Mary Jones

“…in the practice of waiting upon Girls of ill fame…they induced me to dress in Women’s Clothes, saying I looked so much better in them and I have always attended parties among the people of my own Colour dressed in this way—and in New Orleans I always dressed in this way…”.

 

Mary Jones (born Peter Sewally c.1803), is regarded as the first black transgender woman in American history (**see disclaimer at end). In 1836, she was convicted of grand larceny during a sensational trial which now comprises one of the earliest recorded insights into homosexual sexual relations and cross-dressing.   

Newspapers at the time of trial stated that Jones was a successful pickpocket and prostitute – although they termed her sex work as “practical amalgamation [a common euphemism for sexual relations between people of different races]”. Another paper added: that while by day “Sewally” dressed as a man, “at night prowls about…the city, in the disguise of a female, for the purpose of enticing men into the dens of prostitution…’. Her activities largely went unreported owing her client’s shame and desire to keep their activities hidden, however eventually she was reported to police for theft.

When approached by the arresting officer, she attempted to seduce him: “I am going home, will you go, too?”, leading him to an alley where ‘she proceeded to be very affectionate.” When the officer tried to make the arrest, she resisted but wallets were found on her person and in her apartment.

She appeared in court wearing feminine clothes and a lady’s wig. The trial became an opportunity for public humiliation.  Despite her not-guilty plea, the jury convicted her of grand larceny, and she was sent to prison for 5 years. Because no man admitted to having had intercourse with her, she was not charged with sodomy. Her conviction, in the context of recent anti-abolititionsit and anti-amalgamationist riots in NYC, is unsurprising given her race and sexuality.

After her release Mary was convicted again and imprisoned for five months for simply crossdressing. After release she disappeared from recorded history, apart from a couple of newspaper references to ‘beefsteak pete’ (again see next picture) who suggest that she was both in and out of prison and possibly an asylum.

She was immortalised as the “man monster” by a lithograph. It is debated whether this referred to her race, sex-work, cross-dressing or a combination of the three. Her story is inspiring because despite living in the early 19^th century, her society’s attitude toward trans people was remarkably familiar. Jones’ tenaciousness proves that black trans women have been fighting for their lives in America for at least three centuries.

Jones’ story is also interesting because it shows a black “man” twisting race, class, sexuality, and gender norms. She made a point of highlighting that the black community had accepted her identity, and that only the white community had seen it as something shameful. This alone is interesting and raises important questions about the colonial/Christian influence on homophobia nd transphobia and the differences of concepts of gender and sexuality across the world.

**some prefer to see her as a cross-dressing homosexual man, which has some credibility given the evidence). Nevertheless, I have chosen to include her as she is still an important historic figure who clearly preferred to identify as a woman. The arresting officer claimed that she attempted to pass as a biological woman by wearing a piece of “cow” (a.k.a meat, which led to Sewally being dubbed “Beefsteak Pete”), cut open to resemble a vagina. While it is not known whether her clients believed she was a woman, the fact that she clearly wished to be seen as one is a big clue about her gender identity. However, when asked in court what her legal name was, she replied:. "Peter Sewally--I am a man." She also pleaded her previous military service as regards for leniency.