Queer undergraduate students Liv and Mak present a University of Texas at Dallas Queer Southern History Pilot Lab public history project. This audio narrative discusses 19th Century Transgender News Coverage in the South; specifically, trans-women Frances Thompson in Tennessee and Lizzie Montgomery in Texas, as well as the gender-bending individual Ellis Glenn from Texas.

They piece together what the lives of early southern trans people were like using primary source news coverage and secondary source analysis. They also explore current news media and discuss the similarities and differences between the 2020s and the 1870s. Overall, this project is a testament to how Trans people have always existed in the South despite archival neglect and historical erasure.

Visit this Link to follow along with the transcript, this link also includes sources and recommended media: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Fwdp-ca0PRyi9updJ1D1ZHmiwcpDe1BHhQ8dxaDCTQ/edit?usp=sharing

To see the dedicated webpage where this project is archived, along with the other Queer in the South public history projects. This link also features the painting that was made featuring our subjects Frances, Lizzie, and Ellis. Check out our class website: https://classwebsite.vercel.app

Special Thanks to Dr.Anne Fischer the professor for Queer in The South. Thanks as well to KVR Productions for all the music you hear in this project.