There's so much going on in the USA. I am starting to pull back from the news where I feel I can because it is just making me feel unwell. But there's very little chance I will sit down and shut up while this fuckery is going on. I will be posting about Black History Month soon. Because February IS Black History Month, period. But for the moment, I'm continuing my coverage of the topics of our mega episode for Trans History...
When Lisa and I were recording the Trans History episode earlier this month, one of the things that came up is the movie "The Danish Girl". I thought I had seen it, but it turns out, I hadn't. It stars Eddie Redmayne as the lead character. Interesting that "The Danish Girl" came up in this timing, because I just finished watching the spy thriller "The Jackal", staring Redmayne. Both shows are excellent but watching them close together will confuse you. "The Danish Girl" is rather heartbreaking, but I think that spoiler is in the history so it's not that much of a spoiler.
The character that Redmayne plays is
Lili Elbe, who was a popular Danish painter around the turn of the 20th century. She was the first person to undergo sexual reassignment surgery, which was very experimental at the time. It actually had never been attempted before. She died of complications from that surgery, which is why the story is heartbreaking. And that is just one story in our Trans History episode.
Then there's
Elagabalus who was a Roman Emperor that you've never heard of. "Elagabalus was born in the year 203 AD, and her brief reign occurred in the years 218-222 at the end of which she was killed. Well known through the ages, Elagabalus lived a very short but tumultuous life. Related to the family of Septimius Severus, Elagabalus was born into the highest level of privilege in Ancient Rome."
The Emperor wanted to be called "Empress" (it is said that she stated "call me not a lord, for I am a lady") and her "behavior" upset the Romans so much that "After Elagabalus’ reign, women were never allowed to enter the building where the Senate was convened. Her
establishment of a “women’s senate” was considered one of the many examples of Elagabalus’ depravity. The fact that women like her grandmother, mother, and aunt wielded significant power and influence was also condemned by writers with deep patriarchal values. Care was taken to erase Elagabalus from the historical record like other Roman emperors that were considered tyrants in a process called damnatio memoriae. Elagabalus was used by subsequent historians, Roman and post-Roman, as an example of one of the worst rulers ever." Of course they did. *insert eyeroll here* (
https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/tgi-bios/elagabalus)
Um, excuse me, I move to form a women's senate!!!!
"Transgender behavior existed in Rome before and after Elagabalus. Transgender practice was tolerated and even sometimes respected by the Roman populace when it was practiced by the male-born priestesses of Cybele, known as the Gallae." But one had to abide and reside in the assigned social boxes to be accepted. That hasn't changed!
There are more from our podcast, and since Smarty Pants Lisa is on vacay and we delayed our regular recording by a week, I think I'll cover the rest next week. But there are MANY, and outhistory.org and qspirit.net are fantastic resources if you're looking for some examples and inspiration.
Keep fighting for equality and freedom in your corner of the world, Bitches. Liberty and Justice are not resigning no matter what idiot sends them a letter!
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