In January 1977, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran a feature over two days about transgender people. An article titled "Women Trapped in Men's Bodies" told the stories of two transgender women, Thea Williamson and Christina Kempf. The women discussed their pasts and experiences before, during, and after their transitions. An article the following day titled "Mind and Body Should Match" discussed the scientific understanding of what was then called "transexualism," and contained advice for parents.
This picture of Chirstina Kempf (1936-2005) accompanied her story about her life as a transgender woman. Kempf recalled that even as a child she felt different from the boys around her. Kempf began seeking gender affirming surgery in early adulthood, but was told it was not allowed in the US at that time. A few years later, Kempf was convicted of killing a man who sexually assaulted her. While in prison she began trying to persuade the authorities to allow her to get gender affirming surgery, but was refused. While serving her sentence, Kempf founded the National Gay Prisoners Coalition and called for investigation of prisons in the US regarding how gay and trans prisoners were treated, and the abolition of laws against consensual gay sex, and proposed an alternative to prison for gay and trans people. She also published open letters in several newspapers involved in the gay rights movement and raised money for trans prisoners' gender affirming treatment and legal fees. Kempf was released in 1973 and soon after underwent gender affirming treatment.
Caption information source: "Women Trapped in Men's Bodies," by Judi Hunt, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 30, 1977, page D1. Caption information source: "Gay Liberation and Incarceration in Underground Newspapers," by Benjamin Serby, Duke University Libraries, retrieved from https://blogs.library.duke.edu/rubenstein/2023/05/11/16731/ Caption information source: "Little Miss Dysphoria," by Leah Tigers, retrieved from https://trickymothernature.com/littlemissdysphoria.html
