6 minute read

Trans Heroes Through History

written by Jasper | illustrations by Kit and Vi, text graphics by Saachi Kotia | layout by Vi and Nick

CW: mentions of violence, transphobia

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Though many bigots like to claim being transgender is a new trend, trans people have always existed. In a society that has continually failed to acknowledge, recognize, and grant basic rights to trans folks, particularly trans people of color, just existing is heroic in itself.

Chevalière d’Éon was a French diplomat, spy, and soldier. Although d’Éon’s gender has historically been shrouded in mystery, it appears likely that she was a transgender woman. D’Éon became involved in the civil service through family connections and, in 1756 rose to the role of secretary to the French ambassador in Russia. This position, however, was a cover for le Secret du Roi, “King’s Secret,” a network of spies created by Louis XV to advance his country’s agenda by putting French leaders in other countries. Despite an initial increase in political authority in Britain, where she was spying, d’Éon was fired for disrespectful behavior, such as ordering too much expensive wine. In retaliation, she published a scandalous book on her spying work from her Secret duties, making her somewhat of an infamous celebrity in Europe. Meanwhile, King Louis XV kept paying d’Éon covertly to continue spying in Britain and not publish any more of these inflammatory books. When the king died, his son decided to do away with le Secret. French officials then negotiated with d’Éon and came up with a plan for her to return to France. For years, rumors had been spreading about d’Éon’s gender, and when asked, she stated she was female. The French government agreed to bring d’Éon back in “women’s dress” and claimed d’Éon was assigned female at birth but had been forced to dress up as a man to serve the king, to undo her reputation as a trickster and traitor. In 1777, d’Éon returned and was presented as a woman to society and welcomed as a heroine. Although she embraced womanhood, she was no longer allowed to continue on as a soldier or have any political influence. Scholars debate about whether d’Éon’s femininity was a personal or political choice, but she spent much of her life aligning herself with womanhood.

Alan L. Hart was an American radiologist, researcher, and transgender man who dedicated his life to tuberculosis research. He spent much of his life travelling to change the stigma around tuberculosis and assist those who had it. In addition to his work in science, Hart wrote four novels and numerous short stories, all reflecting his personal experiences. His pioneering achievements are remarkable considering the transphobia he faced from the society around him. During college, he engaged in multiple relationships with women. In 1918, after he became the first documented recipient of gender reassignment surgery, he lived as a man and relocated often to avoid discovery of his assigned sex of birth. Despite having to frequently change locations, his tubercular research cemented and revolutionized the use of x-rays and other medical technology for the detection of tuberculosis, which was significant for the decline of the disease.

Lou Sullivan was an activist and gay, transgender man who fought to remove the requirement of heterosexuality for trans men to physically transition. Much of Sullivan’s early life experiences are known due to a diary he kept from a young age, where he expressed, “I wish I were a boy.” He was born in Wisconsin, but in 1975 moved to California to live openly as a gay man. It was difficult for Sullivan to physically transition because at the time, gender professionals thought of gay men and trans men as completely separate groups, with heterosexuality as a requirement for diagnosing gender identity disorder. Sullivan fought against the American Psychiatric Association and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health to recognize gay, trans men. His activism also involved outreach and counseling: he helped many transmasculine people access mental health support, hormone therapy, and gender reassignment surgery and wrote a guidebook for trans men. Sullivan died of AIDS, which he referred to as a “poetic justice.” As AIDS was “still seen at this point as a gay man’s disease, it kind of proves that I did do it and I was successful.”

Tracey Norman is a model and activist; she is one of the first Black, transgender models in America. In 1975, Norman followed a group of models into a casting call for Italian Vogue, auditioned, and was booked for a shoot. This launched her career, leading her to secure a contract with Clairol. She became the face of their hair color box for No. 512, Dark Auburn, which was the bestselling box for several years. In the 1970s, she modeled with Essence magazine, but in 1980, she was outed as transgender. Norman believes this was the day her career ended, because she had difficulty finding work after. In the meantime, she made a living at Show Center, a burlesque peep show in Times Square. She earned the titles of “icon” and “legend” for her work with LGBTQ+ youth of color in the ballroom community, with the rank of “mother” in the House of Africa. Although Norman believed her modeling days were over, after New York Magazine ran a cover story on her in 2015, Clairol reached out to her again. In 2016, at the age of 63, Norman became the face of Clairol’s “Color As Real As You Are” campaign, bringing her story full circle. She says, “I was reminded that I made history and I deserve to have it printed.”

In 2018, a 52-year-old Puerto Rican transgender woman, who the courts refer to as Jane Doe to maintain her anonymity, issued a lawsuit against the Massachusetts Department of Correction, which placed her in a men’s prison. Jane Doe has been openly living as a trans woman for 40 years. In her lawsuit through legal organization GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders), she described her experiences of being groped by male guards during strip searches, having to shower with male inmates, and being harassed and misgendered constantly. Although she is still incarcerated in the men’s prison, she won her case, and a federal judge has ruled that prison officials in Massachusetts may only use female guards to strip search transgender women and must station guards outside when they’re showering to prevent other inmates from entering. This is a groundbreaking case that will hopefully incite further progress against transmisogyny, violence against transgender women and transfeminine people, in the prison system.

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