True Sex: The Lives Of Trans Men At The Turn Of The Twentieth Century
by Emily Skidmore /
2017 / English / EPUB
8.4 MB Download
The incredible stories of how trans men assimilated into
mainstream communities in the late 1800s.
The incredible stories of how trans men assimilated into
mainstream communities in the late 1800s.
In 1883, Frank Dubois gained national attention for his life in
Waupun, Wisconsin. There he was known as a hard-working
man, married to a young woman named Gertrude Fuller. What
drew national attention to his seemingly unremarkable life was
that he was revealed to be anatomically female. Dubois fit
so well within the small community that the townspeople only
discovered his “true sex” when his former husband and their two
children arrived in the town searching in desperation for their
departed wife and mother.
In 1883, Frank Dubois gained national attention for his life in
Waupun, Wisconsin. There he was known as a hard-working
man, married to a young woman named Gertrude Fuller. What
drew national attention to his seemingly unremarkable life was
that he was revealed to be anatomically female. Dubois fit
so well within the small community that the townspeople only
discovered his “true sex” when his former husband and their two
children arrived in the town searching in desperation for their
departed wife and mother.
At the turn of the twentieth century, trans men were not
necessarily urban rebels seeking to overturn stifling gender
roles. In fact, they often sought to pass as conventional men,
choosing to live in small towns where they led ordinary lives,
aligning themselves with the expectations of their communities.
They were, in a word, unexceptional.
At the turn of the twentieth century, trans men were not
necessarily urban rebels seeking to overturn stifling gender
roles. In fact, they often sought to pass as conventional men,
choosing to live in small towns where they led ordinary lives,
aligning themselves with the expectations of their communities.
They were, in a word, unexceptional.
In
InTrue Sex
True Sex, Emily Skidmore uncovers the stories of
eighteen trans men who lived in the United States between 1876
and 1936. Despite their “unexceptional” quality, their lives are
surprising and moving, challenging much of what we think we know
about queer history. By tracing the narratives surrounding the
moments of “discovery” in these communities – from reports in
local newspapers to medical journals and beyond -- this book
challenges the assumption that the full story of modern American
sexuality is told by cosmopolitan radicals. Rather, True Sex
reveals complex narratives concerning rural geography and
community, persecution and tolerance, and how these factors
intersect with the history of race, identity and sexuality in
America.
, Emily Skidmore uncovers the stories of
eighteen trans men who lived in the United States between 1876
and 1936. Despite their “unexceptional” quality, their lives are
surprising and moving, challenging much of what we think we know
about queer history. By tracing the narratives surrounding the
moments of “discovery” in these communities – from reports in
local newspapers to medical journals and beyond -- this book
challenges the assumption that the full story of modern American
sexuality is told by cosmopolitan radicals. Rather, True Sex
reveals complex narratives concerning rural geography and
community, persecution and tolerance, and how these factors
intersect with the history of race, identity and sexuality in
America.