Being a Transgender Man in 1781
Being transgender is definitely not a fad. Here’s the story about the dramatic life of an 18th century Norwegian trans man.
In 1781 Anne Kristine Mortensdatter and Jens Anderssen got married in the Strømsø church in Drammen in Norway. She was a weaver. He was a coachman and a farm laborer.
Live Vedeler Nilsen writes that two year after their marriage Anne Kristine told the parish priest that Jens was not a man at all, but “a woman”. The priest alerted the bishop, who in turn told the county governor.
Jens was arrested and forced to undergo a medical examination. The doctor concluded that Jens was a “perfect maiden”.
Same-sex relationships were not tolerated in the kingdom of Denmark-Norway at the time. The worst case scenario was that both of them would be burned at the stake.
There are two versions of what happened next.
According to Anne Kristine she had not known that Jens was “a woman”. She did not realize until he came home drunk one day and she had to help him undress. (Yes, it is strange that she had not discovered this before.) She added that Jens had started beating her when he was drunk.
Jens on the other hand said that Anne Kristine had known from the beginning. He had wanted “someone to work for, for the common good and advantage”.
Everything had gone south when they decided to rent one of their rooms to a sailor. Anne Kristine and the sailor fell in love. She wanted a divorce, but a divorce was hard to get, so she outed Jens instead. She was never arrested.
Jens was put in jail. He did not give them his legal name. When he was asked about his gender, he answered:
“I do not know. I think I can be both.”
Which is an amazing answer, given the time and place.
Anne Kristine died in 1784. Jens then asked the governor for a pardon. He did not get one. But he did manage to escape, so maybe he found a better life somewhere else in Norway or beyond.
Top image: Illustration of Norwegian farmers by Johan F. L. Dreier, late 18th/early 19th century.
The Church of Strømsø, photo by Sigrid Christie/Riksantikvaren CC.
In the Stømsø Church Book the priest has added the following text to their wedding entry: «NB: This couple Jens Anderssen and Anne Mortensdatter were both found to be of the female sex.» (Skeivt arkiv)
