<p>In 1870, Fanny ‘Fredrich’ Park and Stella ‘Ernest’ Boulton were arrested at the Strand Theatre by three undercover policemen and prosecuted for violating the Offences Against Persons Act of 1861 – aka, Solicitation for Sodomy. They also left behind rare visual sources of their cross-dressing, which are managed by the national archives. Alongside their letters and the trial where they were found not guilty under a defence that argued that they were so 'outrageous' they couldn't be sodomites trying to hide their lives - their story is an important history lesson. Their case predated a story we all know better, Oscar Wilde's, with their case setting a precedent that went on to be used against the author.</p><br><p><strong>Episode Credits:</strong>&nbsp;This episode was produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://substack.com/@hrhaphroditei" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HRH Aphrodite I</a>. Executive production by <a href="https://www.tincanaudio.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amber Devereux</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jamiewareham.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jamie Wareham</a>. This episode was produced as part of QueerAF's <a href="https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trans+ History Week</a> mentoring programme with thanks to Trans+ History Week's Creative Talent Sponsor, Publicis Groupe UK. Additional thanks to the National Archives of Great Britain.&nbsp;Music: “Estimations”, “Lambent (Arr. Gabel)”, “Fortis”, “Buried in the Dirt”, “Progression”, “Desert Hideout”, “Missing Memory”, “Partners in Crime”, and “Crescere” all by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen. Licensed under Epidemic Sounds.</p><p>Sign up as a QueerAF member to listen along ad-free and support our not-for-profit work, investing in a new generation of queer audio professionals:</p><p><a href="https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.wearequeeraf.com/membership/</a></p><br><p>If you like our podcast, you'll love our free weekly newsletter that thousands of readers use to understand the LGBTQIA+ 🏳️‍🌈 headlines, learn new perspectives and stay on top of the latest queer content. Try it now:</p><p><a href="https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/</a></p><br><p>Make sure to sign up for updates about Trans+ History Week, a QueerAF launchpad project:</p><p><a href="https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.wearequeeraf.com/transhistoryweek/</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>