Steven's Reviews > The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes: And the Unwritten History of the Trans Experience

A fascinating and heartbreaking story about a trans man's fight to keep a family title and what the suppression of his case meant for development of trans rights in the UK.

Ewan Forbes' story starts in the early 20th century. His astute (and wealthy) mother realized that there was something different about her child and went to great lengths seeking out treatments across Europe to make him healthy and happy. At some point, Ewan was able to get his birth certificate changed, and he went on to a career as a physician and a farmer, living on his family lands in Scotland. But when his older brother died, and Ewan inherited the family title of Baronet, his cousin objected, and took him to court. The entire case was held in secret and most records of it sealed, since it might have an affect on future cases involving trans people and inheritance within the British peerage system.

Playdon digs into this history, and uses it to illustrated the horrible way the medical, psychiatric and legal systems in the UK (and elsewhere) have treated trans people. There are a lot of groups and acronyms to track, but Playdon does show how inadequate the law is in keep up with actual social change, and how the House of Lords has torpedoed legislation that could improve people's lives, all in the name of preserving their place and traditions.