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The 1920's would be a time for many changes to the nature of popular society.
Throughout the cultural landscape an ensuing conflict began to manifest itself: on the one hand an avant garde movement continued the "experimentation" in the visual arts, writing, music, and motion pictures; on the other hand an increasingly more prurient society wanted to constrain activities to fit within more ideal moral norms. In the US the time of Prohibition coincided with the "roaring 20s" flapper era. Maybe the very fact of "more bandwidth" in the communication of ideas challenged the existing power structure in ways that constraint seemed the only way to maintain control - an interesting parallel to today and the forces who wish to limit what is on the Internet and who can have access to it.
More so than at any former time shared cultural experience popularized by the media was changing society, and the moral rules makers wanted it changed to meet their own agendas. Reality check - if you’re asking yourself "did I link to the wrong web page...what does this have to do with transgender issues" I’ll get to the point. The 1920s were the beginning of the time when popular society began to say it wasn’t OK to be transgender, and for the next 40 years the popular culture and the media sent the message that it was on the far fringe, deviant, sick, and morally without purpose. The old line publications that I’ve cited in the previous articles were in many cases gone. Bits of Fun ceased publication in 1920, because the subject matter on the letters page had caused it to be prosecuted for distribution of indecent material. Modern Society and Photo Bits were out of business. Only one magazine was left, London Life, that continued in the old model (gossip, short stories, movie and show news, etc.) until 1940, but even it was timid and careful in what it would publish. By the late 20s, only a few letters would cover fetishes, "petticoat-punishment," and cross dressing subjects, they often were not of very much substance, and some would say were not worth the paper they were printed on. The letter this month is the exception, and is from the fall of 1929 from a young man wishing to learn the family business, and was signed "Anonymous":
As a last resort, I asked my mother, who was a widow, if there was anything I could do to help her run her business as a high-class ladies’ outfitter, as I felt I must do something. She was against my entering the shop, as she did not consider that the presence of a young man was desirable, while at the same time she wanted me to know how to run it, so that I, being her only relative, could carry on the business should anything happen to her. However, after a lot of discussion she got me to consent to put myself entirely in her hands and she would see what she could do for me.
All my male attire and belongings were confiscated, and I was completely dressed in the fashionable clothes of a young woman. Special attention was paid to my figure, and I was compelled to wear corsets day and night. For about two months I was kept at home, during which time I was thoroughly initiated into feminine ways and habits and made to always pay particular attention to my appearance, so it became quite natural for me always to appear immaculately dressed for all occasions.
I became accustomed to wearing high-heeled shoes, and had been taken out at night several times to get me accustomed to appearing in public as a girl. At first I was very shy and embarrassed, as I thought everyone was staring at me;
but I was soon cured of this by being made to mix with women on every occasion, so that I quickly assumed all their mannerisms and learnt to repair my complexion in the approved style without arousing the least suspicion.
As ‘Marie’, the shop assistant, I now commenced my duties and became quite popular with all our clients and the girls in the shop. Though it may appear strange, my mother preferred that I should act as mannequin [model] instead of
the other girls, so with this end in view I had been made to practice deportment for several hours a day, with the result that I became quite the passable mannequin [model]. The customers who saw me display the latest things in gowns, undies, and coats little knew that I was a young man.
For over two years I lived as a girl, and made many friends whose friendship I found hard to break when I again resumed my duties in my proper sphere.
As the 1920s close this month’s column, we see something of a turning point. The moral influence on the media in the time from the 30s through the 50s made this type of letter disappear from the popular press. We, as an element of society were still there, but relegated to the "closet" or adult book store material. The next set of footprints don’t become visible in the popular press until the era of the sexual revolution, and so next month think "flower power" and "Stonewall."
Andee is married with two children and lives outside Washington DC. You can send her email at AndeeW@aol.com.
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