these photos were taken a month to two weeks before greer died, she is in her instalation" its all about me, not you"!she is above a bed where a dool called "20cc more please" is sleeping, and all of greer's old perscriptions are all over the bed, i have some of these too,greer would give me paint in them.she would be proud how skinny she looks in this photo,i think she was 80 pounds when she died

JoJo,
I was wrong, I have one more thing to say and then I'm really done. My grandmother's wedding gown didn't have a train. I'm not sure what dress you have but it's not the one Greer borrowed for her wedding. The last time anyone was able to reliably identify that dress it was beat, not even remotely in fine shape. I thought that maybe you had found pieces of it and managed to put them together in some fashion, which is why I suggested cutting off some where it wouldn't show. If I thought the dress was in really good shape I never would have suggested cutting it.
So you're right, you won, I'm just not sure what.
Cloey

right, i have won,this wedding dress is the same one from all of the nan golden photos.you are so silly cloey,and like the rest of your family- stupid!because you cant have it , you knock it now.i also was remembering that the first time greer's name was mention at her memorial was by me everyone else refered to her as my dead son , greg, sad!even nan golden came up to me at the memorial and said" thank you".and then you told me you were still mad at greer because she got more attention then your father,i'm sorry greer had more to offer.so cloey , please take care of all of greer's things, i beg you!because i think they are in the wrong hands.

This is what my father wrote and read aloud at the memorial service that both JoJo and I attended:

Greer was my brother and my sister
She was old beyond her years
But Greer was childlike.
She was full of life experience
and
she was naive and trusting.
Greer was a light soul who required heavy lifting
But we loved Greer
Because
Greer was Greer.

I'm surprised at how different our memories of that event are.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Gigi Deluxe,

if you look behind the greer doll,there are two water colors that greer did of me and her,and two of her sculptures candy darling and the bllue babe.i dont have the jewelry from the wedding, paul monroe has it still...i wish he would put it on here,its beautiful and he made it.

i don't understand why there are all these personal family letters printed here. should not the LANKTON FAMILY save them for a more personal FAMILY web page? the reason these letters bother me so much, is due to the fact that they are so filled with LIES.

i don't understand why the LANKTONS choose here to paint their distorted portrait of GREER.
so if i may, please let me correct a few statements that they have made.

All of my information is based on what Greer personaly told me, and from what I witnessed first hand. including the countless hours i had to endure in the LANKTON FAMILYS pressence.

i first met Greer in 1981, we started dating in 83 and in 84 Greer moved in with me at 34 east 7th street. 1987 we were Married, Teri Toye was Greers maid of honor. As far as i am concerened we are still LEGALLY married. the only way we wouldn't be is if one of the LANKTONS forged my name on the divorce papers. which is what Greer told me her mother did so her mother could get Greer on finacal aid from the goverment.
Greers family did not support her sex change- they forced her to have it. Greer told me her mother was so humilated to have a gay son that she badgered and belittled Greer into having the sex change. making Greers " problem " perceivable as a medical one. and allthough several doctors declined approval for Greers sex change her mother found a private doctor to perform it.

Cloey states here that the surgery was "botched", UNTRUE there was nothing botched about Greers surgery except the fact that it should not have taken place. Greers man made vagina was exquiste and fully functional.

the fact is, Greer was not mentally prepaired to be a female because she was happy being male. her body could never handle the hormone replacement. this was the main reason that Greers mental state was so erratic.

and Cloey the teeth you found in Greers apt were for DOLLS. if you would just LOOK at her ART you would easily see that. instead you try to portray Greer as some sort of deviant. which she clearly was not.

and Cloey- trying to discredit JOJO here is also pointless. JOJO was a very good friend to Greer, and Greer told me that she loved him. and YES he does indeed have the DRESS that Greer wore at our Wedding.
if your family didn't toss all of Greers possesions in the dumpster you would still have it.
i find it quite telling that your family choose to DESTROY all of Greers work, photos, and her PRIVATE personal belongings.

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND...
isn't that the LANKTON family song.
if your FAMILY cared for Greer at all they would have CHERISHED her things, every last thing!

i will also never forgive LYNN LANKTON for lieing to me about Greers funeral service, telling me there was not going to one so i wouldn't show up. and having Greer cremated was against her wishes. if you knew GREER at all you would have known she wanted a PLOT with a Monument, so her FANS could worship her there.

i could go on and on about how here in print the LANKTON family are trying to rewrite Greers history to suit their needs. out of GUILT i suppose. but let me just tell you all this...YOU CAN"T. too many people know the TRUTH.

and for Greers FANS that would like some factual information- a brief list follows-

