In 1503 BC in Egypt, Hatshepsut became the second woman to rule the country and chose to take the title of king. She wore male clothing and even a false beard.
The Klementi tribe of Albania have practiced since the 1400s that if a virgin swore before
12 witnesses that she would not marry, she was recognized as male. The custom goes on to this day. Pictured: Skhurtan, sworn virgin.
Julie D’Aubigny
was a bisexual French opera singer and fencing master in the 17th century. She
fought and won at least 10 life-or-death duels and performed
on the biggest opera stage in the world. It is reported that she even took the Holy Orders
just so she could sneak into a convent and have sex with a nun.
José Sarria, a drag queen, was the first openly gay candidate to run for US public office. In 1961 he won 6,000 votes in his campaign for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
