February is LGBTQ+ history month, and for many members of the queer community, this month is when we are first exposed to our communities diverse and powerful history. Since queer histories are still largely neglected by academia, especially within the education curriculum, this month acts as a way of educating people, from all different backgrounds, about the history surrounding LGBTQ+ people.
Despite the attention paid to LGBTQ+ events like Stonewall, and individuals like Marsha P. Johnson, many lesser-known histories remain hidden. LGBTQ+ history month, therefore, is the perfect opportunity to place these hidden histories into the spotlight, while still acknowledging the events and leading figures within the fight for our freedom.
Roberta Cowell
Roberta Cowell lived an extraordinary life, she was a racing driver, a Spitfire pilot during the second world war, and had been held as a prisoner of war. She was also the first known person in Britain to undergo gender reassignment surgery. In her autobiography published in 1954, Roberta noted feeling dissatisfied with the life she was living and argues that her excessively masculine life had been an attempt to hide her feminine nature. Her first gender reassignment surgery took place in 1948, and was illegal at the time, with her second surgery carried out in May 1951. What is also interesting to note about Roberta’s story is that her first operation was performed by Michael Dillon, who was the first trans person to undergo phalloplasty. Roberta was an inspiration to many trans people across the globe, yet her story is one that is forgotten. Her death in 2011 was widely underreported, even to the extent that her own family were not aware of her passing.
Chevalier d’Éon
The Chevalier d’Éon was born into a minor aristocratic family in Burgundy during the early eighteenth century. They were a spy for King Louis XV of France and were sent to London as a French diplomat. But in both Britain and France arrived the widespread rumours that the Chevalier was in fact a woman. By 1771, the Chevalier had attracted almost a celebrity-like fanbase, and bookmakers in London had even started to take bets on their gender as the public debate grew. From 1777 the Chevalier started to present themselves as a woman, performing fencing exhibitions in women’s dress and becoming a popular personality within the public. Today the Chevalier is recognised for their charismatic personality and the extraordinary life that they lived. They are celebrated as both a man and woman when remembering their long and eventful life.
Alfred Kinsey
Alfred Kinsey was a bisexual researcher in the field of biology and sexology. He was also the creator of the Kinsey Scale – a scale which measures one’s sexuality from 0 (exclusively heterosexual) to 6 (exclusively homosexual). First published in 1948, this was ground-breaking research since it suggested that sexuality existed on a spectrum, and could change, instead of the original assumption of being linear and fixed. During a revised edition the category of “x” was added to represent asexuality and other members of the LGBTQ+ community who may not experience sexual attraction. Despite being described as the ‘father of the sexual revolution’ by the New York Times, not everyone celebrated Kinsey’s work. In fact, Kinsey’s work reached widespread criticism throughout not just the United States but also globally. Only eight years after the Kinsey Scale was published, Kinsey died after contracting pneumonia after years of fighting a chronic heart ailment. Kinsey will be remembered for his research work which has arguably influenced social and cultural values across the world and had a massive impact on the changing perceptions of people from the LGBTQ+ community.
Dutee Chand
Olympic sprinter Dutee Chand was the first openly gay Indian athlete. After meeting her girlfriend Monalisa during a Khurdurkuni Puja at their village they fell in love and together had to combat queerphobia and prejudice, while being under the eye of the public. Dutee is a strong advocate of the LGBTQ+ community openly addressing the issues that LGBTQ+ athletes face. Furthermore, she also uses her platform to highlight how patriarchy has made women need to prove their ‘female-ness’, as well as the unequal playing field for women in sports. The bravery that Dutee showcased by coming out to the world, especially in a community that was not accepting of her sexuality is truly inspirational.
James Baldwin
James Baldwin was an author, activist and public intellectualist, born in 1924. As the grandson of a slave, he was an outspoken activist for the Civil Rights Movement, writing novels and books about black identity and racial struggle. But alongside this, Baldwin was also open about his homosexuality, discussing it in multiple interviews. During this time, questioning one’s queerness was used to discredit individuals who were considered to be radicals, and indeed this was the case with Baldwin. Yet, Baldwin is a strong reminder of intersectionality, and the oppression that is faced by not only a homosexual male but also as a person of colour.
The individuals mentioned in this article, are only a small number of the incredible and inspiring people that are present in the history of the LGBTQ+ community. It is important that scholarship and society as a whole continues to expand its understanding of our community, and that these hidden histories are now brought into the spotlight.