Her favoite color was Baby Blue.
her skin was flawless like paper. she used Shiseido face powder and Chanel lispstick- usually RED. heavily mascarred eyes. and the finest of penicled brows. she would sit at the mirror for hours perfecting them. for scent she wore a mix of Keils Chinese Flowers and Chanel #5. her nails were either Tiffany blue or cherry red.
Greer had a closet full of Gernreichs, Puccis and Chanels and she loved denim. Greer loved poka dots, anything sheer and the color Cream. She piled on the jewelry faster then i could make it. Greer loved big pearls and rhinestones of every color.
She wore Maryjanes in the day and Kitten heels at night. nearly always with a black sheer stocking.
at home with me she wore an old silk chiffon Balenciga Gown with layers of tattered tulle beneath. outside in public she liked to be nearly nude. she loved to expose her perfect breasts.
usually wearing a see through blouse with a beaded mini skirt. the skirt would be constructed from one of those 1960's beaded shells. she would sew up the arm holes and be able to use the neck hole as a waist band. Greer was a very skinny girl!
Greer was a natural blonde, who highlighted her hair to a creamy gold tone, and her hair was as smooth as pure silk.
She loved Hot Tamales, ice coffee and dope. she practacally lived on Ensure, vanilla flavored. and she would giggle like mad at the sight of a Pink Frosted Dunkin doughnut. she was hardly ever without a ciggarette or a joint in her hand. Winston lights in the Gold pack were her then favs.
she loved Candy Darling, Diana Vreeland and Sunny Von Beulows Glamourous ways. Greer lived GLAMOUR HARD. i never once saw her when Glamour wasn't oooozing out of her. even in her darkest hours, the dignity of glamour was always about her.

Greer loved New York. She loved stalking the upper east side ladies for dieting tips. we would follow certain beige icons through the small food stores spying their goods.
Greer loved Serendipty, with all its Warhol mystique and the eye high hot fudge sundaes.
she loved Sutton Places Boars Heads Park and Tompkins Square. we moved into the Christadora so she could be close to the trees. Greer loved to be in nature.
She loved to fuck outside too, when we would be in Palm Beach she loved to fuck on the beach right outside the Kennedy compound or in the doorway of the Chanel boutique after midnight.
Greer fit right in in Palm Beach, her look her walk her manner.

Her favorite movie was Freaks, and she devoured any info on Marilyn, Garbo and liz. She was a constant reader of bios, and loved any doomed socialites life. her favorite song was Patti Smiths Horses. she loved nina simone iggy pop and madonna.
Greer had a huge collection of dolls, her favorites were the wimseys and trolls. She kept boxes of clippings for inspiration. they were over flowing with photos of midgets anorexics and the obese.
and she was crazy for models and eccentrics like edie peggy twiggy divine.

Greer was her happiest when she was working on Dolls, high in the tub, or garnishing praise from admirers.
i was the happiest with her in my arms.

She had an incrediable wit charm and grace. and a talent beyond anyones imagination. she was the master of any artistic endeavor, she was untouchable with her knowledge and skill. her work was breathtaking, godlike.

i unlike the LANKTON FAMILY am not relieved that GREER is dead. and would give anything for even just a few seconds more.


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This message has been edited. Last edited by: paul monroe,

JoJo,
You're right. That is the dress. What you called the train used to be the veil. I don't remember if that's the way that Greer wore it or not.
I do like what you've done with it. And you were also right in questioning whether it would fit me. I had forgotten how thin Greer was when she and Paul married. Do you have it pinned in the back to fit the doll, or is it really that tiny?
You know how I wish this would have gone?
Me: I would like the dress, if you don't mind.
You: Well, I've turned it into an art project. Can I send you some photos?
Me: That's very nice. Carry on then.
So, that's very nice, carry on then.
Cloey

thank you , thank you, thank you... paul i love you, and i wish i worked at goo,but i love gi-gi, jay-jay and chicago too much.you should move here.thou you, i think might go kill the lanktons.i have two of greers trolls from the garbage too.her parents sent me "horny homer"{ homer simpson in drag} because they didnt like it.i also have timmy and tommy { siamesse twins}, and princess muffin from the mattress factory show.and a doll that was to be raegan{greer's transgender sidekick and lover}.its nice to know , i'm not fighting alone.your jo-jo always, kisses from chicago, i also have two photos of you and greer nude"hot".

greer wanted to make a book of her dolls.and she was collecting polaroids of all of her dolls,i mean everyone of them, in shoeboxes. and these like many other things were in the garbage, and i was fighting with a homeless man for them, but i bet you can quess who won,i'm still sad to this day,i sometimes think i will find them under a bridge in chicago somewhere, i always check used bookstores, still after 9 years.i was always buying greer raggety ann and andys, because she was making a padded cell of them in her washroom, it was quite funny, after awhile she told me to stop,it got to be too much, some of them are in the mattress factory along with a sign i gave her saying 'there is a differance' with a boy and girl looking down their undies.she once told me she feathered the first big bird for kermit, so i thought she should have one, so when i showed up at the door with one ,she threw it out the window,i said" what did you do that for " she said 'i had to hot glue and stich every fucking feather on that dame thing, i never want to see it again!

