Sylvan Rogers
| Sylvan Rogers | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 20, 1951 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| 💼 Occupation | Activist, nurse, filmmaker, YouTuber |
| Notable work | MacNursing software, My Husband, Milton Thomas III (2019) |
Sylvan Rogers (born February 20, 1951) is an American political activist, registered nurse, filmmaker, and early software developer. He is known for his protest work, his early contributions to Macintosh software in nursing, and for documenting LGBTQ life and culture through video and digital media.
Early life and education
Rogers was born in San Diego, California. He gained national attention in 1965 when he was expelled from school at age 13 for having a Beatles-style haircut, an incident covered by the San Diego Union and the San Diego Evening Tribune.[1]
He later studied film at the San Francisco Art Institute and City College of San Francisco, where he documented concerts and cultural events in the 1970s, including Day on the Green and performances by The Who and Paul McCartney.
Activism
Rogers has been active in progressive protest movements since the Vietnam War era. He was a conscientious objector during that war and later protested government inaction on AIDS in the 1980s as part of ACT UP. He also participated in movements opposing the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and protested the policies of the George W. Bush administration.
In 2024, Rogers joined the group Vallejo-Benicia Invisible, protesting weekly at the Vallejo Tesla dealership as part of a national movement against Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and the U.S. Supreme Court.[2]
Professional career
Rogers worked as a registered nurse and solely developed the early Macintosh software program MacNursing, designed to help nurses complete paperwork more efficiently. The software was used at Saint Francis Hospital in San Francisco and the Veterans Hospital in Palo Alto. A paper about the program was published in SCI Nursing in August 1984, co-authored by E. Elaine Lloyd and Linda L. Toth.[3]
Media and digital work
Rogers was an early adopter of YouTube, where his channel documenting gay life and travel with his husband, Milton Thomas III, gained over 11,000 subscribers and nearly 15 million views. The couple co-produced the video My Husband, Milton Thomas III, which won Best LGBT Documentary at the 2019 San Diego Black Film Festival.[4]
His 1974 Super-8 film Ennui was featured in the 2009 “Sick Love” show at the Catherine Slip Gallery in New York City.[5]
Rogers's 1976 footage of the Angels of Light collective is regarded as historically significant in documenting San Francisco’s LGBTQ performance culture.[6]
Personal life
Rogers lives in Vallejo, California, with his husband, Milton Thomas III. He retired as a registered nurse in 2015. In addition to his activism and media work, he also paints in oils and maintains a personal website showcasing his art and video projects.
References
- ↑ "Boy Expelled for Beatles Haircut". San Diego Union. 1965.
- ↑ Smith, Joan (2024-04-06). "Local Activists Join National Tesla Protest". Vallejo Times-Herald.
- ↑ Lloyd, E. Elaine; Toth, Linda L. (August 1984). "SCI Nursing: MacNursing and Clinical Documentation". SCI Nursing. 1 (3): 34–37.
- ↑ "San Diego Black Film Festival 2019 Winners". Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ↑ "Sick Love: Experimental Film Series". Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ↑ "Queer Histories of San Francisco: The Angels of Light". Retrieved 2025-04-01.
External links
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