This month, Special Collections & Archives (SCA) is celebrating four new acquisitions that document the diverse experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Tune in each week for a new post highlighting one of these acquisitions and learn how they complement SCA’s existing collections with a focus on gender, sexuality, and social justice.
One of the challenges facing archivists who support researchers interested in queer and trans history is that the terminology used to describe gender and sexual expression has changed considerably over time. In these posts, we will use the terminology that most closely aligns with how the authors and publishers describe themselves and their readers. This may include terms, such as transsexual or cross-dresser, which some may find offensive today. For more information about the changing nature of vocabulary and how librarians and archivists make decisions about how to describe queer and trans materials, please visit Homosaurus Vocabulary Site.
Turnabout : A Magazine of TransvestitismSCA is pleased to announce that we have acquired five issues of the ground-breaking periodical Turnabout: A Magazine of Transvestitism. First published in the United States in June 1963, Turnabout is one of the oldest publications written by and about people who identified as transvestites or cross-dressers. The periodical, which ran until 1969, featured articles, poetry, stories, letters, and photographs that offer a snapshot of what life was like for non-gender-conforming people living in the 1960s. In an era of heightened discrimination, Turnabout helped to foster a sense of community for trans people by providing a space where readers could see their own experiences, feelings, and struggles mirrored on the pages.
Turnabout was produced by Siobhan Fredericks under the moniker of Abbé de Choisy Press, named to honour François-Timoléon de Choisy, a cross-dressing French abbé, or abbot, born in the 1600s. The press also produced several books or novelets written by Fredericks and Nan Gilbert. Titles include One Summer in Petticoats, Lingerie and Lace, and Miniskirted Male, each designed to tell a story of transvestitism from a trans perspective.
Fredericks likely wrote most of the content published in Turnabout under a variety of pseudonyms, a practice that was common in these early years of queer and trans publishing. This tactic was often used to convey a sense that the publication was the product of a vibrant community of voices, affirming its legitimacy despite limits to freedom of expression. The goal was to grow a community of contributors by inviting readers to submit their own pieces on topics ranging from make-up tips to short fiction.
Although one of the earliest trans publications, Turnabout was not the only periodical to address the experiences of gender-non-conforming people. Transvestia: The Journal of the American Society for Equality in Dress was first published in 1952 by Virginia Prince in Los Angeles, with two original issues. Eight years later, in 1960, the publication was brought back as Transvestia, dropping its more academic subtitle with the intention of reaching a broader audience. These publications, and others like them, aimed to create and strengthen community, foster dialogue, and increase representation of trans people by allowing them to share stories and resources.
Even though gay and lesbian publications, such as One Magazine and The Ladder, had paved the way – a topic we will pick up in a later blog post this month – Fredericks continued to take on considerable risks by publishing Turnabout. Wearing gender-non-confirming clothing was still illegal in many jurisdictions across North America; anyone found cross-dressing could be arrested by police. Promoting trans publications could also be difficult, as readers would often not want to purchase them at a magazine shop or other brick-and-mortar retailer for fear of exposure. This made it difficult for potential readers to find Turnabout on the shelves. Distribution was therefore mainly through word-of-mouth resulting in a subscription - $3 per copy - or issues were passed along from friend to friend, acquaintance to acquaintance.
SCA has acquired issues 3 through 7, published between 1964 and 1966. Each issue is signed “Henry Guze,” and likely belonged to Dr. Henry Guze (1919-1970), a psychoanalyst and professor in New York. Dr. Guze was a founder of many psychological organizations, including The American Academy of Psychotherapists, the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex. He published papers about sexual behavior, including transsexualism and cross-dressing.
Below is a description of each issue in our collection with some highlights from the contents. We welcome anyone from the Waterloo community and beyond to book an appointment with SCA to come see these in person!
Issue 3 (March 1964) includes several articles of note. “Advice to a Transsexual” is written by Harry Benjamin, a contemporary of Dr. Guze and co-founder of the Society of the Scientific Study of Sex. Benjamin offers advice on how and where to obtain gender affirming care, which he refers to as “medical transitioning.” He also discusses female to male transitioning, a rare conversation for Turnabout’s readership who were mainly those assigned male at birth.
