The Vedette | Vanessa Show: Not Just Cistory
Vanessa Show was the first transgender performer to become famous both in her home country of Argentina and across Europe. She is known for her performances on screen and as a vedette; a role similar to a burlesque dancer. Even today she remains a large influence on the Argentinian drag scene.
It’s become a tradition of mine over the past few years to paint portraits of transgender women from throughout history for Women’s History Month, which has evolved into my Not just Cistory series, where I share my paintings and do more research into the lives of my subjects, and then write it all up to share with all of you here. This entry is about a 20th century star whose career spanned the stage, the screen, and the world; Vanessa Show.
Early Life and Adolescence
Vanessa Show was born in La Banda, Santiago del Estero, on September 27, 1950 (2023, Montagna) to an Arabic family of ranchers and butchers. In an interview with Pagina 12’s Juan Tauil, Show explained that her grandfather was from Alexandria and her grandmother was Moroccan (2009).
Her parents separated when she was a teen, she was disinherited, and she moved to Buenos Aires (Tauil, 2009). She did not have a good relationship with her parents, particularly her father, and was not sad to leave them behind (infobae, 2017).
Show was always open about her sexuality, even as a child, effecting a sort of ‘deal with it’ attitude describing it in the Pagina 12 interview in this way, and also emphasizing that she demanded respect from her family, regardless of their opinions (Tauil, 2009).
A Career in the Spotlight
She started working at age fifteen as a dishwasher and a cook, before finally appearing onstage as a dancer at age seventeen, at the Teatro Maipo (Tauil, 2009).
She was given the name ‘Vanessa’ by Eber Lobato, and the last name ‘Show’ by a journalist who commented on her giving quite a show during her performance. She continued working for Lobato for a number of years (Tauil, 2009).
Vanessa Show was a vedette; similar to a burlesque dancer. She performed with many other dancers and performers who were very well-known at the time, and she became famous in her own right (Montagna, 2023). Before donning the name ‘Vanessa Show’ she was called ‘Señor Vedette’ by the press (Torchia, 2018).
Show was also a part of ‘La Revista del tercer sexo’ the first company made up entirely of transvestites (Tauil, 2009). (A note: translation here is imperfect (at least, more than usual) as the Spanish word ‘travestis’ can mean both ‘transvestites’ (an outdated term on its own), or drag queens, so I am unclear as to which is meant here, but I don’t think the lack specificity is necessarily a bad thing.)
Her life in Europe
Show spent a lot of time in Europe; both for her successful international tour, performing in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, and, later, as an exile from Argentina (Montagna, 2023). While in Europe she was confronted with the hierarchy and competition of the European drag community and decided that she was going to stand up for herself as an artist and as a person (Torchia, 2018).
After her European tour, she came home to Argentina and resumed work at the club Hidrogen, experienced run-ins with the police, and received continual harassment from the government, she was even called a ‘sexual terrorist’ (Tauil, 2009).
She decided to return to Europe due to the militaristic governments that were in power in Argentina, and the growing threats she received, choosing to travel and work abroad (infobae, 2017).
She returned to Argentina in the 1990s and performed in films and was featured on television (Montanga, 2023). She also wrote her autobiography, titled ‘es Verdad’, or ‘The Truth’ in 2012 (Torchia, 2018).
Life as an Icon
In recent years Show had become a sort of beloved mother figure for the drag and trans communities of Argentina, discussing her role in/relationship with the queer community in a 2018 Pagina 12 interview with Franco Torchia.
She said that young drag queens and trans individuals would flock to her and that she was thrilled with the burgeoning community of drag queens, and the sense of comradery that was not present in the communities she was a part of in her youth (Torchia, 2018).
Show passed away in September of 2023 at the Providencia Sanatorium in Buenos Aires at the age of 72 (Montagna).
Conclusion
Vanessa Show was a confident woman who was determined to chase her dream and be successful in the way that she deemed correct for her own life. Being transgender often comes with a set of challenges that can seem insurmountable. It is refreshing and heartening to learn about the story of a trans woman who was able to make her own way.
Granted, everyone has their own experiences and challenges that are unique to them, she admits in the Pagina 12 article with Jaun Tauil that both her lighter skin tone and beauty allowed her to travel more freely through Europe and around the world than she might have been otherwise (2009).
Privileges and challenges considered (but not set aside), Show is an example of a woman who took no shit and expected the world to respect her for who she was. She was a trailblazer and is a reason why the drag community in Argentina is the way it is. She created an example of how a trans woman could live as herself and create space for that life, as well as the lives of others.
Vanessa Show, and her story, are featured in the first collection of my Ancestor Cards.
Bibliography
Note: All sources are in Spanish and have been translated to English for this blog post by me.
