As America gets set to celebrate its 250th birthday on July 4, here’s a timeline of noteworthy events that have shaped trans and gender nonconforming rights.
I was at the rallies in Nj. Being the first transgender person elected to a CWA local in Nj, it was a humbling event. Perhaps when the Governor is able to sign it into law, there will be another rally.
It makes me sick and angry that there's even that many anti-Trans laws and bills, and SCOTUS isn't helping either, especially after today's ruling against Trans athletes.
1. Empress Elagabalus reigned from 218 to 222 *AD/CE*, not BC/BCE.
2. A more likely 'first record of trans people in history' comes from circa 2300 BC in the social implications of Line 120 in a Hymn to Inanna (incipit In-Nin-Ša-Gur-Ra), also called "The Great-Hearted Mistress". This hymn is attributed to the Akkadian priestess Enheduanna, the daughter of Sargon of Akkad. Line 120 translates to "To turn men into women and women into men are yours, Inanna", indicating in context that the goddess Inanna/Ishtar has the divine power to transform people as such.
3. Apropos of #2: some priestesses of Inanna/Ishtar, possibly dating further back to the Sumerian Empire Era, were described as being male individuals who lived and presented as women and used a specific dialect of the Sumerian language, in at least a liturgical capacity, which was a gender-specific dialect used by women in their society. i don't, however, have a date for these records off the top of my head.
The Nj shield law passed the assembly and legislature, it simply needs the governors signature to make it constitutional law to protect healthcare for transgender citizens of the great garden state.
Realize this can't be fully comprehensive, but worthy of mention is Hannah Nokes, one of the first openly transgender women to testify in a Virginia court, 1932.
I was at the rallies in Nj. Being the first transgender person elected to a CWA local in Nj, it was a humbling event. Perhaps when the Governor is able to sign it into law, there will be another rally.
It makes me sick and angry that there's even that many anti-Trans laws and bills, and SCOTUS isn't helping either, especially after today's ruling against Trans athletes.
1. Empress Elagabalus reigned from 218 to 222 *AD/CE*, not BC/BCE.
2. A more likely 'first record of trans people in history' comes from circa 2300 BC in the social implications of Line 120 in a Hymn to Inanna (incipit In-Nin-Ša-Gur-Ra), also called "The Great-Hearted Mistress". This hymn is attributed to the Akkadian priestess Enheduanna, the daughter of Sargon of Akkad. Line 120 translates to "To turn men into women and women into men are yours, Inanna", indicating in context that the goddess Inanna/Ishtar has the divine power to transform people as such.
3. Apropos of #2: some priestesses of Inanna/Ishtar, possibly dating further back to the Sumerian Empire Era, were described as being male individuals who lived and presented as women and used a specific dialect of the Sumerian language, in at least a liturgical capacity, which was a gender-specific dialect used by women in their society. i don't, however, have a date for these records off the top of my head.
Thanks, Alex, for flagging the inaccuracy for the Empress. We have amended.
The Nj shield law passed the assembly and legislature, it simply needs the governors signature to make it constitutional law to protect healthcare for transgender citizens of the great garden state.
That's wonderful news
Realize this can't be fully comprehensive, but worthy of mention is Hannah Nokes, one of the first openly transgender women to testify in a Virginia court, 1932.
Yeah it would be way too long to include EVERYTHING sadly, but thanks so much for commenting! Hannah is an incredible part of transgender history.