My 83 year old Aunt spent the storm with us yesterday. She is a wonderful lady who knows about me being a cross dresser. No power makes for some interesting conversations and we started on gay rights and transgendered people. She told me that in her town in New Jersey after the war there was a person in town named Mary who everyone knew was transgendered. Or as Aunt Katie said “everyone knew she was a man.” Mary who grew up in town went away to fight in WWII, When she came back started living as a woman. From what I gathered from my Aunts conversation, Mary attended church, worked as a clerk at a local Coal and Lumber company and took care of her mother. What surprised me was the level of acceptance she seem to have had in the community. I sure there was harassment and bigots but she seemed to have found a niche. This was the 1950’s!, Mary moved away after her mother died. I wonder what became of her.
I wonder what her story was. Was Mary a transgendered veteran who after the hardship of war decided the heck with everyone I’m going to be myself? Wow it makes you think.
Has anyone ever heard of similar stories?