The Trans Spy Who Blackmailed Their King For Legal Recognition

Big thanks to ‪@KazRowe‬ for their collaboration on this story! Check out their episode on Chevalier d’Eon here - • The Chevalier d'Eon: t...
Not only was Chevalier d’Eon a respected diplomat, trusted spy, and cunning secret agent, they also were a pioneer of publicly expressing gender fluidity in 18th-century France. From an undercover mission in a Russian court to gathering intelligence against Great Britain to blackmailing a King with information that could have caused a war, d’Eon was a master of their craft.
-- NOTE: How did we decide to articulate the gender identity of Chevalier d'Eon? Well, it was challenging to pick one with accuracy because it was unclear how they wanted to be identified. Further, when analyzing the decisions they made, we had to acknowledge both what was recorded, and that those decisions were also being made within the constraints of their circumstances and time. We leaned heavily on consultation with experts in history and gender studies to review our scripts and edits of the video. Please let us know in the comments what you think!
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Rogue History
It’s been said that history is written by those in power. But what about the outlaws, outcasts, and rogues? What if they had their say? Rogue History, a digital series produced by PBS Digital Studios and PBS North Carolina, shakes the dust off the history books to unravel myths, unearth narratives, and discover fresh perspectives.
Subscribe to PBS Origins so you never miss an episode! / pbsorigins
And keep up with Rogue History and PBS Origins on:
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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:41 The King's Secret
01:31 Madame Auguste Infiltrates Russia
03:18 Blackmailing the King
04:42 Trial Over Bets on d'Eon's "True Sex"
05:51 The Transaction
06:55 Kaz Rowe on d'Eon
08:51 "You have killed my brother, The Dragoon"

Пікірлер: 87

  • @tiannaedwards605
    @tiannaedwards6058 ай бұрын

    The fact a judge stood up and said: "its inappropriate and a breach of privacy to guess on someone else's sex".... We should specifically take this line and bring it to the present.

  • @auroraourania7161

    @auroraourania7161

    8 ай бұрын

    Meanwhile a lot of people I care about are at my state capitol, trying to convince the legislature not to have that done to children (I was planning on going, but health issues came up)

  • @slickandslaycious6579

    @slickandslaycious6579

    8 ай бұрын

    👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

  • @idigamstudios7463

    @idigamstudios7463

    8 ай бұрын

    A precedent modern English courts should consider.

  • @treeross

    @treeross

    6 ай бұрын

    Big facts. Im so scared foe the children in states trying to instate that genital inspection BS. These people will do anything to exclude trans people.

  • @RealBradMiller

    @RealBradMiller

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@@auroraourania7161Here in Ohio the GOP is gaslighting people into thinking out medical institutions and professionals are scrambling to trans as many kids as possible... 😔

  • @geminigrrl66
    @geminigrrl668 ай бұрын

    I first learned about the Chevalier d'Eon from a historical horror anime from the 2010's. It's a fantastic series, and it sent me down a historical rabbit hole. I'm glad this story is being rediscovered.

  • @LVXMagick

    @LVXMagick

    8 ай бұрын

    What's the anime called? I'm in! Lol

  • @geminigrrl66

    @geminigrrl66

    8 ай бұрын

    @@LVXMagick it's actually called Le Chevalier d'Eon, lol.

  • @LVXMagick

    @LVXMagick

    8 ай бұрын

    @@geminigrrl66 Thanks!🙏

  • @harshabhigyan928

    @harshabhigyan928

    7 ай бұрын

    Its an amazing anime! Its not accurate, but nonetheless amazing. Great music, plot twists, characters everything

  • @beckybertish7841

    @beckybertish7841

    7 ай бұрын

    Same I remember hearing about it from the anime.

  • @jarredjacob2244
    @jarredjacob22448 ай бұрын

    Happy to See Kaz Rowe in here!

