Historical Self-Identified Transgender Men
This page details transgender men, mostly from the 20th century, who self-identify as such beyond doubt. Many of them are pioneers in transgender rights through medicine and activism and some are musicians and artists, and others are "proud hillbillies."
Alan L. Hart was a physician, radiologist, and writer, and one of the first transgender men to undergo a gonadectomy and hysterectomy. His research in Tuberculosis has saved thousands of lives.
Billy Tipton was a bandleader and jazz musician. He told many of the women in his life he had been in a car accident resulting in damaged genitals and ribs. In the sixties, he married nightclub dancer Kelly Oakes and adopted 3 sons. He wasn't outed until after his death upon postmortem examination.
Michael Dillon was a British Physician who was the first trans man to undergo a phalloplasty by plastic surgeon Harold Gilles. He wrote a book saying being transgender (though that word had not been used yet) is innate and should be treated medically rather than psychologically. Despite not being licensed, he also assisted in the first male-to-female sex change on Roberta Cowell.
Lou Sullivan was a writer and activist, and the first transgender man to publicly identify as gay. Until then, attraction to the same sex was one of the qualifications in order to be medically classified as transgender, which meant he was denied sex re-assignment surgery. He campaigned for homosexuality to be removed from the qualifications. He eventually was able to have genital reconstruction surgery and a double mastectomy, but soon after contracted HIV and died in 1991.
Reed Erikson founded the Erikson Educational Foundation to help educate transgender people and their families as well as fund projects supporting transgender people. By the end of his life, he became addicted to illegal drugs and died as a result.
Robert Eads was the subject of the documentary Southern Comfort. He was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and dozens of physicians refused to treat him due to his gender identity. By the time he was offered surgery the next year, the cancer had spread and he died two years later despite treatments. He described himself as "a hillbilly and proud of it."
Sir Ewan Forbes of Craigievar, 11th Baronet was born intersex and later re-classified himself as male. He was a Scottish nobleman, doctor, and farmer. He was to inherit his older brother's baronetcy and estate, but this was challenged by his cousin who claimed that based on sex, he legally wouldn't be heir. The judge ruled in his favor, and he inherited the estate.
Wilmer "Litle Axe" Broadnax was a hard gospel quartet singer known for his small stature and huge voice. It wasn't found that he was transgender until after his death.