User:Scholarlycchistorian/Jackie Shane

Jackie In her Youth
From a young age, Jackie Shane knew that she was different from other children her age. Shane was fairly confident, quickly developing a self identity that would later influence her individuality, emphasizing her personal uniqueness. Femininity was one of the ways that Shane expressed herself, wearing dresses and growing out her hair. Makeup was also prominent in her appearance. To embody femininity, Shane also mimicked mannerisms and posture cues, drawing inspiration from a popular actress, Mae West. Unlike many children, and even adults, Jackie Shane was sure of herself and her outward expression of femininity that she presented within her physical appearance. Shane does not take recognition for her self assuredness, but credits her mother, Jackie Shane, and her grandmother, as they both accepted, as well as supported Shane through her early self discovery.

In the late 1940s into the 1950s, the American South was not only unaccepting of African Americans, but also of queerness. It was easier for Shane to associate with her femininity and receive support from close family, but there was still judgment from peers and adults. While Jackie describes that there were very few conflicts at a young age, she does recall another young boy verbally accosting her while also throwing things at her. Shane was not one to cower away from conflict, so to solve this act of discrimination, she took a jump rope and whipped him. Jackie Shane’s ability to effectively defend herself from discrimination at a young age demonstrates not only her confidence, but resilience.

While Jackie Shane’s trans identity was a distinguishing aspect of herself, she was primarily known for her contribution to the music industry, specifically for Rhythm and Blues. Early exposure to music was vital for Jackie’s later music career. Her grandmother’s beautiful melodies that she sang around the house had an influence on Shane’s vocal development. Further encouragement from her grandmother allowed her to display her vocal talents as she progressed in age.

Jackie’s Sexuality

While today Jackie Shane can be labeled as a trans woman, throughout her early life, language surrounding transgender people was not commonly discussed. From the young age of thirteen, Shane identified herself as a girl, even though she was constantly being misgendered (6). The question of whether she was a transgender woman, a drag queen, a masculine lesbian, or a gay man was consistently discussed, but Shane never directly addressed her sexual identity until years before her death. The confusion of Shane’s identity more than likely stemmed from the fact that while she wore very feminine clothing, during her performances, her clothes were considered more androgynous. Many claim this is where Shane resembled a masc or butch lesbian, as she wore glittering suits on stage and wore her hair up (1). Shane never crumbled to public scrutiny about her sexuality and physical appearance, avoiding conformity to choose either masculine or feminine societal norms and choosing how she presents herself to the public in her own way. Her ability to ignore labels about her sexuality allowed her to be considered ahead of her time.

Jackie’s Music Career

Jackie Shane began her music career as a young teen. Along with her remarkable vocal ability, she also had incredible rhythm. This was particularly noticed by Louis Lavelle, observing her rhythm as she tapped on chairs (2). Lavelle recruited Shane, as well as Les Monday, to form a musical trio. Shane and her band performed at a variety of small gigs, including at local fair grounds and on radio stations.

After gaining some recognition, Jackie Shane began to work with record labels, including Excello Records, while also drawing attention from Motown and Atlantic Records (3). She was not attracted to big record label companies, however.

Fleeing From Jim Crow

Jackie Shane was born in Nashville, which was considered a part of the Jim Crow South. This region of the United States was not safe for either a Black American, or any queer individual. In the beginning of her career, Shane explains that very little acts of harassment or violence occurred with her. The absence of racial and transphobic conflict did not mean that Jackie was unaware of the dangers of her home state.

There were probably several horrific stories that could have scared Jackie out of Nashville, but one incident that stuck with her was when she witnessed a group of white men chase a black man down near the bus stop that she and a friend were waiting at. She witnessed this man violently beaten and then carelessly thrown into a dumpster nearby (4). Escaping the horrific dangers of Jim Crow, while also leaving her mother behind, was a decision that was difficult for her to make, but her best chance at survival. Jackie Shane left the Jim Crow South, migrating north out of the United States to Canada, with the belief that the racial tensions would be left within the States and that Canada would bring on a new environment.

Encounters With Violence and Harassment

Jackie Shane constantly reiterated the fact that her experience as a black, trans woman was not as most expected, not filled with violence and verbal threats. This, however, did not protect her from harassment in her early childhood, sexual harassment from her band members, and avoiding local gangs.

One of the first encounters with verbal and physical harassment was when she was just a young school girl. While playing on the playground, Jackie was being verbally attacked by a boy, who was screaming directly at Jackie regarding her gender appearance, and eventually began to throw objects at her as well. Jackie was not an individual to shy away from conflict, so to put an end to the harassment, she found a jump rope and whipped it in his direction (1). Jackie’s ability to handle conflict and actively protect herself carried on throughout her life, helping her survive.

When Jackie became involved within bands, she found sexual harassment to be one of the obstacles she had to face. Jackie was known to be overly an flirtatious individual, which could have possibly led her band members to make sexual advances (3). She expressed to many of them that she had no personal interest in having any sexual relationships, yet they persisted. In one specific incident, a band member threatened Jackie after refusing any type of sexual advancement, pulling a knife to her (3). Just like when she was a child, Jackie was able to successfully handle the situation by making a snarky joke and maturely walking away.

After her relocation to Canada, Shane could not entirely escape endangerment, finding herself in conflict with the local mob. The mob was not welcoming to Jackie and her bandmates, kidnapping them (7). This was not the only near death kidnapping that Jackie had experienced, but this particular instance forced her bandmates to be sent back to the United States (2). Jackie continued with her career, not letting the violent acts determine her career within the music industry. This mentality eventually changed within Jackie, as years later she would disappear from entertainment because she was tired of the transgender discrimination throughout the entire industry.

Transgender Representation In The Entertainment Industry

With the Gay Liberation Movement emerging within the 1960s, transgender individuals, as well gender non-conforming people, created a sense of voice that provided strength and unification. While trans visibility was becoming more common, many transgender people were difficult to identify within society, due to active discrimination that could endanger their lives (5). Isolation in the early years of the Gay Liberation Movement for transgender individuals was the result of not only discrimination from people outside of the movement, but from inside the movement as well. Following the Stonewall riots in the 1970s, several popular queer movements, such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activist Alliance excluded transgender individuals, which led to the creation of trans inclusive organizations, such as Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, Transvestite and Transsexual Activist Organization, and Queens’ Liberation Front (5).

These organizations emerged in the 1970s, however, which was before Jackie Shane’s presence in the entertainment industry was recognized. Shane was never one to hide, nor label her sexuality, freely expressing herself throughout the 1950s and 60s. Her ability and confidence to place herself within the public eye while openly expressing femininity, emphasizes Shane’s overall importance in transgender visibility. Shane was not directly a part of the Gay Liberation Movement, or any transgender movements, but her presence and silent activism prior to the emergence of these movements paved the way for many transgender individuals.

There were little to no transgender musicians throughout this era of queer history. Significant trans women in this industry, such as Wendy Carlos and Jayne County, were pioneers for the transgender community in this career field, but they were not openly transgender within the media until the mid 1970s 7. Shane’s impact on the transgender music industry, combined with the various movements that included transgender visibility and expression, guided several artists to break societal barriers regarding their sexual and gender identity.