The Chevalier d'Eon is one of those historical figures who pop up now and again, mostly because no one knows what to do with them. Were they a trans woman? A man masquerading as a woman for political reasons? Outside of salacious curiosity about their sex and gender, do they actually matter?
This week, Fayge and Mazal dive into d'Eon's life to explore how we talk about queer historical figures respectfully.
D'Eon was also just a wild individual outside of any questions of gender.
Further Reading:
The Chevalier d'Eon and His Worlds—This book is a compilation of papers by experts in various fields, each trying to untangle d'Eon's story in their own way. Some of these papers are rather old and, as such, contain outdated language for transgender people.
There are a few other books on d'Eon, but I found the variety of opinions helpful in better understanding the debates surrounding them.
Our Interview with Lee Wind and his website
Our episode on the Public Universal Friend
Our episode on Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Sex and Gender: What's the Difference? from PsychCentral
Sex and Gender Identity from Planned Parenthood
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Thank you to April Keez for the use of the songs "Misfit" and "Grow Up" from the Album Mountainview. Find her album on Bandcamp.
Audio drop from: Opening music for Chevalier d'Eon Anime (because that apparently exists)
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