwoman of the California Alliance for Pride and Equality. "He was an activist, writer, entertainer, fund-raiser and an inspirational role model for all San Diegans."
A memorial service for Mr. Conlon is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at the LGBT Community Center, 3909 Centre St.
Contributions are suggested to the Harvey Milk-Tom Homan Student Scholarship Fund or to the Toni Atkins Health Fund, both at P.O. Box 633063, San Diego, CA 92163; or to a favorite charity.
By Preston Turegano UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER July 21, 2002
2014 San Diego LGBT Community Center's Wall of Honor Posthumous Honoree
His friends from the community – Ben Dillingham, Nicole Murray-Ramirez and countless others – still use words like "elegant," "charming" and "beloved" to describe Queen Eddie. The man born Edward T. Conlon 86 years ago would have loved that. It was how he lived.
Queen Eddie, a relentless social and political activist until his death in 2002 from cancer, was also a social columnist for the LGBT community whose advice was laced with double- entendres and mirth. But he took his humor seriously, and was proud to be seen by his readers as a mother figure.
"He never said a mean word about anyone," recalls Dillingham, "and he was forever gracious in giving praise.
He also was extraordinarily generous in support of all manner of worthy causes. And he was absolutely devoted to his partner Shawne Leap."
Conlon's weekly columns in Bravo! and later in Update, "Just Ask Queen Eddie," were an extension of his larger than life Queen Eddie persona, who performed at benefits for countless LGBT organizations and causes. And in his final years he wrote his advice through the pain of constant cancer treatments.
"Eddie was tremendously brave through a very long bout with cancer, and he raised people's awareness of the disease," said Christine Kehoe, a state assemblywoman at the time of his death. "He gave a lot to the community because he truly believed that gay people should care for themselves and each other," Kehoe told San Diego Union-Tribune writer Preston Turegano.
Eddie Conlon was born aboard a barge, moored behind the Statue of Liberty, in 1928. His father was captain of the barge. After service in the U.S Navy during the 1940s, Eddie was honorably discharged as a hospitalman first class. Later, he often drew from his own military experience when counseling gay military personnel who wrote to him at the newspapers for advice.
"His column was a godsend to many dealing with every conceivable personal crisis and demon. And Eddie was as brave a man as I ever knew," says Dillingham. "I absolutely adored him. In that I was not alone. His fans were legion."
Queen Eddie was a fixture in San Diego's LGBT movement for more than three decades. A beloved entertainer, his performances benefitted most of the charity organizations in the LGBT and HIV communities. The Queen Eddie Conlon Youth Fund, established in his memory, provides assistance to San Diego youth, 13-18, for education-related expenses. It is administered by The San Diego LGBT Community Center.
source: Wall of Honor Program Booklet
________________________________
In a way, it's appropriate Edward T. Conlon was born near the Statue of Liberty shortly before the Great Depression.
As advice columnist for Update, a San Diego gay-community newspaper, and a relentless social and political activist, Mr. Conlon, who died July 11 at age 74 at UCSD Medical Center, often dealt with personal-freedom issues.
Better known as "Queen Eddie," Mr. Conlon's help to his readers was wide-ranging, from affairs of the heart and domestic troubles to gay rights and consumer problems. His answers often were filled with clever double-entendres and mirthful naughtiness.
"I think my readers see me as a mother figure, and all the things they can't tell their mother they can tell Queen Eddie," Mr. Conlon said in an interview with The San Diego Tribune in 1988. "I can't tell you how many people come up to me and say, 'I'd like to have a grandmother like you.' "
Mr. Conlon's weekly column, "Just Ask Queen Eddie," was an extension of his identity as a female impersonator, or "drag queen," who performed mainly at benefits for gay-community organizations and causes.
He started writing the column in 1986 for the now-defunct gay-community paper Bravo!
"Eddie just didn't give advice off the top of his head," said Shawne Leap, Mr. Conlon's domestic partner of 43 years and sole survivor. "He would go to the phone company, the police station, or even a psychiatrist if he felt the person who was writing to him was in need of professional help. He was like Dear Abby."
As an advocate of long-lasting relationships, Mr. Conlon once said, "My main message to gay couples is that when they form a union, they should always think of it as a marriage, not an affair."