  • @bellakaldera3305
    @bellakaldera33055 ай бұрын

    She is my greatest hero. What a movie her story would make! You don't mention the part about after a valiant role in the battle of Frontinac, for which She/he was awarded Frances highest medal for courage, she was enticed into attending a ball en femme, and maneuvered to a dance with the King himself, who discovering this young lady was the same officer he had decorated previously, was delighted and quickly recruited D'Eon in to "The king's secret"...on the condition she go to Russia "En Femme"! This makes "The Scarlet Pimpernelle" look tame.

  • @samwill7259
    @samwill72598 ай бұрын

    I would be interested to hear the first "legally" recognized trans person's story somewhere. But then I realize that up until veyr recently the idea that such a thing needed "legal" recognition would have made you sound CRAZY

  • @syndigriner-owens4351

    @syndigriner-owens4351

    8 ай бұрын

    I do know the 1st operation was in the 50s, look up "ww2 soldier comes back blonde bombshell"

  • @baynemacgregor8441

    @baynemacgregor8441

    8 ай бұрын

    @syndigriner-owens4351 Actually they weren’t the first. Those surgeries were developed in the 20’s and 30’s particularly in Germany. The research was set back when the Nazis raided Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute in 1933 where its believed they murdered Dora Richter the first Trans woman to undergo such surgery and who went on to work at the Institute. The Institute’s research library was burned in the famous Nazi Book Burning. So the techniques had to be re-developed in other countries from what little of the research made it out of the country before the raid.

  • @robertortiz-wilson1588

    @robertortiz-wilson1588

    Ай бұрын

    And transgenderism itself will never not being idiotic.

  • @daniellanctot6548
    @daniellanctot65488 ай бұрын

    *_Historian have been "RE-writing" history since the dawn of humanity and they LOVE to do so whenever something that does not conform to that which the powers that be or social norm dictates otherwise. Even zoologists from hundreds of years ago noticed animals of a certain sex masquerading as the opposite gender and discarded the evidence because of societal pressure. Transgendering is as natural and normal as gender conformity and is of no danger to anyone or anything; except perhaps to those who seek to control and dominate everything around them and for whom non-conformity of any kind (Gender, sexual, racial, political, philosophical, scientific, etc.) undermine their authority._*

  • @meander112
    @meander1128 ай бұрын

    Kaz for the Kaz god! Rowe for the Rowe throne!

  • @9whilenine
    @9whilenine8 ай бұрын

    Am I the only one who watches every video at least twice? There’s so much information in every sentence that I’m afraid to miss a word!

  • @Beryllahawk
    @Beryllahawk8 ай бұрын

    Absolutely wonderful. I bet they were EXTREMELY charming in either guise, too. People I'd love to go meet if ever Doctor Who shows up to take me on an expedition!

  • @Cora.T
    @Cora.T6 ай бұрын

    5:17 those aren't a corset or a shift, those are a pair of stays, and a robe a la française. Calling the stays a corset because most people wouldn't understand what stays are is fine. But a shift is an undergarment and something both men and women would wear. The robe a la française is an outer garment 😅 and though taffeta is often used for women's clothing it was also frequently used as a lining for men's clothing ( at least in Seville, but considering France was the style of fashion it is likely that it was done in France and thus in other countries as well ) source: some googling of pictures of stays and the robe a la française and Fabrics and fashion in clothing of the 18th century by Bárbara Rosillo

  • @AR........

    @AR........

    22 күн бұрын

    the first photo was of a 1760s corset bc that particular garment was french and in french, there arent two different words. in english, we use two different words for 18th and 19th century boned support garments bc people started using the french word around the time that the styles changed radically. the chevalier was french so it's entirely possible that their records wouldve used the french word and that pair of stays is listed on the met's website as a corset i think the last 2 photos were just in the wrong order. the second photo was of a taffeta robe a la francaise thats currently owned by the met and the third photo was meant to represent the shifts. it is a satirical drawing mocking a woman getting dressed, though she already dressed and the white fabric she's drawing emphasis to was an apron photo 1: met C.I.50.8.2 photo 2: met C.I.54.70a, b photo 3: library of congress 2002719530 (sorry i cant put direct links to them or youtube will eat my comment. searching those codes should bring you right to them)

  • @jso6790
    @jso67908 ай бұрын

    This was cool as heck! There are so many fascinating people and stories.

