Exploring The Intersections of Black Lesbian History and Transgenderism in the U.S.
A Collection of My Best Essays
Happy March! I hope everyone is excited for Spring. 🌺
Since we are on the cusp of Black and Women’s History Month, I’d like to share a roundup of my best essays and podcasts I’ve published on Black Women’s history.
Through the stories of 3 different women, my essays explore the intersection between 20th century black lesbian life and the American transgender movement, from past to present.
You can find a brief summary of each topic and links to their essays below.
Pauli Murray
“How The Trans Movement Is Erasing Black Women From History: Setting The Record Straight About Pauli Murray” is a deep dive into the life and legacy of Pauli Murray, exploring how her intimate yet well-documented struggle with gender and sexuality during her youth has led major modern institutions to posthumously rewrite her as a transgender man.
The full essay is available for free as a 45 min. read. If you prefer to listen to the essay, paid subscribers can access a downloadable audiobook version with curated music. You can alternatively purchase an ebook version of the essay here.
As a follow-up to this essay, I also published a separate article which transcribes the letter Pauli Murray received from her friend in 1941, discouraging her from going on testosterone. An audio version is included in the post.
Gladys Bentley
My essay on Gladys Bentley is unique from Pauli Murray’s in that Bentley attempted to use estrogen to perform conversion therapy on herself in the 1950s.
I find it fascinating yet sad that both women were seeking to “straighten out” their butch sexuality through medical intervention, but in opposite ways.
This essay is a deep-dive into Bentley’s life journey and personal challenges, her career a famous American singer, and the unfolding of her path towards what she saw as “real womanhood”. The full article and downloadable podcast (with curated selections of Gladys’s music!) are available to paid subscribers.
Annie Lee “Jim” Grant
Annie Lee Grant is a lesser-known figure who became a media sensation after being discovered as a male-passing butch lesbian in the 1950s.
Much like Pauli Murray, Annie Lee has been posthumously re-written by modern scholars as a transgender man, when that was not the case.
This essay unravels the hilarious story of Annie Lee Grant, and clarifies the difference between her intentional “passing” lifestyle vs. transgenderism.
I also share my critique on “A League Of Her Own”, a modern television show which features a historical character who lived a similar life as Annie Lee Grant, and who was also sneakily written as trans.
Just like my essay on Murray, I visited an archive to do my research, so I have included plenty of original prints, photos, and news clippings.
I learned so much when researching for these essays, and I hope you find them as enlightening and enjoyable as I did!
Thanks for your support. 💜
Absolutely fascinating. Thank you.