Actress, singer, and cabaret performer Holly Woodlawn (1946—2016) survives in the minds of the public through the strength of two Andy Warhol movies from the '70s: Trash and Women in Revolt, plus enshrinement in Lou Reed's 1972 song "Walk on the Wild Side." At turns garish, lurid, and desperate, she strode the line between male and female, both on film and in real life.

LA writer and producer Jeff Copeland befriended Woodlawn and helped co-write her autobiography, A Low Life in High Heels, but he now returns with a more intimate portrait of their relationship in his recently released book, Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn.

Copeland told the SGN he remembers the brilliant star as one who didn't accept questions about her gender. He refers to Woodlawn as "she" most of the time, and said she would often snap, "What difference does it make if I'm a man or a woman? I'm Holly. That's all you need to know."

"Look at photos of Lady Bunny and Holly together, and you'll see the difference," he said. "Holly's intent was to pass as a real woman. But when I knew Holly in the '80s and '90s, she only dressed as a woman when she was making public appearances. I loved watching her put on her makeup. It was a spectacular transformation."

Fame, recalled Copeland, suited Woodlawn much of the time, but Lou Reed's sly, witty couplets about her in "Walk on the Wild Side" rang all too true. She was Holly, but she never forgot her start as teenage boy named Harold who ran away from Miami Beach in 1962, landed in Times Square, and became a teenage sex worker to survive.

"That's every parent's nightmare," Copeland said. "Holly is an example of why diversity and inclusion programs are so important, particularly in schools. When kids are shamed for being themselves, like Holly was, they can be driven to extremes.

Copeland said he frequently wonders what Woodlawn's life trajectory would have been like if she had grown up in a supportive and encouraging environment.

"Would she have run away? Living on the streets was traumatizing, and I know she suffered from some arrested development because of that," Copeland said.

Having published two books about Woodlawn, Copeland is hopeful to further shine light on her legacy.

"To get the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle to produce Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn as a musical stage play, with music by Cyndi Lauper and Jane Lynch playing Holly — now that would be fabulous!" Copeland said enthusiastically.