Sunday, August 12, 2007
Transman Civil War Hero?
I won't lie, I'm a lover of history. One of the the blogs I regularly read is Civil War Women. The blog is thick with biographies of women that lived and thrived in the Civil War era. One of the "women" she posted about caught my eye. He was born
Jennie Irene Hodgers, but lived most of his adult life as Albert D.J. Cashier. Albert served in the 95th Illinois Infantry Regiment. The 95th was was part of the Army of the Tennessee, led by Ulysses S. Grant. The 95th engaged in many fierce battles including including the siege at Vicksburg, the Red River Campaign and the combat at Guntown, Mississippi.
After the Civil War, Albert worked as a janitor, a lamplighter, and other odd jobs. It was not until a car accident that 1910, was revealed Albert was female bodied. His caretakers kept his secret, even when he was admitted into the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Quincy, Illinois. It wasn't until he was admitted to Watertown State Hospital for the Insane, that the secret became widely known.
You can read a wonderful biography of him here.
Even a cursory look at his life suggests that he was transgender. The evidence:
1. He volunteered on August 6, 1862 in Boone County. When his regiment was retired in 1865, they were in Belvidere, Illinois. He could have stayed in his home town of Bevidere, if he wished to return to life as a woman. Yet he moved 138 miles southeast of Boone County, to Saunemin, IL and continued to live as a man.
2. It might be argued that he did not live as a woman because he wanted the pension that came with service. But to receive the pension Albert would have been required to take a physical exam. He refused until later in life, when he was assured that his secret would not be made public.
3. At the Watertown State Hospital for the Insane, he had NOTHING to gain from living as a man. Yet even then when forced to wear a skirt he would bring the skirt in with pins to make the skirt into pants.
4. Albert secured his home with a number of locks, changing them frequently in case someone had somehow gotten a key. If he was going to be away from his house, he nailed the windows shut. Why? Being female bodied, there would be some evidence in his home of this.
Albert D.J. Cashier went to great lengths to protect his gender identity all his life. Even in death, he was gendered male. Those who knew and loved him went to great pains to keep his secret.
Rest in peace, my brother.
Jennie Irene Hodgers, but lived most of his adult life as Albert D.J. Cashier. Albert served in the 95th Illinois Infantry Regiment. The 95th was was part of the Army of the Tennessee, led by Ulysses S. Grant. The 95th engaged in many fierce battles including including the siege at Vicksburg, the Red River Campaign and the combat at Guntown, Mississippi.After the Civil War, Albert worked as a janitor, a lamplighter, and other odd jobs. It was not until a car accident that 1910, was revealed Albert was female bodied. His caretakers kept his secret, even when he was admitted into the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Quincy, Illinois. It wasn't until he was admitted to Watertown State Hospital for the Insane, that the secret became widely known.
You can read a wonderful biography of him here.
Even a cursory look at his life suggests that he was transgender. The evidence:
1. He volunteered on August 6, 1862 in Boone County. When his regiment was retired in 1865, they were in Belvidere, Illinois. He could have stayed in his home town of Bevidere, if he wished to return to life as a woman. Yet he moved 138 miles southeast of Boone County, to Saunemin, IL and continued to live as a man.
2. It might be argued that he did not live as a woman because he wanted the pension that came with service. But to receive the pension Albert would have been required to take a physical exam. He refused until later in life, when he was assured that his secret would not be made public.
3. At the Watertown State Hospital for the Insane, he had NOTHING to gain from living as a man. Yet even then when forced to wear a skirt he would bring the skirt in with pins to make the skirt into pants.
4. Albert secured his home with a number of locks, changing them frequently in case someone had somehow gotten a key. If he was going to be away from his house, he nailed the windows shut. Why? Being female bodied, there would be some evidence in his home of this.
Albert D.J. Cashier went to great lengths to protect his gender identity all his life. Even in death, he was gendered male. Those who knew and loved him went to great pains to keep his secret.
Rest in peace, my brother.
Japan: Weekend Beat: When you're the boss, you can be yourself
08/11/2007
BY MAYUMI SAITO, STAFF WRITER
Nel Kisaragi smiled as she handed over her business card. Slender and fair-skinned, she is the president of Newgauge Inc., an IT marketing and system-consulting company with a dual mission: to make a profit and to improve the lives of members of the transgender community.