Infobae. (2017, November 13). Vannesa show: “Un día quise matar a mi padre.” infobae. https://www.infobae.com/2012/04/29/644878-vannesa-show-un-dia-quise-matar-mi-padre/
LA NACION. (2023, September 18). Murió Vanessa show, La Primera Vedette trans de la argentina. LA NACION. https://www.lanacion.com.ar/espectaculos/personajes/murio-vanessa-show-la-primera-vedette-trans-de-la-argentina-tenia-72-anos-nid15092023/
Tauil, R., & Show, V. (2009, April 17). Señora Show. Pagina 12. other. Retrieved March 7, 2024,. https://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/suplementos/soy/1-701-2009-04-17.html
Torchia, F., & Show, V. (2018, February 2). Mostra Show. Pagina 12. other. Retrieved March 7, 2024,. https://www.pagina12.com.ar/92795-mostra-show
What Does it Mean to be Aromantic?
What does it mean to be aromantic? Since Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week is here, we’re going to discuss the basics of the aromantic spectrum, as well as some of the symbols associated with aromantic pride!
Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week is now upon us, so I thought this would be a good time to share a bit about what it means, exactly to be aromantic.
These four flags, asexual, demiromantic, aromantic, and demisexual respectively, are all a part of my Patchwork Pride flag collection, which can be found by clicking on this photo.
What is Aromantic?
Lithoromantic: “an individual who feels romantic love towards someone but has no desire of having these feelings reciprocated. It’s also known as… romantic. This term also falls under the aromantic spectrum…” (Pace, 2023)
Alloromantic: “people who experience romantic feelings for one or more individuals” (PIÑEIRO, 2021)
Aromantic: A person who does not experience romantic attraction towards others. It is also the name for the spectrum that encapsulates all the identities relating to not feeling romantic attraction towards people in some form.
Arospec: an abbreviation for the term aromantic spectrum. It is often used by people as a shorthand way to explain that they fall somewhere on the aromantic Spectrum.
Asexual: A person who does not experience sexual attraction to others. It is also, like aromantic, the name for the spectrum that encapsulates all the identities relating to not feeling sexual attraction towards people in some form.
Demiromantic: “Only experience romantic attraction after forming a strong emotional connection with someone”. (very well mind)
Greyromantic: “People who are greyromantic experience romantic attraction, but not as frequently or intensely as alloromantic individuals. This can overlap with lithromanticism to some extent - a person might identify as both - but not all greyromantic individuals are lithromantic” (Ohwovoriole, 2023 )
History and Observance
The first observation of Aromantic Awareness Week was held "November 10th-17th in 2014, under the name Aromantic Awareness Week; in 2015” (Aromantic-Official, AUREA).
Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (abbreviated as ASAW) is now held on “the first full week (starting Sunday) following Valentine’s Day” (Aromantic-Official, AUREA). For 2024 that means that ASAW will be from the 18th to the 24th.
Symbols for Aromantic Pride
A “[w]hite ring worn on the middle finger is often worn by people who identify as someone on the aromantic spectrum” (Symbols of the ace-spectrum)
A symbol that overlaps the asexual and aromantic communities is the “[a]ce of Spades [which] is often used by asexuals who identify as someone on the aromantic spectrum” (Symbols of the ace-spectrum)
The Ace of Spades is a symbol of pride within both the Aromantic and Asexual Communities.
There have been multiple iterations of the Aromantic Pride flag. The one that is used by the arospec community currently “was created by Cameron Whimsy in 2014…. The color green was chosen to symbolize the aromanticism as the opposite of red, the color which is the most commonly associated with the romance” (Aromantic flag and symbols explained).
As with all pride flags, each of the colors has a meaning. As mentioned above the greens represent the aromantic spectrum itself, and were chosen to be as far opposite from the traditional colors of romance as possible. The white stripe represents platonic and aesthetic attraction, and the grey and black represent the spectrum that acknowledges the spectrum of sexuality that aromantic individuals also inhabit (Aromantic flag and symbols explained).
The first Aromantic pride flag “which is no longer used… was created around 2011, on the website of the National Coalition for Aromantic Visibility. The flag received a lot of criticism as it didn’t seem to include the full aromantic spectrum, yet included alloromantic people” (Aromantic flag and symbols explained).
The colors of this pride flag were green for aromantics, yellow for romantic friendships and dating, orange for lithoromantics, and black for romantics who reject traditional romantic culture (Aromantic flag and symbols explained).
The original design of the Aromantic Pride flag, created in 2011.
The arrow (like you shoot out of a bow) is a symbol used by most aromantics to show their pride in their identity, simply because ‘aro’ sounds like ‘arrow’.
‘Arrow’ and ‘aro’ sound so similar that it has become a a symbol of aromantic pride.
