Louie Crew was born in Alabama in 1936. He married Ernest Clay in 1974. They live in East Orange, New Jersey. Crew is an emeritus English professor at Rutgers and the author of over 1,650 publications, including From Quean Lutibelle's Pew, Midnight Lessons, and The Gay Academic. With Julia Penelope he founded the LGBT caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English, and he is the founder of Integrity, the organization of LGBT Episcopalians.