Variations in Sexual Behavior

Sexual Minorities: 6. Transvestites

Famous Cross-dressers

Cross-dressing and war
(From the left) Achilles, dressed as a girl, has discovered the weapons (after an ancient Roman mosaic)
Hua Mulan preparing for battle (after a Chinese painting) Joan of Arc dressed in her armor
(after a contemporary painting)

Mythology and history offer many examples of cross-dressing. For example, the mother of the legendary warrior Achilles feared that he would be killed in the Trojan War. She therefore dressed him as a girl and hid him among the daughters of a supportive king. However, Odysseus discovered him by displaying both jewelry and weapons in the great hall of the palace. The only “girl” picking up the weapons was, of course, Achilles. He was recruited on the spot and eventually did die in the war. Another famous figure, probably also legendary, is the girl Hua Mulan, the heroine of an old Chinese poem, who dressed as a man and took her father’s place in the army. Recognized for her courage in battle, she neverleless refused all honors and returned home to resume her life as a female. A true historical example is the 15th century peasant girl Joan of Arc, who led the French army to victory over the English. She was eventually captured by the enemy, tried for heresy and publicly burned at the stake.
However, in addition to these heroic figures, there have been examples in many wars of ordinary women dressing as men and joining regular armies. Most often, their true sex remained undiscovered until they themselves revealed it. Such cases have been reported until well into the 20th century. Today, many armies accept women soldiers, and therefore the former deception is no longer necesssary.