Findings
| When | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Reed's first wife, Bettye Kronstad, said he pinned her against walls, hit and shook her, and once gave her a black eye. A childhood friend, Allan Hyman, also described witnessing Reed repeatedly strike a girlfriend. The accounts were published in Howard Sounes's biography, which drew on interviews with more than 140 people who knew Reed. | Source | |
| Reed was reported to have used a racial slur about Donna Summer and an antisemitic slur when referring to Bob Dylan. Biographer Howard Sounes said Reed sometimes used racist language to project a deliberately provocative “bad boy” persona, but the remarks themselves were nevertheless attributed to Reed. | Source | |
| 1986 | Reed participated in Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope tour and described Amnesty as an important human-rights organization, encouraging audiences to engage with its work. | |
| https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/lou-reed-was-a-powerful-ally-in-the-cause-of-human-rights-says-amnesty-international-usa/ | Reed was an early major rock musician to openly explore gay and bisexual identity and feature gay and transgender people in his music. His relationships with transgender women including Rachel Humphreys and his portrayal of Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn and other members of New York's queer underground helped bring transgender and gender-nonconforming people into mainstream popular music. | Source |
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