The hidden case of Ewan Forbes And the unwritten history of the trans experience

Zoe-Jane Playdon

Book - 2021

This life story of an aristocratic trans man whose secret 1968 legal case, which forced him to defend his male status, had a profound impact on trans rights for decades is a singular contribution to trans history and the ongoing struggle for trans rights.

Saved in:

2nd Floor Show me where

306.768/Playdon
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 306.768/Playdon Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Published
New York : Scribner 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Zoe-Jane Playdon (author)
Edition
First Scribner hardcover edition
Physical Description
xv, 368 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 299-346) and index.
ISBN
9781982139469
  • Prologue: Finding Ewan
  • Part 1.
  • 1. Childhood
  • 2. The Medical Student
  • 3. Marriage
  • Part 2.
  • 4. A Death in the Family
  • 5. Margaret's Fateful Letter
  • 6. The Medical Examination
  • 7. An Audacious Defense
  • 8. The Judge's Dilemma
  • 9. A Perfect Storm
  • Part 3.
  • 10. Outlawed
  • 11. Another Audacious Defense
  • 12. Ewan's Legacy
  • Picture Sources
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
  • Acknowledgments
  • Index
Review by Choice Review

The literature of transgender studies offers only limited historical information about individual cases and their impact on society. Playdon (medical humanities, Univ. of London, UK) is a leading expert on human rights and gender identity law and legislation, and in The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes, she restores to the public record a 1965 suppressed court case in Scotland that would have provided important legal precedent for the recognition of trans civil rights worldwide. Playdon's highly readable analysis traces Forbes's life and career as a physician, the world of upper-class primogeniture he was born into, and the legal arguments made in the highly secret case. Forbes (1912--91) was eventually ruled to be intersex and a legitimate male heir to his family's estate. Background on the complex, interwoven medical (and pseudo-medical), legal, psychological, psychiatric, and genetic frameworks applied to categorize intersex people since the 19th century is deftly presented. Playdon follows the reclassification of trans men and women from a natural form of sexual diversity as intersex to mentally ill and unworthy of many basic civil rights. She provides historical context for Forbes's case in discussion of cases of other British trans persons and of contemporary trans rights proceedings in the European Court of Human Rights. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. --Robert B. Ridinger, Northern Illinois University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review

For decades in the UK, transgender people have been unable to correct their birth certificates, which impacts access to housing, employment, and other necessities. It has remained largely unknown why the courts are blocking trans people from accessing affirming documentation, a seemingly invisible legal precedent setting the foundation for one anti-trans decision after another. Playdon, a long-time advocate of LGBTQIA+ rights in the medical community, set out to find that precedent, and uncovered the remarkable story of the Scottish nobleman Ewan Forbes. Playdon's book takes us through the largely unknown life of Forbes, from his childhood of homeschooling with his supportive mother through his attendance of medical school and subsequent medical practice. Readers are engaged in the life of an early-twentieth-century transgender man and the struggles and pitfalls that came with accessing affirming legal documentation and medical care. There are instances of insensitive terminology and coverage here, but these missteps are balanced by the value of reclaiming Forbes' story. Especially since where materials regarding Forbes' life are lacking, Playdon thoroughly contextualizes his story with transgender history throughout the twentieth century, ultimately creating a vital historical reference.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Playdon, an emeritus professor of medical humanities at the University of London, frames this meticulous history of trans rights in Great Britain around the case of Scottish aristocrat Sir Ewan Forbes of Craigievar (1912--1991), who was "assigned as female at birth, christened Elisabeth, and raised as a girl." In 1952, claiming that his sex assignment had been a "ghastly mistake," Forbes had his birth certificate corrected to male, changed his name to Ewan, and married his housekeeper. When his older brother died without male heirs in 1965, Forbes stood to inherit a baronetcy, but his cousin made a counterclaim, alleging that Forbes "is now and has all along been of the female sex." Playdon delves deep into the conflicting medical evidence presented at the private trial, which determined that Forbes was "a true hermaphrodite in whom male sexual characteristics predominate" and upheld his claim to the baronetcy. The ruling was withheld from the public record, however, allowing a subsequent court case to set a legal precedent that severely limited trans rights in the U.K. Playdon marshals a wealth of scientific and legal detail and paints a sympathetic yet evenhanded portrait of Forbes, who likely faked some of the medical evidence he presented at trial. The result is a valuable contribution to trans history. (Nov.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Playdon (emeritus, medical humanities, Univ. of London) tells the story of Ewan Forbes, a transgender man who lived in Scotland during the first half of the 20th century. The author describes how Forbes, who was born into an aristocratic family, felt that the sex assigned to him did not fit who he was. Playdon gives an account of Forbes's life and his desire to live authentically, notably his years at Craigievar Castle and his loving marriage to Isabella Mitchell. After his older brother died without male heirs, Forbes was forced to legally challenge his cousin for the title of Baronet Forbes of Craigievar. Forbes's case had major implications for inheritance laws in the United Kingdom, Playdon writes, so it was hidden from the public record. Playdon argues that Forbes's case was the catalyst for the UK's narrowing of trans civil rights in the 1960s and places his story within the context of the history of trans rights and health care. The book also covers people and laws that influenced Forbes's case, analyzes the case's impact, and speculates on his legacy. VERDICT A fascinating look into the changing landscape of trans rights in the United Kingdom. Recommended for readers interested in the evolution of modern trans rights.--Rebekah Kati, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

An exploration of the roots of the trans civil rights movement via the story of one trans man's quest to formalize his identity as male. In the mid-1990s, the British High Court of Justice rejected arguments set forth by Playdon, emeritus professor of medical humanities at the University of London, and a group of activist lawyers that trans people had the right to correct their birth certificates. The decision came at a time when the author had begun exploring the legally suppressed case of Ewan Forbes, a trans man who petitioned to change his gender identifiers in 1952. Designated female at birth, Forbes later identified as male and began testosterone treatment as a teenager. Forbes' mother supported him; his father, however, did not and forced Forbes "to comply with the social observances he believed fitting to the family name," including participation in debutante activities. Forbes went to medical school and eventually started a successful medical practice. In midlife, he fell in love, changed his pronouns through doctor letters, and married. Playdon argues that high-profile trans cases elsewhere--e.g., that of Christine Jorgensen in the U.S.--worked against Forbes by creating the transphobia that would later make it excruciatingly difficult for him to prove he was the next in line to the family baronetcy in 1966. Part of what makes this book so admirable is Playdon's own dedication to the project. Forbes left no personal documents behind, forcing the author to rely on archives, legal decisions, medical literature, media coverage, and the recollections of those who knew Forbes best. It's clear that there was significant literary detective work involved. As it highlights an individual story that proved pivotal in the fight for contemporary trans rights, Playdon's biography also adds to the growing body of literature about trans history. A thoughtful and well-researched historical excavation of an important chapter in the fight for trans rights. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.