Kisaragi, a man until she adopted her female identity two years ago, is now in her late 20s. She started Newgauge in September 2005 with two other transgender executives. Among the company's 17-member staff, seven are male transsexuals.
The name Newgauge was chosen to convey the idea that new social standards or gauges are needed to enable society to better understand and accept differing sexual identities. Newgauge intends to establish itself, Kisaragi says, as a gender-free corporation competing in the computer and mobile-phone marketplace.
Workplace prejudice
The transgender community still encounters prejudice, especially in employment. "I've had many friends who say their only options were night jobs (bartending or working as hosts in transgender bars)," she says.
Gender-identity disorder (GID), a condition in which an individual has been assigned one gender, usually on the basis of their sex at birth, but identifies as belonging to another gender is now widely accepted.
In 2003, a law was enacted that allowed a change in gender registration, with certain restrictions, in family registries. However full acceptance in the workplace is still a long way off.
"In Japan, onee-man (literally sister-man) is in style, part of a fad in the fashion, beauty and entertainment industries. But you don't see them as bank tellers or stockbrokers," Kisaragi says.
Kisaragi explains that even if transgender individuals change their biological sex and gender in the family registry, many, by society's standards, don't look "right" for the target gender.
She says conservative employers are often concerned about how clients will react to transgender workers or fret about the use of restrooms.
"There are many bright people among the transgendered. They should be given more opportunities. Our company can demonstrate their potential in the IT field," Kisaragi says. Newgauge plans, designs and manages Web and mobile sites. It also does blog marketing, system consulting, production publicity and dispatches IT specialists to client firms.
She says a stereotype held by many young Japanese women--that transsexuals possess a heightened sense of beauty--works in her company's favor. Newgauge targets young women, she says, explaining that female consumers are big Internet shoppers, especially in the mobile-phone market. . . .
BY MAYUMI SAITO, STAFF WRITER
Nel Kisaragi smiled as she handed over her business card. Slender and fair-skinned, she is the president of Newgauge Inc., an IT marketing and system-consulting company with a dual mission: to make a profit and to improve the lives of members of the transgender community.
Kisaragi, a man until she adopted her female identity two years ago, is now in her late 20s. She started Newgauge in September 2005 with two other transgender executives. Among the company's 17-member staff, seven are male transsexuals.
The name Newgauge was chosen to convey the idea that new social standards or gauges are needed to enable society to better understand and accept differing sexual identities. Newgauge intends to establish itself, Kisaragi says, as a gender-free corporation competing in the computer and mobile-phone marketplace.
Workplace prejudice
The transgender community still encounters prejudice, especially in employment. "I've had many friends who say their only options were night jobs (bartending or working as hosts in transgender bars)," she says.
Gender-identity disorder (GID), a condition in which an individual has been assigned one gender, usually on the basis of their sex at birth, but identifies as belonging to another gender is now widely accepted.
In 2003, a law was enacted that allowed a change in gender registration, with certain restrictions, in family registries. However full acceptance in the workplace is still a long way off.
"In Japan, onee-man (literally sister-man) is in style, part of a fad in the fashion, beauty and entertainment industries. But you don't see them as bank tellers or stockbrokers," Kisaragi says.
Kisaragi explains that even if transgender individuals change their biological sex and gender in the family registry, many, by society's standards, don't look "right" for the target gender.
She says conservative employers are often concerned about how clients will react to transgender workers or fret about the use of restrooms.
"There are many bright people among the transgendered. They should be given more opportunities. Our company can demonstrate their potential in the IT field," Kisaragi says. Newgauge plans, designs and manages Web and mobile sites. It also does blog marketing, system consulting, production publicity and dispatches IT specialists to client firms.
She says a stereotype held by many young Japanese women--that transsexuals possess a heightened sense of beauty--works in her company's favor. Newgauge targets young women, she says, explaining that female consumers are big Internet shoppers, especially in the mobile-phone market. . . .