  • @tinkergnomad
    @tinkergnomad8 ай бұрын

    I 💜 Kas Rowe's channel! Thrilled y'all had her on!

  • @safaiaryu12
    @safaiaryu128 ай бұрын

    It's nearly impossible to judge a historical person's "real" gender, because they are also dealing with societal pressures that may have prevented them from being completely honest. Plus, our modern ideas of gender and sexuality simply do not map exactly into those ideas from other times and places, so our labels are likely inappropriate. From what I hear from this one short video, I want to say a D'Eon from our time may have considered themselves genderfluid, but again, who knows. That's one of the major benefits of the word "queer"; we know they were nonconforming, but we're not saying exactly how. Thanks so much for doing this video. So many people think being gender nonconforming is some new fad, but historians know full well that trans people have existed throughout human history. And damn it, if it's not harming you, why on Earth do you care? Leave people alone. Like that judge said, it's none of your business and it's inappropriate to speculate on a person's gender. Live and let live.

  • @Caterfree10
    @Caterfree108 ай бұрын

    YOOOOOOOOO Chevaliére was just featured on my page a day Pride calendar on October 5th bc that was their birthday! Love learning more here! :D

  • @shad0wdream
    @shad0wdream8 ай бұрын

    Fantastic episode and very well done! Yaaaay for teaming up with Kaz!

  • @PokhrajRoy.
    @PokhrajRoy.8 ай бұрын

    5:42 Wow, so that’s like the Right to Privacy?

  • @jibbaspaa
    @jibbaspaa8 ай бұрын

    Rogue history is one of my favorite KZread shows. I really appreciate research you do. Thank you so much for the content

  • @daddythomas1389
    @daddythomas13898 ай бұрын

    Very well done my friend!! Learned a lot and your French pronunciation is very good!!!

  • @annikboyer3395
    @annikboyer33958 ай бұрын

    Love when a person forge It's own path!

  • @freelancejoel

    @freelancejoel

    8 ай бұрын

    Hi, I'm Joel, the host of Rogue History. I don't think this was intentional but I just wanted to offer a gentle reroute on language. "It" is a slur in queer communities, so it's better to say "they" if you're not sure about pronouns. In your comment it would be "a person forming their own path." Hope that's helpful. Thanks for watching!

  • @malachichampion

    @malachichampion

    7 ай бұрын

    ​@@freelancejoel well put! Too often I think folks go straight to taking offense, when education and calm correction are the options that build a better future for everyone

  • @Boushi
    @Boushi8 ай бұрын

    This story made me think of Julie d'Aubigny before I watched it and now I need y'all to do one on her because she has an amazing story I would love to see told by you all. But the moral of the story is: Don't extort people. Sheesh

  • @choryferguson2196
    @choryferguson21968 ай бұрын

    LOVE Kaz, amazing work!

  • @colinleat8309
    @colinleat83096 ай бұрын

    Wonderfully educational! Thanks so much for ALL the PBS channel's ✌️😁🖖🇨🇦

  • @PokhrajRoy.
    @PokhrajRoy.8 ай бұрын

    I love the title of this video! 👏🏽

  • @calladricosplays
    @calladricosplays8 ай бұрын

    I would love if you covered James ‘Jack’ Wormley Jones, Toussaint L’ouverture, Aesop, Charlie Parkhurst, and the real people who inspired the Count of Monte Cristo!

