With a new year we should be aware of all of our pioneers, they are the ones who went before us1.
Christine Jorgensen (1926 – 1989)
Arrives at New York’s Idlewild airport on February 2, 1953 to waiting reporters…“EX-GI BECOMES BLONDE BEAUTY: OPERATIONS TRANSFORM BRONX YOUTH”New York Daily News headline
The first long-lasting groups arethe gay male-oriented Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, and the Lesbian Daughters of Bilitis in 1955
Accommodationist (encouraged gay people to “act normal” and fit into society “We are ‘just like you’”
Virginia Prince
In 1952 Virginia Prince started The Society for Equality in DressIs believed to have been the first to use the word “transgender”She coins the word transgenderist for someone who lived full time as a woman but did not identify as a woman.1952: Publishes Transvestia: The Journal of the American Society for Equality in Dress1960: Arrested for “Distributing Obscenities Through The Mail”1960: Transvestia: The Journal of the American Society for Equality in Dress1962: Foundation for Personality Expression (FPE or Phi Pi Epsilon)1975/1976: FPE becomes The Society for the Second Self (Tri Ess)Publishes:
1971: How to be a Woman Though Male1978: Transsexuals and Pseudotranssexuals1978: The ‘Transcendents’ or ‘Trans’ People
Uprisings!2
We remember the Stonewall Uprisings but there were other uprising before Stonewall.
1959: Cooper’s Do-nuts1965: Dewey’s Lunch Counter1966: Compton’s Cafeteria1967: The Black Cat Cafe1969: The Stonewall Uprising!
We struggled long before Stonewall for our rights, all of these uprisings were the results of police raiding “drag hangouts*” Then we became “Streaming Queens.” (Full movie on YouTube)
Two of the leaders of Stonewall are Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson.
Sylvia Rivera
Sylvia Rivera characterizes the Stonewall Inn as ‘a white male bar for middle-class males to pick up young boys of different races.’Leaves home at age 10Befriended by Marsha P. Johnson – “drag queen,” sex worker, and activistOne of the leaders of the Stonewall UprisingA founding member of the GLF & the GAAFounds S.T.A.R. with Ms. JohnsonLate 1970s: Works on a gender-inclusive NYC Anti-D bill
1970s
1973: Sexual Orientation is removed from the DSMGender identity disorders first appeared in the class of Psychosexual Disorders in the DSM-IIILou Sullivan1973: A Transvestite Answers a Feminist1974: Looking Towards Transvestite Liberation1974: Minneapolis passes a non-discrimination ordinance covering sexual orientation1976: Tennis ace Reneé Richards is outed and barred from competition when she attempts to enter a womens’ tennis tournament1979: Janice Raymond publishes The Transsexual Empire1979: National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Once again, the trans community is told we were not welcome
1980s The Decade of Assimilation
AIDS/HIV1980: GID added to the DSM IIILou Sullivan1986: Founds FTM, a support and educational organization for trans menAfter his death, the organization is renamed Lou Sullivan SocietyFights to have the definition of GID revised to no longer be a homosexual disorder
1990s
1990: Dallas Denny, Jamison Green, Gwen Smith, and JoAnn Roberts: American Educational Gender Information Service, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
1992: Phyllis Frye: The International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy, Inc.
1993: Jessica Xavier founds It’s Time, America!1993: Leslie Feinberg– Stone Butch Blues
1993: The Transexual Menace founded
1994: Phyllis Frye and Karen Kerin go to Washington, DC to attempt to speak before the Senate Hearings on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Transgender people had been omitted from ENDA language
June 1994: 25th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and the Gay Games. Both are scheduled to occur in New York City
Both events intend to exclude transgender peopleTransexual Menace (Jessica Xavier, Denise Norris, Riki Wilchins, Sharon Stuart, Phyllis Frye, and others) protest the events
1994: Kate Bornstein– Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us
1995: Riki Wilchins founds the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition– GenderPAC
1995: Action Alert: Transgender activists lobby for a gender-inclusive ENDA
The first organized transgender lobbying event in our nation’s capital.
2000s
2000 – Monica Helms designs the Transgender Pride flag. It is first shown at a pride parade in Phoenix, Arizona
2002: NY passes Sexual Orientation Non- Discrimination Act
Last minute backroom deal removes “gender identity and expression” from the bill
Promises to come back for us and pass GENDA. Finally happens 17 years later, in 2019
2003: National Center for Transgender Equality founded by Mara Kiesling.
2004: Transexual Menace and NTAC pro- test HRC for backing a non-inclusive ENDA
2007: The year of betrayal
- In April, Rep. Barney Franks introduces a gender-inclusive ENDA.
- In May, at NTCE Lobby Days training, HRC follows suit.
- In early September, before 800 transgender people at the Southern Comfort Conference, HRC President Joe Solmonese once again promises to only support a gender inclusive ENDA
- In late September, Rep. Barney Frank pulls the inclusive ENDA bill and substitutes a non-inclusive ENDA bill
- Joe Solmones says the HRC will would not oppose or endorse the non-inclusive bill
- In late October HRC says they will support non-inclusive bill, but will not penalize any congressperson who votes against the non-inclusive bill.
- In November HRC, says they will penalize any congressperson who votes against the non-inclusive bill
- Six U.S. Representatives vote against the non-inclusive bill and lose their 100% rating on LGBT issues from the HRC
- If you wonder why a lot trans people do not like the HRC this is why.
- Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
- Passes on October 22, 2009
- It is now a federal crime to commit violence against an individual based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability
- Was first proposed in the mid 90’s, but did not include gender identity
- Gender identity was added in 2007
- Opposition called the bill the “Pedophile Protection Act”
This is just a brief outline of our the books and websites listed below are a good source to leaned about our history.
*****
*Gee does this sound like something in recent history? Like drag show bans?
1. Stryker, S. (2008). Transgender History. Berkley CA. Seal Press.
Other References:
- Currah P. & Minter S., (2000). Transgender Equality A HANDBOOK FOR ACTIVISTS AND POLICYMAKERS.. NGLTF Policy Institute, Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/TransgenderEquality.pdf
- Ekins, R., & King, D. (2005, October). Virginia Prince: Transgender Pioneer. International Journal of Transgenderism, 8(4), 5-15. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from LGBT Life with Full Text database .
- Fienberg, L. (1993). Stone Butch Blues. Los Angeles, CA. Alyson Books.
- Feinberg, L. (1994). Transgender Warrior. Boston, MA. Beacon Press.
- Feinberg, L. (1998). 'I'm glad I was in the Stonewall riot'. Worker’s World. Retrieved August 1, 2009. From http://www.workers.org/ww/1998/sylvia0702.php
- Green J. (2004, January). Becoming a Visible Man. Nashville, TN. Vanderbilt University Press.
- King, D., Ekins, R., (2000), Pioneers of Transgendering: The Life and Work of Virginia Prince, GENDYS 2k, The Sixth International Gender Dysphoria Conference, Manchester England.
- MacKenzie, G. (1994). Transgender Nation. Bowling Green OH. Popular Press.
- Roberts, M., (2007, October 18). The 1965 Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit-In. TransGriot, Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2007/10/1965-deweys-lunch-counter-sit-it.html
- Roberts, M., (2012, March). A Look at African-American Trans Trailblazers, Ebony. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.ebony.com/news-views/trans-trailblazers
Note:
- This was taken from a slide set from a presentation that I gave at True Colors conference with Dallas Denny
- I have met in person or seen in person many of the people mentioned here, including Virginia Prince, Dallas, Kate Bornstein, Phyllis Frye, and Leslie Feinberg.
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