How Immigration Crackdown Policy Affects Transgender Community
By ILENE JONES, on Friday, 10 August 2007 |
This policy will cause the most problems for anyone who is pre-operative, living "full time", and has an employer who sends gender markers to Social Security as part of the verification. These individuals will be flagged, and if they are unable to clear the issue with the Social Security Administration, they will have to out themselves at work or risk loosing their jobs. Before the Social Security Administration will change the gender marker on a Social Security Card, they require a letter from the surgeon. There are many individuals who are unable to have surgery for medical reasons, and these individuals will always be "in transition" as they are unable to complete surgery and the final steps of the process. This same problem exists for most states and Birth Certificates, which must also match the Social Security Card.
These "No-Match" letters told the company that they had 60 days to fix this information or have the employee update their information. This previously caused transgender employees to be outted at their workplace. A new policy going into effect will require companies to fire employees if they do not fix the information within 90 days. If this policy goes into effect, there will be a lot of unemployed transgender individuals. I've actually received a notice from my employer a few months ago regarding one of these letters from the SSA. I'm definitely seeing this issue popping up again for me in the near future. . . .
Transcript, from CNN.com: Larry King Live. . .
Men who have surgery to become women, women who become men. . . .
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Tonight, having surgery to change their sex. Men becoming women, women becoming men, a dad turned mom here with her sons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She took away our father, but in return she gave me another parent, a better parent. Our love is unconditional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: An 18-year-old in transition from male to female aiming to be the first transgender Victoria's Secret model. A former city manager named Steve who was fired after announcing his plan to change genders. He's here now as Susan. They are all next on LARRY KING LIVE.
Good evening. Tonight's show takes on the topic of gender reassignment surgery and the people who have had it. They are born one gender but emotionally they feel more like the opposite sex, so at some point in their lives they embark on a long, tough journey to physically change themselves into the person they feel like most rather than the person they were born as.
We begin with the amazing story of Jessica Lam, born a man, went on to marry, father children, eventually underwent gender reassignment surgery. Let's take a look at part of her story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA LAM, FORMER MAN: When I was little, I used to wish that I could like get up and put on a skirt. Like I was this little boy who wanted to be a girl and now that I can get up, go grab me a skirt and wear it to work, guess what I'm wearing? A pair of jeans.
It's not what the world around me would say was normal, you know. I hate having to say that, normal, and I don't have to go around like telling people that, you know. I shouldn't have to. Just accept me. I'll take care of it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Technically pizza is healthy because it's got meat and if you want can you have fruits and vegetables.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm upset that she took away our father but in return she gave me another parent, a better parent for me. JESSICA LAM: Some in my family did not agree with my decision, you know. They were uncomfortable with it and some of them are still uncomfortable with it, but they are willing to accept me.
Chris, you want to say grace then.
And our love is unconditional. . . .
Aired August 10, 2007 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Tonight, having surgery to change their sex. Men becoming women, women becoming men, a dad turned mom here with her sons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She took away our father, but in return she gave me another parent, a better parent. Our love is unconditional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: An 18-year-old in transition from male to female aiming to be the first transgender Victoria's Secret model. A former city manager named Steve who was fired after announcing his plan to change genders. He's here now as Susan. They are all next on LARRY KING LIVE.
Good evening. Tonight's show takes on the topic of gender reassignment surgery and the people who have had it. They are born one gender but emotionally they feel more like the opposite sex, so at some point in their lives they embark on a long, tough journey to physically change themselves into the person they feel like most rather than the person they were born as.
We begin with the amazing story of Jessica Lam, born a man, went on to marry, father children, eventually underwent gender reassignment surgery. Let's take a look at part of her story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA LAM, FORMER MAN: When I was little, I used to wish that I could like get up and put on a skirt. Like I was this little boy who wanted to be a girl and now that I can get up, go grab me a skirt and wear it to work, guess what I'm wearing? A pair of jeans.
It's not what the world around me would say was normal, you know. I hate having to say that, normal, and I don't have to go around like telling people that, you know. I shouldn't have to. Just accept me. I'll take care of it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Technically pizza is healthy because it's got meat and if you want can you have fruits and vegetables.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm upset that she took away our father but in return she gave me another parent, a better parent for me. JESSICA LAM: Some in my family did not agree with my decision, you know. They were uncomfortable with it and some of them are still uncomfortable with it, but they are willing to accept me.
Chris, you want to say grace then.
And our love is unconditional. . . .
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