  • @naraiattila6109
    @naraiattila61098 ай бұрын

    kaz rowe❤❤❤

  • @enderfire3379
    @enderfire33793 ай бұрын

    I once ran through a book in my school's library called something along the lines of " the book of lies". It detailed famous liars, their lies, and their effcts. I briefly ran through it and stumbled upon this story. I then forgot about it, but recently i remembered it and wanted to know the full story. Luckily i found this video

  • @slickandslaycious6579
    @slickandslaycious65798 ай бұрын

    Yaaaas queer baddies!!!

  • @slickandslaycious6579

    @slickandslaycious6579

    8 ай бұрын

    (*Disclaimer: The yas is for said queer person's official gender recognition, and not necessarily for the means and results the come from said means. Idk anything about those past wars/empires, like that)

  • @deborahberger5816
    @deborahberger58168 ай бұрын

    I'd like to see a story about someone in history who would identify themselves today as non-binary.

  • @louisesumrell6331
    @louisesumrell63317 ай бұрын

    Similar to me, in that I've lived half my life as a man and half my life as a woman. I transitioned, m-f, in 1993 San Diego. I've never been a spy or a fencer though 😂

  • @bricksloth6920
    @bricksloth69208 ай бұрын

    I would call our chevalier gender nonconforming and leave it at that.

  • @shadowcult464
    @shadowcult4645 ай бұрын

    I only clicked because KAZ is on the thumbnail. PBS would do well to have an employment contract with KAZ. Thank you for a good history lesson to everyone working on this production.

  • @mxKrysie
    @mxKrysie8 ай бұрын

    I like this episode a lot. First suggestion I have for the next biopic is Mata Hari. From what I can remember, she was pretty impressive.

  • @sarahwatts7152
    @sarahwatts71528 ай бұрын

    I'd like to see a video (or videos) about resistance groups in various wars through history, with a particular emphasis on people we haven't heard about before

  • @Voronochka262
    @Voronochka2628 ай бұрын

    Hello, I would love it if you would maybe have some future videos about people who resisted Hitler, like Hans and Sophie Scholl and their friends, for one example

  • @johnnyearp52
    @johnnyearp528 ай бұрын

    There is nothing new under the sun!

  • @emilyrugburnn
    @emilyrugburnn8 ай бұрын

    One of my favorite episodes yet

  • @haruhisuzumiya6650
    @haruhisuzumiya66508 ай бұрын

    Incredible

  • @purplecouch4767
    @purplecouch47678 ай бұрын

    🎶Shh shh secret agent🎶

  • @Rysofly
    @Rysofly7 ай бұрын

    We gotta just keep finding easy to justify..... You know what 🙉🙈🙊

  • @flohenry3480
    @flohenry34808 ай бұрын

    Do Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz!

  • @AR........
    @AR........22 күн бұрын

    "Be honest. Even now you're probably thinking, 'Well, what was the Chevalier d'Eon's identity?'" yes so true. talking to other queer people about their complex relationship with gender is fun

  • @Rebellum1
    @Rebellum15 ай бұрын

    Question about graphics: was there a particular reason that you showed a robe à la française instead of a shift when you were listing their clothing orders? Or was that a mistake?

  • @AR........

    @AR........

    22 күн бұрын

    i think it's just in the wrong order. that dress is made of taffeta. i love that dress. it's own by the met: C.I.54.70a, b

  • @ericthompson3982
    @ericthompson39828 ай бұрын

    I have genuine respect for her knowledge and perspective, but why does she have a sword? Is she threatening us?

  • @treeross
    @treeross6 ай бұрын

    Big Themporer vibes.

  • @naraiattila6109
    @naraiattila61098 ай бұрын

    great vid🎉🎉🎉

  • @Thezairerouge
    @Thezairerouge6 ай бұрын

    💖💖💖

  • @ilahjarvis
    @ilahjarvis8 ай бұрын

    Wow! Thank you for sharing such a fascinating story. It's unfortunate that while the court ruled for respect for privacy, it didn't exert to women.