Over the past five years, Mr. Conlon periodically wrote about his battle with cancer, but always in an upbeat and sometimes humorous way. Those columns usually addressed treatments and prognoses.
"Eddie was tremendously brave through a very long bout with cancer, and he raised people's awareness of the disease," said Assemblywoman and former San Diego Councilwoman Christine Kehoe, who knew Mr. Conlon as both a friend and a constituent.
"He brought dignity to growing older as a gay man," Kehoe said. "He gave a lot to the community because he truly believed that gay people should care for themselves and each other."
In person, Mr. Conlon spoke with a soft, distinct New Jersey-New York accent. He was born aboard a barge moored behind the Statue of Liberty on March 22, 1928. His father was captain of the vessel, which also served as the Conlon home and operated out of Jersey City.
In the 1940s, Mr. Conlon served in the Navy and was honorably discharged as a hospitalman first class in 1947. He often recounted his military experience when he counseled troubled gay military personnel who wrote to him at Bravo! and Update.
Before he moved to San Diego in 1975, Mr. Conlon lived in Jersey City, New York and Pennsylvania. Locally, he ran a shop at the Cracker Factory Antique Center on Market Street during the 1980s. At the time of his death, Mr. Conlon was a resident of University Heights.
On a personal level, there was little that didn't interest Mr. Conlon.
"Eddie was like a child," Leap said. "He liked music, and was interested in people – everything."
To the gay community, Mr. Conlon was an icon, riding or marching in San Diego's annual Gay Pride Parade. He also was a supporter of the Imperial Court de San Diego, a social organization that raises money for scholarships, provides assistance to people with AIDS and collects and distributes blankets for the poor in Tijuana every winter.
"In the San Diego gay and lesbian community in the last 30 years, there has not been such a beloved personality as Eddie," said Nicole Murray Ramirez, co-chairwoman of the California Alliance for Pride and Equality. "He was an activist, writer, entertainer, fund-raiser and an inspirational role model for all San Diegans."
A memorial service for Mr. Conlon is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at the LGBT Community Center, 3909 Centre St.
Contributions are suggested to the Harvey Milk-Tom Homan Student Scholarship Fund or to the Toni Atkins Health Fund, both at P.O. Box 633063, San Diego, CA 92163; or to a favorite charity.
By Preston Turegano UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER July 21, 2002
His friends from the community – Ben Dillingham, Nicole Murray-Ramirez and countless others – still use words like "elegant," "charming" and "beloved" to describe Queen Eddie. The man born Edward T. Conlon 86 years ago would have loved that. It was how he lived.
Queen Eddie, a relentless social and political activist until his death in 2002 from cancer, was also a social columnist for the LGBT community whose advice was laced with double- entendres and mirth. But he took his humor seriously, and was proud to be seen by his readers as a mother figure.
"He never said a mean word about anyone," recalls Dillingham, "and he was forever gracious in giving praise.
He also was extraordinarily generous in support of all manner of worthy causes. And he was absolutely devoted to his partner Shawne Leap."
Conlon's weekly columns in Bravo! and later in Update, "Just Ask Queen Eddie," were an extension of his larger than life Queen Eddie persona, who performed at benefits for countless LGBT organizations and causes. And in his final years he wrote his advice through the pain of constant cancer treatments.
"Eddie was tremendously brave through a very long bout with cancer, and he raised people's awareness of the disease," said Christine Kehoe, a state assemblywoman at the time of his death. "He gave a lot to the community because he truly believed that gay people should care for themselves and each other," Kehoe told San Diego Union-Tribune writer Preston Turegano.
Eddie Conlon was born aboard a barge, moored behind the Statue of Liberty, in 1928. His father was captain of the barge. After service in the U.S Navy during the 1940s, Eddie was honorably discharged as a hospitalman first class. Later, he often drew from his own military experience when counseling gay military personnel who wrote to him at the newspapers for advice.
"His column was a godsend to many dealing with every conceivable personal crisis and demon. And Eddie was as brave a man as I ever knew," says Dillingham. "I absolutely adored him. In that I was not alone. His fans were legion."
