Born in 1803, Mary Jones was a Black trans socialite and sex worker who would sometimes dress in masculine clothing during the day and wear feminine attire at night. Jones is considered to be one of the first recorded openly transgender/non-cisgender people in New York’s history.
For Black History Month and every month, we at TransLash honor our trancestors and their vast range of lived experiences. Trans and gender nonconforming sex workers and their histories matter.
By Zarina Crockett and Daniela “Dani” Capistrano for TransLash Media, video editing by Brennen Beckwith
MARY JONES EXPLAINER TRANSCRIPT
Zarina: Welcome TransLash fam!
Come with me as we dig into the untold story of Mary Jones, a Black transgender woman who became somewhat of a socialite and media darling at the time in 18th century New York.
A lady of wit intellect and an excellent communicator, she was a light in the bustling evening streets of New York City. Miss Jones was known for her charisma, her elegance, and her looks.
She dared to step outside of the very strict gender norms of the time time in a way very few would have or have.
On a regular night out on the beat working, Mary met a client who objected to her $92 fee and was very dissatisfied with her services.
While he was reaching for his wallet for payment he looked inside and found a check written out to Mary Jones for $200 which would be the equivalent of $6,014.63 in today’s USD.
This whole incident led to Mary’s arrest and subsequently her arrest led to the exposure of her gender identity which became sensational in the media at the time.
During her trial Jones became a spectacle, a very early documentation of transgender existence and resistance at the time.
Learn more about Mary Jones or other icons in Black trans history in the Black Trans History Month Guide at translash.org.
MARY JONES RESOURCES
In his book The Amalgamation Waltz, Tavia Nyong’o writes that Mary Jones “transformed shame and stigma not by transcending them or repressing them but by employing them as resources in the production of new modes of meaning and being.”
Artist Arthur Jafa featured a re-imagining of what Mary Jones would have looked like in a self-portrait photograph titled La Scala in his art showcase, A Series of Utterly Improbable, Yet Extraordinary Renditions.
Tourmaline created a short film called Salacia focusing on the life of Mary Jones. The short was screened at the museum from May 3 to December 9, 2019. The short is currently screened by the Museum of Modern Art as part of their permanent collection.
Jonathan Ned Katz, in his book Love Stories: Sex Between Men Before Homosexuality, says Mary Jones (deadname redacted) grew up with little education, was illiterate, and signed statements with an X. According to Katz, contrast and scandal made Jones so interesting for the press.
The Herald and Sun, when Jones was first accused of theft, stated that Jones had initially carried out business under the name of Mary Jones without stealing from customers. The antiquated term amalgamation was used by the press to indicate that sex work customers of various races were served, which was not the norm, less than ten years after slavery had been abolished.
Mary Jones spent over seven years of her life between 1842 and 1858, serving time in some of New York’s most notorious correctional facilities, including Blackwell’s Island Penitentiary, the Tombs, and Sing Sing State Prison. Her confirmed death date remains unknown as of 2024.
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