Sad to hear that Trans icon April Ashley passed away on 27 Dec, aged 86. A former model, she was one of the first British people to undergo gender reassignment in the early ‘60’s. Outed by the press, her marriage annulment in 1969 on the grounds that she had been born a man and therefore couldn’t legally marry one, had consequences for Transwomen in the UK for decades; only getting overturned when the Gender Recognition Act was passed into law in 2004. RIP.
Today’s episode is on the life and trial of early 20th century Australian transgender man Harry Crawford. Join us to learn what court records, newspaper articles and modern biographies can tell us about a century of Australian attitudes to transgender experiences.
[Image: Mugshot of Harry Crawford, taken by the New South Wales Police Department in 1920. It is a black and white photo Harry Crawford, a white man in a three piece suit looking at the camera with a serious expression.]
Sad to hear that Trans icon April Ashley passed away on 27 Dec, aged 86. A former model, she was one of the first British people to undergo gender reassignment in the early ‘60’s. Outed by the press, her marriage annulment in 1969 on the grounds that she had been born a man and therefore couldn’t legally marry one, had consequences for Transwomen in the UK for decades; only getting overturned when the Gender Recognition Act was passed into law in 2004. RIP.
Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson New York City December 20, 1970
image description: a black & white photograph of sylvia rivera and marsha p. johnson marching with a large banner on a crowded new york street. the banner reads, “street transvestites action revolutionaries.” there is a large star also on the banner.
STAR was an organization co-founded by the two, run from 1970–1973. STAR provided housing and resources to homeless LGBT youth and sex workers, and developed much of the intersectional politics in activism at the time. the money used to keep STAR running usually came out of their own pockets.
In 1934-1936, trans brothers Mark and David Ferrow of Yarmouth, UK, both transitioned at age 13 with full parental support. Mark medically transitioned first in 1939 at 17 and his brother soon followed. “Though we have been girls, we have both felt men at heart,” Mark told a reporter. Their stories show that trans youth can grow up to be happy, celebrated adults.
David lived in their hometown of Great Yarmouth, UK for the rest of his life. He became a local icon. At 15, he started selling books. He later ran a wildly successful bookshop until death in 2006, age 81, 68 years after transitioning. He had a daughter, Jan, who supported his work. The whole town adored him. Why, yes, that is a mug of his face.
Mark, always passionate about art, joined the Kirby Muxlue Players troupe as a writer and traveled throughout the UK. His David Gower painting is currently in the UK’s National Portrait Gallery! His art still hangs in collections all over the country - although it’s almost never recognized as being by a trans artist. Mark married Edna Hall in 1942 and died in 1991, age 68, in Leicester.
It’s important to mention that it’s unclear if both men are intersex despite the reports. At the time, it was customary for non-intersex trans people to claim intersex conditions in order to access care (e.g. Roberta Cowell). Regardless if they were trans or intersex and trans, I would hate their underreported stories to be forgotten!
A WW2 veteran has come out as transgender at the age of 90 and is happy to finally be receiving female hormone treatment.
Patricia Davies says she knew since the age of three that she was a woman but lived in fear of how people would react for decades until doctors changed her medical records to “female” last year.
Even though she had opened up to her late wife about her feelings in 1987, who bought her jewelry and dresses to wear in secret, she remained living as Peter after receiving abuse from people in the street and fearing “electric shock treatment”.
The retired industrial photographer, who served in the army between April 1945-1948, has a distant aunt who once lived to 104 years old so hopes she has “similar genes” to keep her going so she can now enjoy life as a woman.
Patricia, from a village in Leicestershire, said: “It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I was living a lie.”
“I have been keeping quiet. I have slowly started to tell some of my neighbors. Everybody said ‘don’t worry, as long as you’re happy.”
“I’ve known I was transgender since I was three-years-old.”
“I have always been attracted to women but not in a sexual way. I’m not gay. My attraction to women was that I wanted to be like them. I would have liked to be like the pin-ups.”
“I was never totally unhappy. I always made the most of things and looked on the bright side of things. I’ve always had a wicked sense of humor.”
“Because of the general hostility of people I kept quiet. It wasn’t until recently that I felt safe to come out and I felt an overwhelming desire that I wanted to break free. So I came out and I’ve not regretted it.”
Patricia served in the army from April 1945 until April 1948, leaving when she was 21 and getting married only a few months later.
During her time in the armed forces, she served in the Far East, India, East Africa and Palestine.
Patricia said: “You took your life in your hands in the army. I lost a couple of mates and had a close shave myself.”
“I had to keep my mouth shut about being transgender, you couldn’t flaunt that as that would have been a disaster.”
“Transgender wasn’t really known in those days. I would have been classed as homosexual, which would have caused problems in the army. I would have ended up in prison. But I got through it.”
“But it was alright overall and I feel quite proud having served during the war and having done military service, in particular during the trouble in Palestine.”
“Perhaps Hitler got news I had joined in April 1945 and gave up. That’s what I like to think.”
“I feel quite relieved, quite happy. [The best thing about coming out] is being accepted as a woman. That has been something I’ve wanted all of my life.”
“If people don’t like what they see then I don’t care but no one seems to be causing me any trouble. Nobody questions it though. Nobody seems to bat an eyelid, they accept me as I am.”
“I’ve been made most welcome in the societies. I think people will benefit from being educated on this a bit more.”
