Spotlight On The Woman Who Opened The Door For All Trans Performers: Sulka!

Okay I have to say, this woman fascinates me to no end. Like, no joke guys, I'm border line obsessed with Sulka and it's so frustrating that a woman so famous in her day, so iconic, who opened the doors for all trans performers has virtually just disappeared off the face of the Earth. There's like no biographical information on her at all and the only pictures you can find are the ones from her movies and magazines so who knows what she looks like today, but I kind of like that. That only adds to the mystery and intrigue of her and, with only photos floating around from her past, we will always remember her as the gorgeous exotic beauty that she was.
Here is what I did find out about her:
She was born in 1962 in Dallas and was a male to female transgender who started the trend back in the 80s of transsexual adult actresses appearing in film and print. Unlike a lot of those actresses though, Sulka actually underwent full sex reassignment surgery, which was featured in her film The Transformation Of Sulka. Afterwards, she showed off her new body in the film Sulka's Daughter.

She began her career back in 1979 after meeting photographer Kim Christy in Los Angeles at an event he was photographing; Sulka was in the audience of that event. It wasn't long after that meeting that she started modeling for his magazine New Female Mimics before making her film debut in 1980 in the film Dream Lovers. Even though she had a supporting role in the film, Sulka was so popular that it lead her to posing for her very own magazine called Sensuous Sulka which promoted her status as a pre-op transsexual woman and also touted this on the cover: "Only Sulka could offer a man the big breasts of a girl and the hot, hard penis of a man." As her popularity rose, the magazines and DVD covers that she was featured in would use this adage to promote her: "The world's most famous and beautiful transsexual," a claim that many still say is true to this day.
Am I the only one who thinks that those quotes sound a little P.T. Barnumy? Like seriously, can't you just picture some carnival barker shouting that to the crowd trying to get them to come and look at an attraction? Anyway, back on track:
Sensous Sulka included pictures of her showering, posing nude outdoors, wearing lingerie and performing as a dominatrix. She was most famous as a red head but also was a blonde for a while. I do have to say, am I the only one who thinks that she looks like Mae West as a blonde? I prefer her as a red head though, that adds to the exoticness of her and really enhances her beauty.

In 1990, after ten years in the industry Sulka retired. There were reports that she continued to live in Hollywood and became a recluse; I love it when people become reclusive, especially stars. It adds to the mystery. I always said that I'd become a recluse one day. There were also reports that she was placing ads in the underground Hollywood papers giving transvestite makeovers for $100. Some reported seeing her at the bar Peanuts during "Queens Night" but since there are several Sulka lookalikes who knows if it was really her.
Whatever she is doing now, and wherever she is, I hope that she is happy and healthy and loving life. I also hope she knows just how great her contribution to the industry was. Sulka, thank you for paving the way for all the great trans performers we have today.

XOXO
-JOE-