A film about Jeanne d'Arc
Who is the Official Hero of the State of Massachusetts? An FTM.
Who is the only doctor ever awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor? An FTM.
Jeanne d'Arc was a brilliant young military genius and heroic general born in 1412. He was loved by La Rousse and Catharine de La Rochelle. He led seven successful military campaigns. When this deeply religious Christian patriot was captured by his enemies, he was offered the opportunity to live if he wore women's clothes, but he remained loyal to his beliefs. He was convicted of dressing as a man and burned at the stake in 1431. He was nineteen years old.
Alonso Diaz Ramerez de Guzman, born Cataline de Erauso in 1592, was a conquistador in the early 1600's who had permission from the Pope to dress as a man, publicized in two autobiographies and a number of biographies. He was placed in a convent as a child and deserted the convent dressed in men's clothing made from his nun's habit as a teenager. He sailed from Spain to Latin America, enlisted in the army and served in Mexico, Panama, Peru and Chile and rose to the rank of ensign. He returned to Spain, where, known to be anatomically female, he continued to wear male attire and had a reputation as the "nun ensign". He died as a soldier in South America in 1645.
James Gray, born Hannah Snell in 1722, enlisted the army in 1745. Later James joined the marines and served bravely in India. Upon returning to England, he was discovered to be anatomically female and took up acting in "breeches" (male) roles in the theatre. He petitioned for and was awarded a military pension, continued to dress as a man, opened a pub and put up a sign which read, "The Widow in Masquerade or the Female Warrior."
Robert Shirtliffe, born Deborah Samson, joined the Army in October of 1778 at Plymouth Massachusetts for the whole term of the war and served in the company of Captain Nathan Thayer of Medway, Massachusetts for three years. He was wounded twice, the first time by a sword cut on the side of the head and four months later shot through the shoulder. The doctor treating Robert Shurtleff discovered his female anatomy, then secretly passed the information on to a general at Fort Knox who honorably discharged Robert on October 23, 1783, while publicly keeping the secret. After the war he met and married Benjamin Gannet. Paul Revere, a good friend of Robert, petitioned Massachusetts to pay Robert 37 pounds as a veteran. Robert was the first female-bodied lectern, traveling from city to city to give lectures in full male uniform. In the early 1800's he was awarded a veterans pension of 4 dollars a month. This pension was continued as a survivor pension for his spouse after Robert died on April 19, 1827 in Sharon, Massachusetts. He was 67 years old and had 3 children. Robert Shirtliffe is the official Hero of the State of Massachusetts.
Angelique Brulon, known as 'Liberte,' was a decorated officer in Napoleon's army in seven campaigns 1792-9.
A U.S. Marine serving aboard Old Ironsides as George Baker was born Lucy Brewer.
Over 400 transmen served as soldiers in the Civil War. Franklin Thompson, born Sarah Emma Edmonds Seelye, fought for the North. Lyons Wakeman (born Sarah Rosetta Wakeman) worked as a coal handler on a river barge in New York then enlisted in the army. His tombstone reads Lyons Wakeman. His letters were edited into a book. (An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman 153rd Regiment, New York Volunteers, 1862-1864) Sgt. Frank Mayne, born Frances Day, was mortally wounded while serving in the Civil War. William Cathay, born Cathay Williams, was the first anatomically female Buffalo (Black) soldier.
Harry T. Buford, born Loreta Janeta Velazquez in 1842, fought for the South. He wrote a book published in 1876. (The Woman in Battle: A Narrative of the Exploits, Adventures and Travels of Madame Loreta Janeta Velazquez, Otherwise Known as Lieutenant Harry T. Buford, Confederate States Army. Richmond, Va: Dustin, Gilman & Co., 1876).
Private Albert D. J. Cashier, born Jennie Hodgers was a Civil War soldier who served in the 95th Illinois Regiment (photo in uniform taken 1864).
Dr. M. (Mary) Edwards Walker, Congressional Medal of Honor winner, (1832-1919), loved by Belva Lockwood, was known as "the most distinguished invert in the United States." Dr. Walker wore men's clothes and advocated for an end to laws that discriminated against trans men for wearing men's clothing.
Nicolai de Raylan was married twice, fought as a U.S. soldier in the Spanish-American War, and worked as a secretary to the Russian consul. He died in the hospital in 1906 and was discovered to be anatomically female.
Colonel Victor Barker, born Valerie Arkell-Smith, fought in the British military.
King Christian of Sweden was born Christina in 1626. King Gustavus Adolphus educated Christian as a male. At the age of eighteen he ascended the throne and spent the next ten years living as a man although it was well-known that he was anatomically female. Christian, loved by Ebba Sparre, decided to step down from the throne in 1654 because he could not fulfill the demand for an heir. He went to Denmark where he was called Count Dohna but known to be anatomically female, traveled to many countries and eventually became a Catholic. Christian settled in Rome as a patron of the arts, where the Pope gave him explicit permission to wear men's clothing. He died in 1689.
A Hungarian nobleman, Count Sandor Vay, was named Sandor by his father and raised as a boy until age twelve, when his mother attempted to turn him into Countess Sarlota Vay. Sandor said he "had an indescribable aversion for female attire, indeed for everything feminine, but only in as far as it concerned me." He had many affairs with beautiful young women and married a woman. He had a masculine, hairy body and wore a prosthesis. When his wife's family discovered at last that he was anatomically female, they sued him. He was acquitted by the courts due to "congenitally abnormal inversion."
Murray Hall was born Mary Anderson in 1831. He was well known in New York as a politician with Tammany Hall. He married twice, adopting a daughter in the second marriage. Seventy years old at his death in 1901, he lived as a man over thirty years without hormones or surgery.
Baron Ewan Forbes-Semphill transitioned in the 1940's in Scotland and changed his name and gender on his birth certificate to male in 1952 and married a month later. He won a lawsuit that his cousin brought against him in 1966 challenging his inheritance of the family estate when the judge acknowledged him as a man.
Stephan Thorne transitioned on the job as a peace officer for the San Francisco Police Departsment.
Attorney Mike Hernandez has represented the FTM community for many years and appeared on the cover of many books, films and magazines.
Mike in a magazine article
Shannon has aided numerous FTMs in court cases and published articles and information on the rights of FTMs.
Spencer has written books to further the legal rights of FTMs.
Steven has filed court cases for the rights of FTM fathers.
Cole Thaler, Attorney
Reed Erickson, engineer and philanthropist 1917-1992, transitioned in 1963 and launched the Erickson Educational Foundation in 1964. Reed laid the foundations for the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association. Reed helped to start the first gender clinic at Johns Hopkins University. Reed became father to two children. He lived in Mazatlan Mexico, moved to southern California then returned to Mexico where he died in 1992 at age 74.
There are many attorneys who are allies of the FTM community.
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