The issue provides a recap of a symposium on transvestitism and transsexualism held as part of the sixth annual conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex. In this article, the author expressed disappointment in the symposium for its focus on transsexualism and lack of information on transvestitism. Notably, the issue mentions the contemporary publication Transvestia and updates on its founder Virgina Prince, suggesting how tightly knit the community is and an overlap in readership. Finally, it offers advertisements for the services of a Helen Lancaster, who will make or shop for clothing for the trans community discretely and privately in their sizes, an excellent service for those who do not want to be seen shopping for women’s clothing on their own.
Issue 4 (April 1964) begins a series about trans issues and the law, specifically the legal issues associated with cross-dressing in public. The first installment in this three-part series, spanning from issues 4 to 6, is about what to do if one gets arrested for cross dressing. Laws regarding cross-dressing varied from state to state at the time, and while they were not strictly enforced in some regions and getting arrested for cross-dressing was not common, it was still a possibility that many faced or feared when appearing in public. The article offers legal advice on what and what not to disclose if one was arrested, and ultimately advises the reader to only disclose their name and address until they can seek the advice of an attorney. Further legal discussions occur in the article “Kaleidoscope”, which discusses the arrest of a trans person for cross-dressing and the community efforts to raise money to appeal the conviction as a form of protest, in hopes of bringing it to a higher court and legalizing cross-dressing. Other interesting articles include advice to trans people who are married, places to shop for mail-order clothing, and an advertisement for electrolysis hair removal where trans customers are welcomed.
Issue 5 (Spring 1965) was published a year after the previous issue, listing the editor as Fred L. Shaw, Jr. The letter from the editor announces that Turnabout will be moving from a monthly to quarterly publication cycle due to operational issues.
This issue includes articles by two doctors, one in support of trans issues, and the other against, as well as the editor’s reactions to the ongoing debate. The second installment of “Transvestism and the Law,” series also appears, this time focusing on “Arrest Without Trial.” The ongoing “Kaleidoscope” feature follows up on an ongoing legal battle first outlined in issue 4. The issue also highlights makeup and grooming tools that one might need or want and contains a handwritten note in the photo gallery about the known height of one of the models, suggesting the owner knew them personally.
Issue 6 (Winter 1966) is a bit lighter in tone than the previous two issues but does provide a final update on the legal battle outlined in the previous two issues. The editor notes that the resolution was disappointing because the court had refused an appeal to overturn discriminatory laws. The real focus is to celebrate four parties that have been hosted in Turnabout’s new headquarters. The issue features photographs of party attendees in a gallery and estimates that about 50 people came together to socialize.
A new addition to the magazine is a comic by the art editor, adding a lighthearted and humorous touch to the issue.
Issue 7 (Summer 1966) includes a centerfold featuring the work of Dr. Harry Benjamin, who has categorized several types of transvestitism and transsexualism in a chart titled “Sex Orientation Scale (S.O.S): Sex and Gender Disorientation and Indecision (Males).” A review by the editor describes how this scale has divided the opinions of community members. Some categories, for example, appear preferable to others and many believe that the categories represent Benjamin’s largely outdated worldview.
The issue also continues with the comics began in the previous edition, and has a short obituary for Sonné Teal, a regular contributor and columnist in previous issues, who passed tragically in a plane crash.
Where to Lean More
An important historical artifact for the early representation of trans people in publications, SCA is happy to add these issues to our collection. If you are interested seeing more images of trans folx from this period, the AGO in Toronto currently has a photography exhibit titled “Casa Susanna” which features many of the regulars from the photo galleries in Turnabout, as well as issues of Transvestia, Turnabout’s contemporary. Additional resources for trans print material include the Digital Transgender Archive and the ArQuives.
The Digital Transgender Archive aims to “increase the accessibility of transgender history by providing an online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world.” The online collection offers materials from institutions and private collections across the world to make trans materials more accessible, and is a great resource for anyone, from researchers who would like to explore trans history to folx who are just curious about trans experiences. All scans of the issues in this blog post are sourced from this archive!
Another great resource to explore trans history from a Canadian perspective is the ArQuives. As one of the largest LGBTQ2+ archives in the world, the ArQuives is a great place to find all sorts of reference material about trans history and beyond. They have even put together a handy Trans Collections Guide to help users navigate their trans-related materials.
Stay tuned for our next Pride Month blog post on Isidor Schneider’s Doctor Transit, and happy Pride to all!