Hearts might not be one's first guess for aromantic pride symbols, after all, hearts are pretty romantic, right? Well, I think these next two symbols are a great reminder that hearts, and love, do not need to be romantic. “A completely green heart or a heart with the aromantic flag on it, is also often used as a symbol for the community…. people on social media use the green heart emoji as this is used to indicate aromanticism. You will often see the green heart emoji given as a response in the comment section of videos about aromanticism” (Aromantic flag and symbols explained).
Yellow flowers are a symbol of aromanticism because “in the world of flowers, the color yellow means friendship… [and] can also symbolize happiness, joy and new beginnings” (Aromantic flag and symbols explained). Another great reminder of the types of love beyond romantic.
Because of the meanings associated with yellow flowers in floral language they have become a symbol of aromantic pride.
Another symbol that is intertwined with the asexual community, is the gryphon. The dragon is a symbol for the asexual community, both are mythological creatures and they represent the feeling of invisibility both communities often experience, especially when those who aren’t a part of these communities insist that these identities do not exist (Aromantic flags and symbols explained)
Books with Aromantic Representation
As a book-lover myself, I would be remiss if I didn't include a book with Aromantic representation. I recently read the book Kaikeyi: A Novel by Vaishnavi Patel*, which is a retelling of the story from the Ramayana. I found Kaikeyi, herself, to be Aromantic (and asexual). She mentions multiple times not feeling the way her husband's other wives do towards their husband or anyone at all. She also speaks of loving him, instead, dearly as a friend.
Any hyperlinks followed with an asterisk (*) indicate they are affiliate links. If you purchase something from this link, I receive a small commission from the site. It will not change the price of the product for you.
Bibliography
Aromantic flag and symbols explained. Asexuals.net. (2022, July 16). https://www.asexuals.net/aromantic-flag-and-symbols-explained/#aromanticflag
Aromantic-Official, AUREA. (n.d.). About asaw. Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week. https://www.arospecweek.org/about-asaw/
Ohwovoriole, T. (2023, August 9). What it means to be Lithromantic. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-it-means-to-be-lithromantic-7567805
Pace, R. (2023, July 19). Lithromantic: What it is, WHAT MAKES ONE & 15 signs you may be one. Marriage Advice - Expert Marriage Tips & Advice. https://www.marriage.com/advice/relationship/signs-of-lithromantic/#:~:text=The%20term%20lithromantic%20refers%20to,to%20be%20in%20a%20relationship
PIÑEIRO, S. M. C. (2021, May 18). Alloromantic: Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about what it means to be alloromantic. Cosmopolitan. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sexopedia/a36461835/alloromantic-definition/
Symbols of the ace-spectrum. Kent State University. (n.d.). https://www.kent.edu/lgbtq/symbols-ace-spectrum#:~:text=White%20ring%20worn%20on%20the,asexuals%20who%20identify%20as%20alloromantic.
Success and Souffle | Lucy Hicks Anderson (1886- 1954): Not Just Cistory
Today, for the first installment of Not Just Cistory, I am sharing about the life of Lucy Hicks Anderson. She was a trans woman who, in the early twentieth century, was an entrepreneur and a pillar of her community.
Our first entry for the Not Just Cistory series is an entrepreneur and a businesswoman, who became famous across the United States during the first half of the twentieth century, for her business skills, her ability to host a party, and her fashion sense.
Early Life
Lucy Hicks Anderson né Lawson was born in “Waddy, Kentucky in 1886” (Keehnen & Salvo) and was adamant that she was a girl from birth, insisting that she wore dresses to school. Her doctor advised her mother to let her live as a girl, as it was obvious that she was in fact, a girl. Lucy received the support of her family and was able to live nearly her entire life as her true self. (Coren & Snorton, 2022)
Based on the 1900 census, Lucy spent her early years working for the Waddy family before moving away from home at age 15 (Keehnen & Salvo). During her travels, she met the man who would become her first husband; “Clarence Hicks, in New Mexico” (Coren & Snorton, 2022).
Entrepreneurial Success
She settled in the small town of Oxnard California in Ventura County, the home of a “major sugar factory that attracted blue-collar workers from the surrounding areas in Mexico” (Coren & Snorton, 2022).
Noticing a gap in the market, Lucy started “the only house of prostitution in Oxnard” (Hicks, Lucy L. [Tobias Lawson]).
During this time she was also “a renowned chef and hostess for wealthy families throughout her community” (Walker, 2018). She was a fantastic cook and was able to use this to traverse racial and gender lines in the community (Coren & Snorton, 2022).
A 1945 article after Lucy Hicks Anderson was outed notes her skills as a chef: “By the time she opened her first house of prostitution, off Oxnard's crib-bordered China Alley, her genius in the kitchen was the talk of the town” (CALIFORNIA: Sin & Souffl [sic] 1945). Even in ‘disgrace’ the society of the time was singing the praises of her cooking, a skill associated with women.