Queen Eddie was a fixture in San Diego's LGBT movement for more than three decades. A beloved entertainer, his performances benefitted most of the charity organizations in the LGBT and HIV communities. The Queen Eddie Conlon Youth Fund, established in his memory, provides assistance to San Diego youth, 13-18, for education-related expenses. It is administered by The San Diego LGBT Community Center.
source: Wall of Honor Program Booklet
________________________________
In a way, it's appropriate Edward T. Conlon was born near the Statue of Liberty shortly before the Great Depression.
As advice columnist for Update, a San Diego gay-community newspaper, and a relentless social and political activist, Mr. Conlon, who died July 11 at age 74 at UCSD Medical Center, often dealt with personal-freedom issues.
Better known as "Queen Eddie," Mr. Conlon's help to his readers was wide-ranging, from affairs of the heart and domestic troubles to gay rights and consumer problems. His answers often were filled with clever double-entendres and mirthful naughtiness.
"I think my readers see me as a mother figure, and all the things they can't tell their mother they can tell Queen Eddie," Mr. Conlon said in an interview with The San Diego Tribune in 1988. "I can't tell you how many people come up to me and say, 'I'd like to have a grandmother like you.' "
Mr. Conlon's weekly column, "Just Ask Queen Eddie," was an extension of his identity as a female impersonator, or "drag queen," who performed mainly at benefits for gay-community organizations and causes.
He started writing the column in 1986 for the now-defunct gay-community paper Bravo!
"Eddie just didn't give advice off the top of his head," said Shawne Leap, Mr. Conlon's domestic partner of 43 years and sole survivor. "He would go to the phone company, the police station, or even a psychiatrist if he felt the person who was writing to him was in need of professional help. He was like Dear Abby."
As an advocate of long-lasting relationships, Mr. Conlon once said, "My main message to gay couples is that when they form a union, they should always think of it as a marriage, not an affair."
Over the past five years, Mr. Conlon periodically wrote about his battle with cancer, but always in an upbeat and sometimes humorous way. Those columns usually addressed treatments and prognoses.
"Eddie was tremendously brave through a very long bout with cancer, and he raised people's awareness of the disease," said Assemblywoman and former San Diego Councilwoman Christine Kehoe, who knew Mr. Conlon as both a friend and a constituent.
"He brought dignity to growing older as a gay man," Kehoe said. "He gave a lot to the community because he truly believed that gay people should care for themselves and each other."
In person, Mr. Conlon spoke with a soft, distinct New Jersey-New York accent. He was born aboard a barge moored behind the Statue of Liberty on March 22, 1928. His father was captain of the vessel, which also served as the Conlon home and operated out of Jersey City.
In the 1940s, Mr. Conlon served in the Navy and was honorably discharged as a hospitalman first class in 1947. He often recounted his military experience when he counseled troubled gay military personnel who wrote to him at Bravo! and Update.
Before he moved to San Diego in 1975, Mr. Conlon lived in Jersey City, New York and Pennsylvania. Locally, he ran a shop at the Cracker Factory Antique Center on Market Street during the 1980s. At the time of his death, Mr. Conlon was a resident of University Heights.
On a personal level, there was little that didn't interest Mr. Conlon.
"Eddie was like a child," Leap said. "He liked music, and was interested in people – everything."
To the gay community, Mr. Conlon was an icon, riding or marching in San Diego's annual Gay Pride Parade. He also was a supporter of the Imperial Court de San Diego, a social organization that raises money for scholarships, provides assistance to people with AIDS and collects and distributes blankets for the poor in Tijuana every winter.
"In the San Diego gay and lesbian community in the last 30 years, there has not been such a beloved personality as Eddie," said Nicole Murray Ramirez, co-chairwoman of the California Alliance for Pride and Equality. "He was an activist, writer, entertainer, fund-raiser and an inspirational role model for all San Diegans."
A memorial service for Mr. Conlon is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at the LGBT Community Center, 3909 Centre St.
Contributions are suggested to the Harvey Milk-Tom Homan Student Scholarship Fund or to the Toni Atkins Health Fund, both at P.O. Box 633063, San Diego, CA 92163; or to a favorite charity.
By Preston Turegano UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER July 21, 2002
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