Given the steady negative spiral in how the modern mainstream media, left and right, cover most trans issues, I thought it might be interesting to start looking back at some old papers to see how the matter used to be discussed, when it was discussed at all.
It was depressing to find an article from 1954 so quickly that is more tolerant, understanding and sympathetic than one from July 2020.
It was the first one I opened and the oldest I’d come across at the start of my search that mentions ‘trans-sexualism or any variation, including ‘transgender’. The term transsexual was coined in 1949, transgender in 1971 and ‘trans,’ apparently, in 1996. ‘Androgyne’ was first used way back in 1552 so I’ll enjoy looking for that later. I’ve a feeling this is a hunt I could get caught up in.
For now, let’s head for the last day of July, 1954. Doris Day is number 3 in the Top 10 and Frank Sinatra is number 5. The front page of this paper declares the Labour party’s ‘battle over nationalisation as good as decided,’ while the Smout family, near Evesham, have been ordered to extend their quarantine to stop the spread of ‘poliomyelitis’ that has already taken Mr Smout and put his daughter in hospital. Mrs Smout, it seems, has just tested positive.
Winston Churchill is Prime Minister again, but won’t be in 10 months time when he’s ousted by Sir Anthony Eden.
I’m not saying this article is perfect, far from it, but let’s compare and contrast.
This is from the The Birmingham Post & Gazette on 31 July, 1954:
This one is from The Daily Telegraph on 1 July, 2020:
Sadly, that Telegraph snippet is merely one of the most recent examples of what is a persistent media campaign to demonise trans people.
What excellent work the anti-trans lobby have done over the past 35 years or so! All while claiming their views are being silenced by rabid trans activists who want to deny the truth about sex and biology, something only they themselves are doing.
Today, we know so much more about being transgender, the truth about sex, chromosomes and the fallacies of what we were taught in school.
How sad so many still don’t want to catch up.
Text from Perthshire Daily Post article:
Plea to Register Sex Change Fails
A Perthshire man. aged 50, who is the father of two children and who is now said to be changing his sex is the subject of a decision which has been given at Perth by Sheriff A. M. Prain.
The Sheriff has refused a petition by the Secretary of the Registrar-General’s Office for authority to make entries altering the particulars of the sex and the Christian names from male to female. It was said that any attempt now to make him live as a male might well have serious consequences. The Sheriff held that a section of the Registration Act of 1854 could not be invoked to correct the entry of birth.
Doctors had been careful to stress that this was a genuine case of the very rare condition, trans-sexualism. and that the changes which had taken place were irreversible. It was a very distressing case but sympathetic considerations should not all point in the one direction, the feelings of the wife and two children must also be remembered.
Describing the man as ” X.” the Sheriff said that he was registered at birth as a male and brought up as a male person. He attended school, took a university degree and served in the forces before and during the war. He married in 1939, was the father of two children, but separated from his wife in 1945. At present he was a hospital patient.
It was said that any attempt now to make him live as a male might well have serious consequences.
The Shefiff held that a section of the Registration Act of 1854 could not be invoked to correct the entry of birth.
Doctors had been careful to stress this was a genuine case of the very rare condition, trans-sexualism and that the changes which had taken place were irreversible.
Ut was a very distressing case but sympathetic considerations should not all point in the one direction, the feelings of the wife and two children must also be remembered.
Author unknown.