I’ve just received my copy of Beebo Brinker in the mail bought from Amazon. It’s the last of a series of 6 novels published between 1957-1962, but it’s actually a prequel to all of them, so I guess it makes sense to read this first. I’m quite psyched, being deprived of lesbian-themed books in general. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the novel, here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:

Arguably the most popular of Bannon’s characters throughout the series, Beebo Brinker is remarkable in literature - especially in the 1950s and 1960s. She refuses to dress femininely, and readers only once read about her wearing a skirt. In fact, she takes jobs that are clearly below her abilities (elevator operator and delivery boy) and declines a higher education because she knows these vocations would limit her to wearing feminine clothing. A writer who adapted three of the books into a play explained Beebo’s draw: “She’s a brave person who tried to pass as a guy at a time when most lesbians were totally under cover. Those women of that era who lived openly like that were heroic. They didn’t live in regular society, they really lived on the edge, they lived on some fringe.”

Curiously, while I was reading my very engrossing Book of Lists (of almost everything under the sun), I came across this entry in its compilation of “10 Renowned Transsexuals”. #9 was Jude Patton, formerly Judith Patton (b. 1940). Her description immediately rang a bell. Bear in mind, this list was written circa 1980.

One of the few female-to-male transsexuals to go public, Patton encountered little peer pressure as a tomboy until age 16. By then, she had worn a crew cut for several years, and school counselors began suggesting that she needed psychological help because of her masculine behavior. Determined to remain in men’s clothing, she turned down a four-year college scholarship when she was told that female students were required to wear dresses. Because she refused to wear women’s attire, only factory work was available to her in the small mid-western town where she lived. Eventually she learned about Stanford University’s transsexual program and underwent four operations for sexual reassignment in 1972 and 1973. “The surgery was a miracle,” Patton says. For the first time in my life I feel complete.” He now works as a postal clerk while pursuing graduate studies to become a clinical psychologist.

How about that? Huh. I don’t know if Beebo Brinker was in any way based on Judith, or if Judith has ever read the book and it influenced her, but I thought it was a cool coincidence hat their lives are so alike. Out of curiosity, I googled Jude Patton, and I’m happy to report that he’s now doing pretty well. He’s a certified psychologist just like he intended, helping out others in the process of undergoing operation. He has also contributed to some published studies about transsexuality.

While regular readers would know that I don’t see myself heading in a similar direction, I think it’s brave of him to do what he did at the time. It’s still frowned upon by a lot of people now, how much more then? But it’s his body so it’s within his right to do as he pleases. The important thing is he made the most of it, and got himself a pretty successful career.

Kudos, Jude!