Trans people have always been here.
Enheduanna’s writings (2285-2250 B.C.E)
Some of the oldest written records of trans people come from ancient Sumer. Enthduanna is known for being the oldest-known author attached to a name in history. While Enheduanna herself isn’t confirmed trans, her writings explicitly document trans and third-gender priests.
Scythian Enarees (700-300 B.C.E)
Greek historian Herodotus described the Enarees as Scythian shamans assigned male at birth who lived as women and were considered sacred. Their gender variance was seen as spiritual rather than deviant, showing early recognition of transfeminine identities.
Emperor Elagabalus (203-222 C.E)
Roman sources record that Elagabalus requested feminine titles, wore women’s clothing, and sought bodily alteration to be anatomically female. While Roman historians were hostile, their writings clearly document a ruler expressing a transfeminine identity centuries before modern terminology. She was assassinated in her mother's arms at just 18 years old.
Medieval English court records describe Eleanor Rykener as someone assigned male at birth who lived and worked as a woman. The legal documents refer to her feminine clothing, name, and social role, making her one of the clearest early European records of a trans woman.
Thomas(ine) Hall (born 1603)
Thomas(ine) Hall was an intersex and gender-diverse person. Assigned female at birth, They later lived as a man and served in the military, then alternated between male and female presentation. Colonial court records from 1629 show authorities struggling to categorize Hall, ultimately ordering a mixed mode of dress. This case is one of the clearest early modern records of nonbinary and trans experience in the English-speaking world.
Markus Stauder (1650-1690’s)
Markus Stauder was assigned female at birth but lived as a man, taking on male work, clothing, and social roles. Court and church records document Stauder’s life and death in male identity, making this one of the earliest well-recorded cases of a trans man in central Europe during the late 17th century. They were accepted by their community despite living in the Holy Roman Empire.
James Barry was a military surgeon who performed one of the first successful C-sections in which both the birthing parent and child survived. Barry also pushed for improved sanitation, clean water systems, and humane medical treatment in military hospitals, helping reduce mortality rates long before germ theory was widely accepted.
Alan L. Hart was a physician, radiologist, and public health researcher. He helped pioneer the use of X-rays for the purpose of tuberculosis detection. His work contributed to public health strategies that saved countless lives during a time when tuberculosis was a leading cause of death. He lived openly as a man after transitioning in 1917 and wrote novels that subtly explored themes of identity, alienation, and social responsibility. His medical work saved lives; his literary work preserved trans history when it was otherwise erased.
Lucy Hicks Anderson (1886-1954)
Lucy Hicks Anderson was a successful business owner and respected community figure in Oxnard, California, whose life provides early, well-documented evidence of transgender people living openly in U.S. civic and economic life. She received medical support and was one of the earliest documented cases of Hormone Replacement Therapy. She ran boarding houses, owned businesses that were major players to the local economy, and was socially accepted as a woman for many years. In the 1940s, she was prosecuted as state authorities began policing gender more aggressively, despite her long-standing recognition in the community. Locals later noted that this shift coincided with broader wartime moral panic and the spread of fascist and Nazi-influenced propaganda emphasizing rigid gender roles, which contributed to increased scrutiny and intolerance. After her release from prison, the Oxnard police chief barred her from returning to the community, threatening further prosecution. Despite locals protesting, the police forced her and her husband, Reuben Anderson, to relocate to Los Angeles, where they lived quietly until her death in 1954 at age 68
Wendy Carlos (born in 1939)
Wendy Carlos is a composer and electronic music pioneer whose work helped bring synthesizers into mainstream music. Her album Switched-On Bach demonstrated that electronic instruments could produce complex, expressive compositions, helping legitimize electronic music as an art form. Her sound design influenced film scoring and popular music for decades, shaping how electronic sound is used across media. You might know her from media like ‘Tron’ or ‘A Clockwork Orange’
Ben Barres was a neuroscientist who transformed how scientists understand the brain. His research demonstrated that glial cells, once thought to merely support neurons, play an active and essential role in brain function. This discovery reshaped neuroscience and has implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases, brain injury, and mental health conditions. Barres was also outspoken about gender bias in science, providing rare firsthand insight into sexism in academia.
Mary Ann Horton (born in 1955)
Mary Ann Horton is a computer scientist who played a key role in the early development of the internet. She contributed to Usenet, one of the first large-scale distributed discussion systems, which influenced how online communities and digital communication function today. Her work helped establish foundational practices for global, networked conversation long before modern social media platforms existed.
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (born in 1982)
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is a theoretical physicist whose research focuses on particle physics, cosmology, and dark matter. She has contributed to advancing scientific understanding of the universe while also shaping conversations about ethics, equity, and inclusion in science. Her work bridges cutting-edge physics with critical analysis of who gets to participate in knowledge production. She has written extensively about equity in STEM and authored The Disordered Cosmos, Her work challenges the idea that science exists outside culture or politics.
Sophie Wilson (born in 1957)
Sophie Wilson is a British computer scientist who played a central role in designing the ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) architecture in the 1980s. ARM processors prioritize efficiency, simplicity, and low power usage, which is why they dominate mobile and embedded computing today. Over 90% of smartphones rely on ARM-based chips. Wilson also helped design the BBC Micro, which shaped computer education in the UK for decades.
Elliot Page (born in 1987)
Elliot Page is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He's an actor and producer known for his versatility and compelling performances. He began acting at a young age, appearing in Canadian television including Trailer Park Boys, before gaining international recognition in 2005. He is celebrated not only for his talent but also for his courage and dedication to social justice.
(I'm from the same region, he really changed things for trans-masculine folks around here.)
Notable film and television roles:
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
The Umbrella Academy (2019 onwards)
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