Who was the first transgender person?

There is evidence of people who crossed gender boundaries even in ancient civilizations, though the terms naming them have evolved over time.

By: Ky Merkley, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Nick Winters, Northwestern University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 15, 2026

Words: 1,280

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

By Ky Merkley, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Nick Winters, Northwestern University

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

Who was the first transgender person? – Dexter, age 11, Las Vegas, Nevada

Imagine you have a time machine, and you can travel back to any civilization in history. Maybe you’d go back to …

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