Violette Le Duc Born On April 7th

Violette Le Duc was born on April 7th, 1907 in Arras, France. Violette had self esteem issues and was never able to accept herself as being more than her mother's illegitimate child; a relationship complicated by her mother's simultaneous hostility and over protectiveness. Le Duc's first sexual experiences with women happened in her boarding school, though she would marry and divorce her husband after World War II. Her writing career began accidentally after she failed an important school exam and started to work as a phone operator and proof reader and publicity writer for a publisher. Encouragement to write came from Maurice Sachs and Simone de Beauvoir.

Read more about Le Duc here and here.

Dirk Bogarde Born March 29th

Dirk Niven van de Bogaerde was born on March 29th, 1921 in London. Bogarde's acting career began at a West End theater in 1939 and became a leading man heart throb in 1950s film. Bogarde broke out of that mold by playing a blackmailed gay attorney in the 1961 film Victim. Bogarde and Tony Forwood met in 1938 and were together for 50 years. Bogarde became Forwood's care giver during a long terminal illness.

Visit the actor's official website and Gay For Today's entry on the actor.

John Rechy Born On March10th

John Francis Rechy was born March 10th in El Paso, TX. Of Scottish and Mexican descent, Rechy is best known for his first novel, City of Night, about a gay hustler turning tricks in Los Angeles, New York, and New Orleans.

Visit Rechy's website.

Mercedes De Acosta Born On March 4th

Mercedes De Acosta was born either March 4th or 1st to well off parents of Latin descent in New York City. Fame, glamour, and wealth were hers, as well as any woman she wanted. The last years of her life were spent coping with illnesses and surgeries, wiping out her financial security.

Read Inventors of Gay and Yale University's bio.