  • @robertortiz-wilson1588
    @robertortiz-wilson1588Ай бұрын

    Yes, the roots of French revolution idiocy were already well planted.

  • @kevlatimer5438
    @kevlatimer54388 ай бұрын

    Nature Knows No Colorline.... Read it.

  • @ChristopherNicholasWoodsJones
    @ChristopherNicholasWoodsJones4 ай бұрын

    Awesome take Bruv! “They” how have “they” define themselves, is in respect to them being human, alone e.g. They were an amazing human, that live a full life in service to king and country…. But, that is the problem. When I first started managing I came to the conclusion that every success of my department was a product of my team, and every failure of my department was a failure of mine, because they’re successes meant that I gave them the resources necessary to accomplish the task before them, failure meant I did not. So they live their lives and service to humanity(I hate that I need to make clear which should be clear, for good or bad the actions of the French throughout the ages have played a role in the development of diplomacy, allowing all we see today) and we can’t even respect them in their form or be comfortable in the fluidity of it…. As it was the fluidity that served.

  • @mggr81
    @mggr816 ай бұрын

    the story went black? cant see anything

  • @DaBlondDude
    @DaBlondDude8 ай бұрын

    Wow, and people think gender is confusing nowadays 😂

  • @TtrtRX
    @TtrtRX8 ай бұрын

    😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

  • @grovermartin6874
    @grovermartin68742 ай бұрын

    I am all for people loving whoever they choose. My only furious disagreement is with bowdlerizing language by making it more confusing. Let "they/them" be the plural it always has been. We need a new word/s for a gender neutral person. I have known "jhe" in one group, which seemed to wotk fine for what they needed. C'mon, people. Be creative. Pick different pronouns.

  • @lavenderhuman

    @lavenderhuman

    23 күн бұрын

    Singular they has been in use since the 1300s and even Shakespeare used it. It’s always been grammatically correct. Look it up. It even predates the singular informal you

  • @grovermartin6874

    @grovermartin6874

    23 күн бұрын

    @@lavenderhuman It has uses where it is not confusing, true. The fact that is not always so used is demonstrably so, or we would be either consistently confused or would have come up with some nongendered pronoun erenow.

  • @burrito-town
    @burrito-town8 ай бұрын

    The audio in this video is way too quiet. Right-click on this video and select "Stats for Nerds". From there, you will see that KZread measures the audio as 9.0 dB too quiet. 9 dB is big enough to be very noticeable. I don't understand how no one at PBS notices this glaring issue. Someone at PBS needs to Google how to properly export video for KZread because it is abundantly clear that the person doing that job now is not using the correct settings. This issue is apparent in just about every video on this channel. Additionally, this is not the first time I've left a comment pointing out the trouble. Yet, despite the problem being obvious and the repeated comments pointing out the trouble, your team has done nothing to solve the issue. I am tired of having to blast the volume that I can hear what is being said in your videos only to have my ears destroyed when the next video plays. For this reason, I am no longer a subscriber to this channel. Hopefully your team can learn how to properly export video so that resubscribing in the future is an appealing idea.

  • @DRACOFURY
    @DRACOFURY7 ай бұрын

    *Chevalier d'Eon Is A Much Watch* *Sad Endin Tho...* Now Wouldn't Say He Was Trans Tho... That's a far stretch

  • @gaylord2726
    @gaylord27268 ай бұрын

    Sure lol

  • @samwill7259

    @samwill7259

    8 ай бұрын

    Literally, LITERALLY historical fact.

  • @baynemacgregor8441

    @baynemacgregor8441

    8 ай бұрын

    Did you not see the engraving of her famous bout with the Chavalier Saint-Georges the Black composer, French soldier and expert swordsman? The English Prince is in the audience. It was depicted by multiple artists and painters at the time. If you doubt it look it up.

  • @MaryKuczko-di9nf
    @MaryKuczko-di9nf5 ай бұрын

    Theatre...males had to play women, woman not allowed to be actors