Vagina Museum

In 1843, an election in Salisbury, Connecticut was won by just one vote. The result proved controversial, because one of the voters was an intersex person. This is the story of Levi Suydam.

A blanket content warning applies to this thread about anti-intersex discrimination, body policing, and gender policing.

May 30, 2023 at 11:14amWeb
Show threadVagina MuseumMay 30, 2023
Levi Suydam was a 23 year old who presented himself to the town's selectmen - the electors - with the characteristics required to vote: he was a man, and he owned property. But due to his appearance, he wasn't permitted a vote unless he was subject to medical examinations.
Show threadVagina MuseumMay 30, 2023

Suydam was first examined, before the election, by Dr William Barry. Barry's examination found that Suydam had an imperforate penis, a scrotum and a testicle on one side. On this basis, he declared Suydam male.

However, a second doctor, who supported the opposing party objected. Dr Ticknor examined Suydam on election day. His findings corroborated Dr Barry's - he, too, agreed that Suydam was male.

Show threadVagina MuseumMay 30, 2023

As he had been declared male, Suydam was permitted to vote. His party, the Whigs, won the election by one vote.

But a few days later, Barry changed his mind. He had heard that Suydam menstruated.

Show threadVagina MuseumMay 30, 2023

The account that Suydam had periods was confirmed by his sister, who said that she cleaned his menstrual cloths, and that he regularly menstruated, "but not as profusely as most women". This led to further scrutiny of Suydam.

A second examination by Barry and Ticknor found that Suydam had a vaginal opening. Barry also records that Suydam's body was "feminine". However, that wasn't exactly what caused the doctors to declare him female...

Show threadVagina MuseumMay 30, 2023

The legal status of intersex people at the time depended on which sex "prevailed". Suydam's body had characteristics fitting male and female, so the physicians turned to social aspects of his life.

Barry's case report discusses several characteristics which in his opinion made Suydam female. First among these was that Suydam was attracted to men.

Show threadVagina MuseumMay 30, 2023

As well as this, Barry cites that Suydam had "a fondness for gay colours", that he enjoyed placing coloured swatches of calico together, and that he had "an aversion for bodily labour".

It was these "feminine propensities" which led Barry to revise his opinion.

Show threadVagina MuseumMay 30, 2023

Despite this, there's no record that this revised medical opinion that Suydam was female actually affected the outcome of the election!

There's no record of what happened to Suydam in his later life.

Show threadTom MagnanimousMay 30, 2023
@vagina_museum "declared a woman because he enjoyed placing colored swatches of calico together" is the most 19th century thing I've read in a while
Show threadAilbheMay 30, 2023
@funkula @vagina_museum I like "women don't do bodily labour, and his sister does his laundry"
Show threadTom MagnanimousMay 30, 2023
@ailbhe @vagina_museum nice, I didn't even think about how laborious laundry was back then
Show threadAilbheMay 30, 2023
@funkula @vagina_museum Even making a cake was pretty strenuous - whisking egg whites without a rotary or electric whisk is no joke.
Show threadGreenSkyOverMe (Monika)May 30, 2023
@funkula I tried to google what swatches and calico might be, but didn’t get anything that made sense in context
Show threadPete Alex Harris🦡🕸️🌲/∞🪐∫May 30, 2023
@vagina_museum so, historical evidence that it was accepted that gender is at least partly socially constructed nearly 180 years ago.
Show threadJames Bartlett May 30, 2023
@vagina_museum
Purple is my favorite color, I often mend my own garments, and I despise physical labor, so I guess I must be a woman. 🙄🤣
Show threadex or current IDF unwelcomeMay 30, 2023
@vagina_museum and people forget some women are born without vaginas
Show threadRiley S. FaelanMay 30, 2023
@vagina_museum: In other words, Suydam was examined by the appellant's doctor on one side, and the respondent's doctor on the other side, and doctors of both sides insisted that the decision was obvious, only their obvious decisions were radically incompatible with each other.
Show threadSteveP - The DogfatherMay 30, 2023
@vagina_museum so now i'm googling imperforate penis