Ronald Tavel was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 17, 1936. While he is best known for his work with artist Andy Warhol, he also was a prominent playwright, director, novelist, and screenwriter. One of his most beloved works, Gorilla Queen, is documented in the Outhistory exhibit The Gorilla Was Gay: Remembering Ronald Tavel's "Gorilla Queen," March 1967, by David Kerry Heefner.