I was initially unsure about including John in Before Gender. He was yet another white trans man caught in a scandal near the turn of the 20th century. What does his story contribute to trans history? However, as I dug deeper into his depictions, I saw an important example of genre in the reporting on his narrative: early humorous trans storytelling without repeating the same tired anti-trans lines. Who doesn’t like a good love triangle with your landlord’s daughter and your girlfriend posing as your half-sister? Perhaps this was already overpronounced in the previous chapter on Willie Ray, but trans men are just as capable of being the Lothario of a story as their cis counterparts.
A marriage license possibly belonging to John from September 14, 1895. There is no additional information on the license, and I could not confirm it was his or someone with the same name as him (nor did any newspapers mention Katherine Sickinger in his story).
