New experimental medical procedures allowed trans people to medically transition by taking hormones and getting surgery.
Trans visibility before the Third Reich may not have been mainstream, but this community began experiencing acceptance from prominent medical professionals in the 1920’s and ’30s. I created this post to benefit my many trans followers and share of piece of important but forgotten trans history with the larger Tumblr community. But what is often left out of this picture is the suffering of trans people who were persecuted under the Third Reich. Often in the Queer community, the impact of the Holocaust is framed through the experiences of cis gay men, who were one of the most targeted groups during WW2. The brutality of Hitler’s regime impacted several communities and has changed the social understanding of many marginalized groups to this day. Treatment of Trans People During The Holocaust (See also: Barnabe Barnes’ The Devil’s Charter, in which the Borgias are all in league with demons and/or witches and Cesare employs a hapless assassin named Frescobaldi that apocryphal Shakespeare play about Thomas Cromwell Aaron Hill’s adaptation of Henry V in which Henry is followed into battle by his ex-girlfriend Harriet who kills herself in front of him and, my personal favorite, Caesar Borgia by William Evans, which includes some amazingly over-the-top monologues from the title character. Oh, I love weird historical historical dramas. That led me to an article about the play, which I read (well, skimmed) with increasing glee. I came across a mention of said play in Emma Donoghue’s Passions Between Women (I am all for lesbian history books these days) and after reading it was set in the Wars of the Roses immediately had to a) tell tumblr user sepulchralsoubrette about it b) Google it. You know, like “questionable timelines/lifespans”. This is relevant to a disproportionate quantity of my interests. For many, these images represent a small fragment of LGBT history that was repressed and concealed for so long.I can’t believe it’s taken me to this day to find out that there’s a 1698 play ( Queen Catharine or, The Ruines of Love by Mary Pix) in which Isabel Neville (or someone named Isabella at any rate) is torn between her lesbianism Romantic Friendship for Catherine of Valois (why not?) and her passion for George of Clarence. There is little information about the individuals in the photos and it is quite extraordinary that these images still survive - as many old photos of homosexual couples are believed to have been purposely destroyed by family members.Īlthough it is unknown whether the people in these unique photos were related, gay or just friends - the tender and close relationship between the men pictured is poignantly evident.
The images, taken from various websites, capture Victorian and early-twentieth century males in intimate positions - and showing a daring amount of openness with one another for the time. At a time when homosexuality was a criminal offence and harsh sentences were brought down upon gay men, these images of male affection from the 19th century are truly remarkable.Įmbracing each other, holding hands and reclining together, these incredible black-and-white photographs provide a rare glimpse into men showing physical love to other men in the 1800s and early 1900s.