Transexuals through history

[stephanie4life]

Well now there is some interesting reading.

[smc]

Let's not leave out the experience of the French explorers Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette. As they crossed the American continent in the 1670s, they came upon the Illini tribe (for whom Illinois is named). They wrote in their journal that there was a group of Illini men who acted out the social role of women in the tribe and even dressed in women's clothes ... what the tribe called "Ikoneta." Joliet called them "berdache."

[not2old]

There's an ancient tradition in Polynesia of "mahu", raising a first son as a girl. Apparently still practiced to some extent, and seems to have spun off today's "rae rae" in Tahiti.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaln-yAAZck

[Melissa Pink]

I surprised that no one has mentioned Christina Jorgenson yet. I read her biography when I was young. As I read about her life I was fascinated with reading about the first person known to have sexual reassignment surgery in 1952. I readily identified with her feelings and respect her courage to be a pioneer in something that has become fairly common in today's society. I'm not sure society is anymore open minded about girls like me, but I think that technology and the Internet has made the world a smaller place. It's easier for transgenders and those that are attracted to them to connect. That is a good thing! This is a link to an article about Miss Jorgenson.


http://www.transgenderzone.com/featu...eJorgensen.htm

[sosed]

In Greeco-Roman they show god/dess Hermaphrodite as woman with penis and Greeks make statues of male form of goddes Aphrodita named Aphroditus as woman who lift her skirt to show penis.

Ancient societies also talk about third gender, which was quite wide term and they are not only eunuchs. Many transgender persons serve as priests in goddess cult, where they often castrate themselves and live as woman like Gallae priest in Cybile mother goddess cult. Romans tolerate them, but Roman citizens were not allowed to be priests in the cult.

[Smoothie]

Very interesting topic, I'll hit the books.

[Florian]

Is anyone aware of a male tennis player who was reasigned female? I did a search, but couldn't find anything.