sorry paul, i've lost your number and the photos you sent me,can you call again

As a fan of Greers, and someone just trying to find out more about her, I was glad to have found this site and group. But I was getting kind of depressed with some of the negative vibe. I also was wondering why all the personal letters would be posted publicly. I could see maybe a few quotes or lines, maybe a section or two, but whole letters with personal feelings etc. ? Just my opinion. I didn't know Greer, and I don't know anyone posting, family or friends, and I don't know who is right or wrong about facts and information. I just like to hear things about Greer, hopefully things that are true.
I have enjoyed JoJo's posts with pictures and stories. The picture of your Greer in the wedding dress, thats so cool. I love the doll, and the dress too. Thanks JoJo. Also, the photo you got on Ebay, I have one too, but mine is signed by the photographer Chikiris, but not Greer . I know she was ill when it was taken, but I cherish it, because it is Greer. I always tell people about her and her art.
I'm also so glad Paul Monroe posted......thanks Paul. Hearing all the little things about Greer is just too cool.
I would like to add just a few personal thoughts. Like Greer, I'm a post op transsexual female. Big deal but...the fact is for most people like me, you end up being a lot closer with friends and lovers than you ever are with your family. Most families struggle with tg family members, and some end up not accepting you at all. Like you did something wrong by being yourself. So you end up creating your own damn family of friends that just love you and accept you for who you are. My friends know me one hell of a lot better than anyone in my family. Maybe Greer was the same?
I was bummed out to hear that so many of Greer's things were tossed out in the trash after she died. I don't understand that. Guess all that is in the past. And one final thing, JoJo, I laughed out loud when I read the story about when you gave Greer Big Bird, and her tossing it and saying what she did.

i have been unpacking , and i forgot...i have a muppet, that greer made when she was with the muppets, its a teddy bear that has teeth and a tounge that you can move and hte eyes go back and forth, but jim henson hated it because it had a tounge and teeth,so she kept it,i found it in the garbage, thanks lanktons

Paul,

Thank you.

Satori

seeing the teddy brought back this story, jim henson had asked greer to come up with a story about toys being trapped in an attic for the holidays,well greer?,told of a story where the toys started hunting one another because they got hungry,teddy and raggety ann were the better hunters,but raggety andy was not but raggety ann protected him, thou she wouldn't feed him and he got so shriveled up,both raggety ann and andy are in the andy warhol show " its all about me , not you", mixed in with a bunch of other raggeties.she told alot of stories in watercolor, beautiful, some are on her sex change,drugs,being sexualy molested, her family, i believe her family still has these, they even have some of my skecthes, funny

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Gigi Deluxe,

I grew up in Park Forest, next door to the Lanktons. I knew Greer when she was Greg, the sweet, gentle boy-nextdoor, who was always ready and willing to help out with any problem. I remember running over to the Lankton's house one day when I was home alone and had received a frightening prank call, and how caring and comforting Cathy and Greg were.

When Greg became Greer, my fundamentalist family was shocked and horrified. I, however, was secretly amazed and thrilled for her courage. I had yet to come out as a lesbian, and my family was blissfully unaware of my orientation. I remember spending some time with Greer when her sister, Cathy, was married in the backyard of their parents' home. I embroidered some pillow cases for Cathy, and Greer and I spent the afternoon in the kitchen, washing dishes for the ongoing party in the backyard.

I knew that Greer had become a successful artist, but had completely lost track of her and her family until just this past week, having moved to California about 18 years ago. I thought of her and of Bill and Lynn regularly, though, because of what happened when I came out. My parents still lived in the house next door to the Lanktons, and my parents, terribly upset about learning that I was gay, and knowing about Greer, went to talk with Bill and Lynn about me, and what they should "do" about me.

Bill and Lynn sat them down and very kindly listened and comforted them, and then told them that they should accept me and love me as the person God created me to be.

My mother did not take their advice, but I will be forever grateful to them for offering it.

As I said, I think of them often, because I tell people this story when I discuss the events surrounding my "coming out." I was having an online discussion this week about transgendered/transsexual people and I thought about Greer and decided to look her up on the internet. That is when I learned of her death. I am so terribly, terribly sad both to know that she is gone, and to learn how much she suffered over the years. She was three years older than me, and I idolized her when she was the boy next door, and again when I met her as the woman she grew up to be.

The emails Chloey posted are very consistent with my memories of Bill and Lynn, and of Greer herself. I got back in touch with Lynn after learning of Greer's death, and her love and appreciation for Greer were clear throughout our conversation.

I'm grateful for having known Greer and her family, and my heart goes out to Jo-Jo and Paul and Greer's family and all who suffer from the loss of her.

Thank you Lorian for sharing that story. Those of us who knew and loved Greer are so lucky for that experience. I think of her so very often.

ten years ago tonight greer died-

the only words that feel appropriate are those of patti smiths'

ELEGIE

i just don't know what to do tonight
my head is aching as i drink and breathe
memory falls like cream in my bones
moving on my own
there must be something i can dream tonight
the air is filled with the moves of you
all the fire is frozen yet still i have the will
trumpets, violins, i hear them in the distance
and my skin emits a ray
but i think its sad, its much to bad
that greer can't be with us today.

i love you

my thoughts go out to you on such a difficult night. All the best.