Aleshia Brevard was a trailblazing Tennessean trans woman. She left home at 15 and quickly became a drag star in 1960. After performing her own surgery, she joined major Hollywood films and even became a Playboy model. I colorized this 1962 photo shortly after she transitioned.
Aleshia's book is insightful and uniquely hilarious. This woman should have done comedy because she was brilliant. She even had a great sense of humor over being forced to perform her own castration. You can read it at transreads.org/aleshiabrevard/
Aleshia Brevard is a great example of why people believe trans is "new." She wasn't out most of her life. After transitioning in CA, she returned to Tennessee under a new name and attended Middle TN State University. She didn't learn there was a trans community until the 1990s!
Aleshia's Tennessean parents were extremely supportive of their trans daughter in 1962! I colorized this photo of her returning to her parents' house after surgery, where even her minister showed support. According to Aleshia, her husband soon became "the son my daddy never got."
Aleshia passed in 2017, age 79. A product of her era, she left a complex legacy. She provides a window into 60s trans life. However, she also had a troubling relationship with the Black and trans communities. Regardless, her story reminds us of how the trans movement emerged.
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