Pride Month: Trans People in World History #19, Juneteenth Edition
It's Pride Month! Let's talk about trans history! It's also Juneteenth! So today, we honor:
June 19: Frances Thompson. Born enslaved in Alabama in 1840, Frances Thompson was assigned male at birth. She was brought to Tennessee when her enslaver moved early in her life. She transitioned to female at a young age, and was affirmed in living as her true self by her mother and enslaver. She had cancer in her foot as a child, and used mobility aids for the rest of her life. The Union Army killed her enslaver and freed her, after which she moved to Memphis and began working as a laundress and seamstress, assisted by her housemate, a 16 year old girl called Lucy Smith.
By 1865, Memphis had a huge, thriving Black population. On May 1, 1865, the Memphis Massacre, led by police, destroyed almost 100 homes and killed 40 Black citizens, many burned alive in their homes. During the massacre, seven white men broke into Frances and Lucy's home, attacked and raped them at gunpoint, and stole all the women's money, $300 (about $10,000 in today's dollars).
In 1866, as the nation debated whether to extend constitutional protections to formerly enslaved Black Americans, the US Congress called a hearing on the Memphis Massacre, and both Frances and Lucy were brought in to testify, making Frances Thompson the first documented trans woman to testify before the US Congress. She was also one of the first Black women to speak publicly about the rampant sexual assault of Black women by white men.
Frances and Lucy’s testimony moved Congress to tears, and was covered extensively in the news, which is where the illustration of Frances originates. Frances' testimony is considered instrumental in the ratification of the 14th amendment.
As we fight today to maintain 14th amendment protections for Black and Brown immigrants and for transgender Americans, as we fight against the erasure of Black and trans history, and on Juneteenth, as we honor and celebrate the legacy of Black Americans and remember the true stories of how white Americans treated Black Americans throughout our nation's history, Frances Thompson's importance and her bravery must be remembered.
Unfortunately, Frances' story has a tragic ending. In 1876, Frances was arrested for "cross-dressing" and was cruelly forced to serve 100 days in a male prison working on a chain gang. Remember she was disabled and couldn't walk without crutches. She was treated horrifically by the other prisoners and prison guards, assaulted and raped. After being released from prison, weakened due to the horrific experience, she contracted dysentery and died in 1876 at the age of 35.
Trans people have always existed and will always exist.