The Heart of a Community
She also remarried in 1944, to “a soldier named Ruben Anderson” (Coren & Snorton, 2022). During this period of the late thirties and early forties, Hicks Anderson’s business flourished and her scope of services spread. As time passed, she became more and more a part of the community, and:
tended children, helped dress many an Oxnard daughter for parties. The town thought little of seeing fat and prosperous Oxnard dames driving to Lucy's house to borrow one of her legendary recipes. When a new Catholic priest came to town, Lucy prepared the barbecue with which the parish welcomed him” (CALIFORNIA: Sin & Souffl [sic] 1945).
She was a beloved member of the community, and quite famous for her hosting skills and her fashion, being written about both in multiple magazines, one being Time magazine (Coren & Snorton, 2022). Her community also knew her from her generous “donations to charities such as the Red Cross and Boy Scouts” (Walker, 2018).
She was also a great supporter of the soldiers of the Second World War and their families. She bought war bonds, threw going away parties for soldiers, and consoled the parents of the ones who did not return home (Walker, 2018).
Betrayal by Her Community
Months after her second marriage, “in August 1945, an outbreak of venereal disease was said to have come from Hicks' establishment; Lucy and all of her employees had to be examined by a doctor” which led to her being outed as a ‘man’ (Hicks, Lucy L. [Tobias Lawson]).
Lucy was charged with perjury; the rationale being that she signed her marriage certificate that stated she was a woman, which was, in the court’s eyes, untrue (Notable Kentucky African Americans Database).
The prosecution provided “five doctors to testify to her legal gender, to the gender that she was assigned at birth”. Meanwhile, “Lucy's lawyers argued that she had hidden [female] organs”, within her body, and was truly a woman. “Ultimately, the jury returned a verdict of guilty… Her sentence, a small fine and 10 years probation” (Coren & Snorton, 2022).
As news spread about the discovery of the genitalia present at Lucy’s birth, both she and her husband were brought up on federal charges:
Ruben Anderson was facing a maximum of 10 years in a federal prison, and a top fine of 10,000, because he had the government send his wife $950 in allotment checks… The US Army argued that she was not legally married to her husband, since same sex marriage was illegal. And the US government didn't recognize that Lucy, being a trans woman, was a woman. (Coren & Snorton, 2022)
These charges were truly what pushed Lucy Hicks Anderson out of the life she had built for herself.
The federal courts they were "both found guilty. The court invalidated their marriage, and Ruben was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Lucy was sentenced to a year in prison at Leavenworth Penitentiary, a men's facility” (Coren & Snorton, 2022).
After finishing her sentence, Lucy Hicks Anderson left her business and her community, as “Oxnard also banned the couple for 10 years, so they took up residency in Los Angeles as husband and wife, where Lucy lived until her death in 1954” (Walker, 2018).
Conclusion
This story of success, and then the betrayal of the community that loved her, is a testament to the fact that not only transwomen have always existed, but that they can be successful, even if the community that benefits from them does not always support them entirely.
The arguments by both her lawyers, and that of the opposition show just how imbedded the idea of genitalia and physical form equalling gender is in American Society.
A woman can perform all of femininity perfectly, be an amazing cook and hostess, have flawless fashion, and be featured in Time magazine for it, not to mention being a generous benefactor to a community that loved her in response, and still be disqualified from the title of ‘woman’ for the fact that she does not have the appropriate formulation of reproductive organs.
However, Lucy Hicks Anderson’s refusal to hide away and present herself as who society wanted her to be also reminds me of the resistance that can be found in joy and being oneself. Lucy did not hide away, she simply moved to another place where she could live happily, and sometimes that's all we can do; move on, and be happy when and where we can.
This piece of art is available on my store and is a 6 x 9 inch gouache portrait. A portion of the proceeds of this piece will be donated to charity.
Bibliography
CALIFORNIA: sin & souffl [sic]. (1945, November 5). Time Magazine, XLVI(19). Retrieved January 11, 2024, from https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,852379,00.html.
Coren, A., & Snorton, C. R. (2022, November 30). Lucy Hicks Anderson. Sidedoor. , Smithsonian. Retrieved January 11, 2024,.
Hicks, Lucy L. [Tobias Lawson]. Omeka RSS. (n.d.). https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/1363
Keehnen, O. (n.d.). Lucy Hicks Anderson. Legacy Project Chicago. https://legacyprojectchicago.org/person/lucy-hicks-anderson
Walker, M. (2018, February 21). Highlight: Lucy Hicks Anderson, a Black Trans Pioneer. ACLU of Mississippi. https://www.aclu-ms.org/en/news/highlight-lucy-hicks-anderson-black-trans-pioneer