A History of Cross-Dressing Laws

About this episode

The episode discusses the historical context and implications of cross-dressing laws in San Francisco and their modern-day relevance.

In 1863, San Francisco made it a crime to wear clothing "not belonging to your sex," with a fine of up to $500. That and other laws gave police the power to arrest drag queens and anyone who didn't look "right." And while the specific statutes have mostly been struck down, the same logic lives on in bathroom bills and restrictions on legal gender recognition. After 163 years, why does the state still thinks it gets to decide what gender looks like? Image: Arthur Berloget, "The Secret Confessi...

Topics covered

• cross-dressing laws
• gender identity
• legal recognition
• drag culture
• historical legislation

Keywords

• cross-dressing
• laws
• gender
• San Francisco
• drag queens
• legal recognition
• bathroom bills

Mentioned in this episode

Places: San Francisco

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